it.  Knowing the command would pass near the creek, I went back to hunt, thinking I would go up after it had passed, strike the trail, and follow it into camp.

I had not gone far down the creek when I ran into a fine elk, and knocked him over with my Henry rifle.  I cut off the choice pieces, and, packing them on my pony, once more set out to find the trail.  I knew the command had not passed, and ascended the highest point on the bluff, straining my eyes to see if I could not discover it moving.  I waited several hours, but not finding it, I concluded it had not marched by the old trail, but struck straight across the country.  I now moved up the creek, determined to keep along its bank until I came to the old camp, and then follow the trail.  I had not gone far when I came upon two Indians who belonged to my company, and who were also looking for the command.

Night was coming on, the wind rising, and the air growing bitter cold, so I said to the Indians we would go down the creek where there was plenty of dry wood, and make a night camp.  They readily assented, and we set out, arriving at a fine grove just before dark.

While one of the Indians gathered wood, the other one and I cleared away the snow to make a place for our camp.  The snow in the bottom was nearly three feet deep, and when we had bared the ground a high wall was piled up all around us.  The wood was soon brought, and a bright fire blazing.  After warming ourselves, we opened a passage through the snow for a short distance, and clearing another spot led our horses into this most perishable of stables.  Our next care was to get them some cottonwood limbs to eat, and then we gathered small dry limbs and made a bedstead of them on which to spread our blankets.  Piling in some wood until the fire roared and cracked, we sat down in the heat of the blaze, feeling quite comfortable, except that we were desperately hungry.  Some coals were raked out, and the neck of the elk cut off and spitted on a stick to roast.  When it was done we divided it, and sprinkling it with a little pepper and salt from our haversacks had as savoury and wholesome a repast as any epicure might desire.  After supper, hearing the coyotes howling in the woods below, I had the Indians bring in my saddle, to which was strapped the elk meat, and, cutting the limb off a tree close by the fire, we lifted the saddle astride the stump so high up that the wolves could not reach it.  All being now in readiness for the night, we filled our pipes and sat down to smoke and talk.

At nine o’clock the Indians replenished the fire, and, feeling sleepy, I wrapped myself in my blankets and lay down to rest.  I soon fell asleep, and slept well until nearly midnight, when I was awakened by the snapping and snarling of the wolves near the fire.  The wood had burned down to a bed of coals, and gave but a faint light, but I could see a dozen pair of