£03 FOREST AND STHEAM. 
[MARC8 Ij, iQ&i. 
Leak and 1 going north, intending to climb to the top 
of one of the high peaks near camp so as to get a good 
view of the surrounding country. We rode for about 
two hours, or until it got so steep we could not ride 
further, then dismounted and by leading the horses and 
zigzag climbing back and forth, we at last got on the. 
first bench. I climbed over to another higher bench, and 
Leak took my picture while standing there on a flat top 
about ioo feet square, and one side straight down at least 
I,ooo feet. I decided to climb up to the next higher 
peak, and at last succeeded. The side up which I climbed 
was at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and entirely 
barren; when I succeeded in getting to the top I found 
it ran to a sharp point, and the other side a perpendicu- 
lar wall at least 2,000 feet straight down to the bottom 
of the canon. One look was enough to convince me 
that unless I got off that top quick it would surely break 
off with me and let me down, even if the rock on which 
I stood was several hundred feet thick. 
I quickly descended and told Leak if that was the kind 
of climbing necessary to get mountain sheep, I didn't want 
any. We sat down on the bench where we had left the 
horses to view the country, which we could see for 
miles in all directions, and soon saw a bunch of elk move 
up the opposite side of a gulch about a mile distant and 
go into a bunch of timber near the top. We then got our 
horses down off of the bench by passing around to the 
opposite side and Jeading them along the side of the 
mountain until we got to a more even part, and then 
mounted and rode to the foot of the highest peak, where 
we left the horses and climbed on up to the top; we 
found it in shape similar to the top of a haystack, solid 
rock and concrete, without any vegetation or soil what- 
ever, and from there we got some fine views. We could 
see the great Tetons some fifty miles distant; Mt. Liddy, 
about the same distance, which I climbed about one 
year ago; North Fork and South Fork of Buffalo Creek; 
Pacific Creek ; Eno's Lake, several miles long ; Two Ocean 
Pass ;_ Continental Divide, and stretching north and south 
for miles, the Shoshone Range Mountains. 
We remained for some time, and were sorry when the 
sun nearing the western horizon warned us that unless we 
wanted to stay out in the mountains over night we must 
retrace our steps. We descended and crossed over to 
the other side of the canon and rode down into the 
timber, into which we had seen the elk go, and soon 
came in sight of them. I quickly dismounted and fired 
three times at the biggest one, but missed him. Soon 
after our return to camp Porch and Charley came in, 
bringing a nice big pair of antlers and a good supply of 
elk meat, which Porch had shot on their trip. 
We had decided in the morning that as it was our first 
day in camp, that we would not do any hunting, but 
spend the day in prospecting, but that if any big elk 
or bear should attempt to run over us, we should, of 
course, be permitted to "shoot it in self-defense." 
When they came in the first thing Porch said was, "I 
had to shoot him in self-defense." 
Be this as it may, we welcomed the fresh meat in 
camp after having lived four days on bacon. The next 
morning Porch and Charley remained in camp until noon 
to clean up his elk head, while Leak and I rode up the 
gulch to the top of the Divide, between Buffalo and 
Pacific creeks, and soon got on the trail of a small bunch 
of elk, seemingly about ten head. 
We rode along after them a short distance, and then 
dismounted, leaving our horses, and started on the trail 
on a still-hunt, ' following them for some two miles 
through timber into and across little open parks and up a 
gulch; after a time we could smell them and see by 
the trail that we were getting close ; then vve heard them, 
and finally came in sight of them just as they were cross- 
ing an open park. We ran forward, and I had a fine 
chance for a shot, but there were no nice heads, so we 
left them and returned to our horses. 
We saw lots of signs, but followed no more trails 
until about noon, when we left our horses and started 
again on a still-hunt ; after walking some distance we sat 
down on the top of a high butte overlooking two small 
parks. There are lots of these little open places all 
through that country. They are in size from a few 
yards in circumference up to several acres, and look just 
as if a little spot in the timber had been cleared off and 
sown with grass. On all sides are heavy timber, while 
the park is covered with nice long grass. We soon 
saw an elk come out of the timber into the edge of the 
nearest park, soon another and another, until there were 
about one dozen ; at least, what we thought was a big 
bull cattle out, following up the feat as they usually do. 
We were about one-third mile distant, and from what 
we Could see he had a fine big head ; vve slipped down 
the edge of the park, and while doing so the elk went 
back into the timber. Soon we thought we saw them at 
the lower edge of the adjoining park, with heads up and 
showing alarm. Leak says, "I can't think they could have 
gotten our wind." but in a moment they started on a 
run and passed out of sight. 
