AN ELK HUNT IN THE BIG HORNS 225 



East, and on the expiration of his term assured me that it is the custom of the 

 of office, and because of a bad case of West to help yourself to anything yon 

 asthma, he had concluded to try his want in the way of eatables wherever 

 luck in the sheep country. He had al- found. How differently such an act 

 ways been fond of hunting' and we had would be regarded east of the Missis- 

 had numerous trips of this kind since I sippi River ! 



had decided on Wyoming as the place About ten o'clock of the third day 

 to build up my health, but neither of us we saw the "Red Wall" in the distance, 

 had tried our luck at the elk up to now, apparently rising up out of the level 

 and he was as much pleased as I to prairie and unbroken save for the fa- 

 have the chance of a hunt with two mous pass called "The Hole-in-the- 

 such famous old hunters as Walker and Wall," and for which we directed our 

 Marshall. horses' heads. This gap is the only 



I had never hunted big game until break in the wall for miles and it is 



about two months previous to this trip, very narrow. Marshall and I had 



when I had had my first shot at a deer, mounted two of the ponies and rode in 



and though my marksmanship was not advance of the wagons about one hun- 



equal to bringing down the first one, I dred yards. We had scarcely emerged 



was very proud of the fact that I had from the narrow passage through the 



experience'd nothing like "Buck Ague" wall when two men suddenly appeared 



or any other nervousness. Being a ten- from somewhere and came to meet us. 



derfoot, I naturally expected to just Each had a Winchester resting across 



about shake my teeth out or forget to his saddle horn, and made a few in- 



shoot. quiries as to our business, destination, 



Our first day out was ' uneventful, etc., looking us carefully over the while. 



We made good time over the sage- Marshall was acquainted with them and 



brush covered prairie, frightening any they didn't stay with us long, but soon 



number of cottontail rabbits, sage chick- rode off down the basin. I did not ask 



ens and long-eared jack rabbits as we any questions, but took it for granted 



went. We camped at sundown in a that they were on sentry duty, as the 



deep coulee out of the wind. There Hole-in-the-Wall country had harbored 



was some snow fell that night and Mar- some men that the law would deal rather 



shall's shattered nerves kept him walk- harshly with could they only be appre- 



ing back and forth in it nearly all night, hended. We were well treated by all 



Toward morning he was able to get the people we met in this country, and 



some sleep. it did not seem to me anything but 



The next day we got an early start, peaceable, 

 and the monotony of our travel was We were now in the foot-hills and 



broken by the sight of a small herd of soon passed Houch's Ranch and began 



antelope. I was lucky enough to bring the ascent of a mountain over a trail 



down one fine buck with a single ran- that was about as rough as any one 



dom shot. It was my first antelope, and ever moved wagons over. It was really 



the buck ague struck me when I got to dangerous and I expected several times 



where he lay. His mounted head hangs that our wagons and teams would surely 



on a wall at home now. roll down the steep hills. 



We passed Kidd's Ranch, and helped About four p. m. we arrived at our 



ourselves to a hind quarter of a deer, camping-ground, in the shelter of a 



of which there were four hanging from square top mountain peak. We and our 



the gable of one of the bunk-houses, horses found it a little difficult to breathe 



I was a little concerned as to what the for some time, on account of the high 



people would say when they returned altitude, but managed to get camp set 



home and found how free we had been up in good shape before night closed 



with their property, but Marshall as- in on us. We had a good supper and, 



