Camping and Hunting in the Shoshone 



by the way) did not flow another quarter 

 of a mile farther oflF from our starting- 

 point than it did. I never had better 

 packers or better animals than those we 

 had for that trip ; but we put too much 

 on the mules. They were a splendid band, 

 but had not been packed for two years, 

 and so were soft and resented packing ; 

 and there just happened to be an evidence 

 of advancing civilization, in the shape of 

 half a mile of the newest and most barby 

 barbed-wire fencing, midway between the 

 railroad and the woody bend of the stream 

 that was the goal of all our hopes. Against 

 that half-mile of wire every one of those 

 mules in turn lay down, stringing them- 

 selves well out, so that they would not 

 be inconveniently close together, this ma- 

 ncEuvre, of course, resulting in the rend- 

 ing and cutting of all that was cuttable 

 about them, including their hides ; and, 

 in all honesty — for one must try to be 

 honest even to a pack-mule — I must say, 

 they rather seemed to like to have their 

 hides cut, if they were only sure of cutting 

 every flour, sugar, oatmeal, and coffee sack, 

 to say nothing of letting daylight into 

 waterproof, tarpaulin, clothes, etc. 



It is something to have had an exhaus- 

 tive experience of any sort ; and after 



107 



