Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-18

man, Mr. brispin, the con OF nv colonel: a SER
geanf and nve cavalry soldiers. and two Grow
Indian hunters-"Poker joe and Poor Face"
Experience had taught me the Inconvenience
OF odd numbers on such . trip, and I looked
around for fourth good fellow for our own
tent Some brilliant inspiration suggested a
fsr-on friend IN Washington-Mr. W.T.. Horna-
day, then chief taxidermist Of the Smithsonian.
Mr.. Hornaday's renown as a scientist. vritey
and successful hunter in all parts Of the world
extends from Washington to Frisco, but il il
only those who know how his genial qualities
can brighten camp and the march who can
understand my satisfaction when in answer TO
my telegraphlc invitation TO JOIN us he wired
that he would start west by the next train.
As time was valuable and | feared snow
Lieut. b. agreed TO await Mr.. Hornaday with a
light rig, with which he could overtake me by
short cuts. while / set out at once with the
wagons and packs by longer route. On the
sixth day they overloaded US near Pryor's Gan,
whence Pryor's creek manned after Sergt.
Pryor. with Lewis and Clark in lS03.) bubbles
into Its sinuous career from the bosom of sew
eral mountain springs. We had been travelling
up this creek and past many Indian lodges that
dot its banks for three days and we were now
encamped within o few yards of the camp of
"Plentlcones." the wealthy and fne-looking
chief of the Crows. 1t did not take me long TO
get out of my tent to welcome the arriving
hunters. There is no place where smiling
countenances and good spirits are more appre-
ciated than in camp. and the presence OF these
two congenial souls left our expedition nothing
to desire. / found that they had had some
sport in their route up the Big Horn river and
that they had cemented their recent friendship
with q fine hunters scorn for the store of fresh
beef they had with them. by eating together a
LYNX they had shot the night before, and which
Mr.. Hornaday afterward beautifully taxider-
mized- As he is the author OF the best stand
ard work on taxidermy in existence we felt our
selves fortunate in being able to profit by OBJ
servstion of his methods. Our admiration Of
his CELEBRITY and skill. however. was frequently
tempered with sympathy, as during some wake
full interval in our slumbers We would find him
after midnight in cold tent. lit dimly by one
or two candles. wrestling with the specimens
shot during the day. His principle was 10
finish up all work within the twenty -fours and
start the next day with clean score.
MAGNIFICENT VIEW.
Bidding goodbye to our Crow friends we
scenery OF the Pryor mountains and found our
selves in the afternoon on their southern slopes,
with vast panorama of wild prairie ter
mnatlng in snow-clsd mountains a hundred
miles away before us. Here we had our first
glimpse of the beautiful Heart mountain"
rearing its rocky crest IN solitary grandeur
from the plains Of Wyoming. Further TO the
north were the peaks of ranges living in the
Yellowstone Park, and south OF these our own
promised land-the dark CANYONS and pre-
cipitous divides of the Shoshones. To those
who Imagine the western wilderness TO have
disappeared il NAV be said that during .
course of l60 miles. from Fort Custer to the
crossing of the Striking Water, we passed but
one white mans house that but a rude
log cabin. Keeping down sage creek-one OF
the fifty Sage creeks In Montana-we crossed
the line into Wyoming next day. In a country
where even the demarcation between the
possessions of the United States and Great
tn Ia TOD he
monuments crumbIng in decay, we were not
surprised to find that single rickety post,
bent earthward with neglect, was the only evil
dence of the Wyoming border. Beyond this,
at a distance of two miles. was the settler 8
cabin just referred to, and here we camped for
the night After seeing to the tents and feed
ing of our stock recrossed the creek to the
house. On one side of the door was the
inevitable coyote skin tackled upon the
logs to dry and on the opposite side q large
printed notice" which commenced idly to
read.
THE GAME LAWS
1t soon proved full OF interest It ammo unced
an act of the Wyoming legislature, but recently
passed. forbidding. under severest penalties Of
fine and imprisonment, the killing at any season
by persons not residents of Wyoming OF any spe-
cies of four-footed game. II also forbade the
killing Of elk and sheep by residents themselves
except under stress of direst necessity, when
other food could not be obtained" OF course
this threw the door fairly wide open to Wyo-
ming people, but il Was pretty rough on us.
We were clearly rank outsiders" and were
punishable by law should we proceed. 1 talked
to the proprietor of the 'shack," an old-timer
who WAS well posted, and he gave me little COM
fort by declaring that not only was tine law out
side correctly quoted. but that throughout that
part OF the territory there we're a number Of
active game constables, who were paid SIS a
month to enforce il.
Here was a nice dilemma. had no desire to
pay $500 per sheep to the territorial fund OF
Wyoming. Neither did / view pleasantly the
humiliation of an emptv-handed return We
were then ABOUT 100 miles from Caster, and
MIR. Hornaday had come over 1000 miles for this
hunt. The hunting grounds were almost in
sight. 1t would never do TO go back. We de-
cided to press on and trust to luck or stratagem
to extricate Us.
The next day we turned westward and crossed
the most complete desert have ever seen in
the west. X was forty miles across this stretch
On 1t was no blade of grass or leaf of sage. A
trickiing thread of alkaline water was its only
moisture. and not even a bird or prairie dog
enlivened its solitude. The day was dark. with
occasional spits of snow, and this with the
sight OF the black. frowning mountains Just in
front of us. served to complete the impression
of utter desolation around us. Hurrying across
this by G forced march we finally reached the
Sinking Water-a broad deep mountain stream
WHOSE Crystal waters are beautiful Its
name is unhappy. The latter is derived from
the existence of geysers of sulphurous fumes in
some of the canyons through which it flows.
GOOD SPORT.
Here we decided to halt and hunt for q day
or two. Blacktail deer were very numerous
in the bad lands on the opposite side, We we're
told by the Indians We accordingly crossed,
and. with the possibilities o. game constables
IN my mind. drew the wagons of the road to q
grove of thickcotton woods about half mile
down stream, where we made the contest of
camps. We were OFF any route Of travel, were
thoroughly concealed and were pretty sure Of
not being molested il snow should only fall
during the next day or two and cover up our
trail. 1t can hardly be said that we liked our
role as quasi-poachers, but after all there was
a certain novelty and excitement in realizing
that while hunting in this region We might our
selves become game for the representatives Of
the law.
During a day and half We had fine sport,
something over a dozen blacktail having been
brought into camp. Some time after dark the
second evening several of us arrived in camp
with four or five deer. 1t was showing and the
weather very cold. The deer were unloaded,
dumped in a pile near our tent and the ser
geant cautioned by me to be careful before
morning to put them in a safe place. Dead
deer. like dead men. should tell no tales"
There was no use to explain my meaning-we
were all partners in crime and common guilt
rendered US readily comprehensive in certain di-
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