We stood a few moments and out of the timber on the 
opposite side of the park, less than one hundred yards 
from us, trotted a coyote, and Leak says, "That's what 
scared out our elk." The coyote stopped, looked at us 
a few minutes while we stood perfectly still; he then 
ran back into the timber, and in a moment came out again 
with another old one and a small one, and the three 
trotted across the park in plain sight of us, not seventy- 
five yards distant. A beautiful chance to -get three of 
them, but our elk were near, and we did not shoot, for 
fear of scaring them. We then walked across the park, 
and looking across the gulch saw two Indians sitting on 
the side of the gulch to the windward of where the elk 
were, so knew at once that the elk had gotten their wind 
and had been frightened away by them. 
Leak says, "Well, they have spoiled our fun." 
We turned, went back across the park, up the hill just 
at the top of which was the edge of the other park, and 
right there not twenty-five feet away from us was our 
first bunch of elk, including the bull, but just as I was 
ready to shoot a quick look at his head told me he was a 
five-point, with one brow prong broken off, so I didn't 
want him. There were about twenty-five elk in the bunch, 
and we stood and watched them run off, and thought it 
a pretty sight. We then walked on across the park, up 
the side of the ridge, and just as we got to the edge of 
the timber near the top of the ridge, out came both 
bunches of the elk we had seen, fifty-eight in all, and 
only the one small bull with the broken horns ; they all ran 
close by us into the open, and stopped not twenty-five 
yards away, while we stood perfectly still. They stood a 
moment, then walked on a short distance, stopped and 
looked at us, then on again, etc., until some two hundred 
yards away, before they started to run. If I had thought, 
I could have gotten a fine kodak picture, but under these 
circumstances one does not think of all the things we do 
afterward. Instinct seemed to tell them that we would 
not harm them. One might spend many weeks in the 
mountains before getting three such sights inside of an 
hour. After they disappeared over the brow of the hill, 
we climbed to the top and watched them with the glass 
for a couple of miles, then walked around the summit, but 
saw no further signs of game, and went back to our 
horses. We rode all the afternoon and saw no more 
game, but saw plenty of signs of elk and bear. We 
knocked over two grouse with stones, and took them 
along in to camp for breakfast. 
Porch and Charley had gotten in before us, having 
seen more elk, but no nice heads{ and having shot the 
heads off three grouse. 
The next morning we found it raining, having rained 
all night, and at 9 o'clock it looked as if we might get 
out within an hour or so, so decided to> get the horses 
ready, and left camp about 10 o'clock and rode about 
two miles out, when we saw a coyote. I got off and 
tried to get him, but the distance being about two hun- 
dred yards, it seemed he wasn't big enough for my 
sights; at any rate, he ran away, and for aught I know 
is still going, although the ball struck the log on which 
he was standing. We again mounted our horses and 
rode over as rough country as I was ever in, through 
heavy green, dead and down timber, and over one ridge 
after another, until about 1 o'clock, when we got sight of 
two young buck elk, with small heads, but did not want 
them. Soon after we dismounted and, tied up our horses 
and started walking; wc stopped under a tree just as it 
commenced to rain and ate our lunch of cheese sand- 
wiches, cold chicken and loaf sugar. Soon the heavens 
clouded up, and we heard the wind roaring up the canon, 
then nearer it came. 
Leak says, "We better get to green timber," and soon 
we were under a cluster of big green trees. 
We saw the dead trees shake along the side of the 
canon; soon one fell, then another, and another, until 
they came crashing down on all sides of us. Then it com- 
menced to hail, and kept up a steady down-pour until 
the ground was covered an inch deep ; then it got 
cold, and we soon got wet. We walked awhile, and then 
stopped and built a fire and dried off our clothes, then 
went back after the horses and found them safe, al- 
though trees had blown down within twenty-five feet of 
them. 
We again mounted and rode for an hour, and got on 
the trail of a big elk. Leaving our horses, we followed 
him for about two miles through timber, marshy ground 
and long grass, and got thoroughly soaked, but at 4 
o'clock had to give up the chase without sighting him 
and return to camp, where vve arrived at 6 o'clock. 
Porch and Charley came in later and reported about 
the same kind of a day, and we all turned in. tired and 
hoping for better things for the morrow. 
