Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-12-17

T aaITL 1lri
took little notice OF them. Besides, I had no
quarrel with the coyotes, though l think ole
did one night try to jerk my provision bsg
from under the saddle, which / used as a
pillow. l was awakened by the tug, was
very much frightened. yelled and saw indis-
tinctly something making for a swamp near
by. On another occasion one Of these ami
mails came barking and yelling Town a
mountain side and SO followed the procession
(my horse, dog and myself for over half a
mile. What be wanted l never could make
out.
Grizzlies were plentiful, yet l never saw
one in his native forest, not even a grizzly
track. Some good luck kept me and the
grizzly apart. One night l camped near a
sheep ranch. Seeing my fire, the proprietor
made me a visit. "Well," said he, you've
chosen a not over nice place to spend the
night in. You're right in the track of the
bears. They've killed twenty-six of my sheep
within the last two weeks. Guess you'd bet
ter come and sleep in my barn on the hay"
Which / did. A pile of loose hay, with a
blanket atop of it, was a luxurious exchange
from the hard ground with only a blanket
atop of that.
Was l afraid in these solitudes? Yes, |
was often. / never rested securely at night,
III btiS bcLI NiiCoD anu was NSI q W
see the mornings light. What was / afraid
off, don't know exactly. Perhaps every
thing in general and nothing in particular.
II my dog snuffed and growled, which he
would at times do during the night, 1 was in
dread of whatever he was snuffing or growl-
ing at, were it beast, reptile or Indian. Were
Indians abouta Yes, but deemed friendly.
These were the Utes. They had been hostile
to the whites q few years previous, and what
was easier than for a wandering party of
them to make. away with a lone wanderer
like myself for the sake Of my horse,
gun, blankets, kit and pocket money!
Many a skeleton, to be found years
hence, lays today where the robbers,
either white or copper colored, left it. 1 al
ways ave Mr.. Indian a wide berth when I
saw the smoke of his camp fire, though in
reality there was no more to dread from him,
perhaps not SO much, as from the white
skinned esperadoes liable to be met in the
territory of Nevada at that time. What boy
or man need most to guard against in camp
ing out is taking cold from sleeping on the
damp ground. People accustomed all their
lives to warm, dry and comfortable beds cam
not safely make the change to a nights rest
In one or even two pairs of blankets on or
near the ground with safety. So much damp
ness near you will draw the heat from your
body at the time when it is most easily
drawn away and is most needed.-that is
during sleep. So by all means follow the In
dian fashion and sleep with your feet as near
the fire as possible. / was careless and igno-
rant then of the proper manner of taking
care of myself and suffered a good deal. l
often slept cold, and woke up at 8 or 4 in the
morning chilled through. Next day 1 would
Afnd myself without strength, dull and lack
ing spring in my muscles. That meant l had
lost more strength than I had gained during
the night. It's q marvel to me now that I
lived at all through this long continued and
ignorant abuse of myself. Once I became SO
weak as not to be able to stir for three days
from a camp ground. made a sort of shell
ter Of one pair Of blankets, built my fire at
one end Of it and staid there. The wind
changed about fifteen times a day, blowing
the smoke from my fire through the shelter.
/ would then crawl out and build the fire at
the other end. Hardly had l lone so before
the wind would again shift, blowing the
smoke and ashes in upon me as before. This
was during June. IdaTs WAS = snow sexual.
every day-a common occurrence in that
high altitude. My perch i'll that camp was
about 5000 feet above the sea level. Very
warm weather never came there.
I suffered also, and ig%norantly, from the
poor food / was obliged to live on. A con-
slant diet of bread, bacon, beef or game
without fruit or vegetables is another source
OF dizziness III heaviness to the body, and
campers out are very apt to live mainly on
such food. You can't do so and be very well.
This is not a picturesque phase of life under
the trees, but the sooner a boy learns to take
some thought about what he eats and how ii
affects him, the sooner is he on the right road
to get the most good out Of life.
PRENTICE MILFORD.