At the base of Brown mountain is a lake, the size of which we could not very accurately ascertain, but which was probably about two miles long by three-quarters of a mile wide.  On the south end appeared to be an outlet, and it seems to be near the head of the Snake river.  Owing to the difficulty of reaching the beach, growing out of the mishaps arising from the giving way of the turf, as I have described, our nearest approach to the lake was about one-half of a mile.

During the absence of Washburn and myself Mr. Hedges has spent the day in fishing, catching forty of the fine trout with which the lake abounds.  Mr. Stickney has to-day made an inventory of our larder, and we find that our luxuries, such as coffee, sugar and flour, are nearly used up, and that we have barely enough of necessary provisions—­salt, pepper, etc., to last us ten days longer with economy in their use.  We will remain at the lake probably three or four days longer with the hope of finding some trace of Everts, when it will be necessary to turn our faces homewards to avoid general disaster, and in the meantime we will dry a few hundred pounds of trout, and carry them with us as a precautionary measure against starvation.  At all of our camps for the past three days, and along the line of travel between them, we have blazed the trees as a guide for Mr. Everts, and have left a small supply of provisions at each place, securely cached, with notices directing Mr. Everts to the places of concealment.  The soldiers’ rations issued for thirty days’ service will barely hold out for their own use, and we have little chance of borrowing from them.  We left Helena with thirty days’ rations, expecting to be absent but twenty-five days.  We have already been journeying twenty-seven days, and are still a long way from home.

A few nights ago I became ravenously hungry while on guard, and ate a small loaf of bread, one of five loaves that I found in a pan by the campfire.  I was not aware at the time that these loaves were a part of the soldiers’ breakfast rations, nor did I know that in the army service each soldier has his own particular ration of bread.  So the next morning, with one ration of bread missing, one soldier would have been short in his allowance if the others had not shared their loaves with him.  I supposed at the time of my discovery of the five loaves that they belonged to the larder of the Washburn branch of the party—­not to the escort—­and I apologized to the soldiers when I learned the truth, and we are now as good friends as ever; but, from an occasional remark which they drop in my presence, I perceive that they think they have the laugh on me.  Unfortunately for them, we will part company before we reach the settlements, and I will have no opportunity to liquidate my obligations.  Hard work and plain living have already reduced my superfluous flesh, and “my clothes like a lady’s loose gown hang about me,” as the old song runs.