The following morning we found it had rained again 
during the night, and that it wa> still raining; everything 
was cold and wet, and we felt that a "little of this would 
last a long time." About 9 o'clock we left camp, and 
had gone but a short distance when it commenced rain- 
ing again. We went up over the ridge and started up a 
small creek near North Fork of Buffalo, and soon 
after sighted a bunch of elk. Leaving our hors#s, we 
climbed down the side of the canon to the creek, where 
we found only one small head in the bunch, just as they 
all ran off, so* we climbed back again and then rode on 
up the creek, stopping for lunch about 1 o'clock while it 
rained some more. After eating we again mounted and 
rode up the canon to its head. Just as we got there it 
commenced to rain hard, which suddenly turned into 
snow, and we experienced the novelty of having a snow- 
storm come on to us from below. The wind blew the 
snow up the canon and over the mountain top after the 
fashion of a regular blizzard, so thick we could not see 
ten feet ahead of us. We got behind a rock until the 
storm ceased, and then rode out on the top. We found 
we were on one of the highest peaks in that vicinity, the 
top was level and covered with a short wire-like grass, 
without any other sign of vegetation, about one-half mile 
wide by two miles long, most of the sides straight down 
for twenty-five hundred feet, and no place to get back 
down except where we had come up. 
After spending an hour, during which time the wind 
blew a gale, we descended and rode back to camp, cold 
and wet, and so ended two of the most disagreeable days 
one could imagine. 
When we got back we found Porch had shot his first 
bear, a big black one. They had gone up into the canon 
where he had shot the elk, when near they left their 
horses and crept quietly itp the gulch, the guide ahead, 
and when about forty yards from the elk, he motioned 
to Porch to hurry up quietly; when Porch got there he 
looked through the bushes and saw a big black bear 
standing on top of a big log just over the bait, looking 
right their way, and Porch said he looked as big as an 
ox. The guide says aim for his breast, and he did 
so, and let him have it; the bear let out one roar, and 
quick as a flash leaped off to the right and disappeared 
in the bushes, the blood spurting with every jump. They 
ran up and found him lying about twenty-five yards from 
the log. dead. It was a fine shot, and they proceeded to 
take off his hide, which they brought into camp, and we 
all pronounced him a big specimen, and in commemora- 
tion, we christened the name of our camp "Bear Camp." 
J. M. Murdock. 
Johnstown, Pa. 
[TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.] 
Hunting Rifles. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have been somewhat astonished, and a good deal 
amused, to read the comments made during the last 
month or two in Forest and Stream by various big-game 
hunters, on the efficiency and non-efficiency of the .30- 
caliber rifle on moose. 
I have never used this arm on big game — partly, per- 
haps, because it is ten or twelve years since I have killed 
anything four-footed — but, on two occasions recently I 
carried one of these guns into the mountains, and shot 
various trees, grouse, and other small things with it. I 
have been greatly impressed by the accuracy of the aim 
at the short ranges at which I tried it. I was surprisingly 
fortunate in shooting the heads off grouse at distances 
varying from ten to thirty or forty yards, and on one 
occasion, when trying the gun of a young friend — shoot- 
ing with a knee rest — I succeeded, at a distance of fifty 
yards, in putting five consecutive balls into a tree trunk 
in a space that would be covered by a five-cent piece. In 
other words, the gun shot precisely where it was held; 
the only point to be learned about it, as about any other 
rifle, was to discover just how to draw the sights, and 
just how the trigger pull. No man, no matter how 
good a shot he may be, can be sure of hitting anything 
with a strange gun until he has learned these two points. 
When he is sure of them, if he has had time to draw 
his sight, he ought to be able to hit the mark almost every 
time. 
All this, however, has nothing to do with the question 
so warmly discussed by your correspondents. The point 
which has astonished me, and caused me to laugh — though 
very respectfully — at Mr. Irland and others, is this, that 
he, and many other correspondents, who seem to have 
been much in the woods, and to have followed big game 
to some considerable extent, and who, therefore, ought 
to know something about big game and the use of the 
rifle, appear to think that it is practicable to get a single 
gun which will be equally effective on chipmunks, wood- 
chucks, deer, moose and grizzly bears. J do not believe 
now, and I never have believed, that such a gun existed, 
or could be made. One shoots red squirrels with a .22- 
caliber rifle; one shoots elephants with a much larger 
gun, and, I suppose, though I never trkd it, whales with 
one still larger. I do not conceive that a .30-caliber gun 
would be immediately effective against an elephant, a 
hippopotamus, a giraffe, or a rhinoceros. I speak under 
correction, however, for I am under the impression that 
the Hon. W. A. Chanler, during his explorations in 
Africa, did kill one rhinoceros, and possibly more, with 
a Mannlicher. It is conceivable that, with a full -jacketed 
ball, all the large African animals that I have mentioned 
might be killed, but not immediately. With a soft-nosed 
ball, I conceive that the missile would be dissipated on or 
immediately under the skin. 
Where a bullet has to penetrate a great mass of flesh, 
and probably to encounter bones as well, it seems evi- 
EEAR CAMP ON THE NORTH FORK OF BUFFALO CREEK, SHOSHONE MOUNTAINS. 
