Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1909-03-05


III them, eating the succulent marsh
plants. Most Of the plains rivers flow
through sandy or muddy beds with no
vegetable growth. and TO these, OF
course, the deer merely come down to
drink or refresh themselves by bath
ing, as they contain nothing to eat
At times the Whitehall will lie so
close that it may almost be trodden on.
One June morning | was riding down
along the river and came TO a long
bottom. crowded with e-bushes. all
in bloom. 1t was crossed in every di-
rection by cattle paths, and a drove Of
long horned Texans were scattered
oyer it. A cow-pony gets accustomed
to travelling at speed along the cattle
trails, and the one | besfrode threaded
its way among the twisted narrow
paths with perfect ease, Looping rapidly
onward through a sea of low rose
bushes. covered with the sweet, pink
flowers. They gave a bright color to
the whole plain. while the air was
filed with the rich, full songs of the
yellOW-breasted meadow larks, as they
perched on the topmost sprays of the
little trees. Suddenly a Whitehall doe
sprang up almost from under the
horses feet, and scudded off with her
white flag Haunting There was no
reason for harmihg her, and she made
pretty picture us she bounded lightly
Off among the rose-red flowers. pass
ing without heed through the ranks of
the long-horned and savage-looking
steers.
DOUBTLESS she had little spotted
fawn not far away These wee fell
lows soon after birth grow very cum
ming and able to take care of them
selves, keeping in the densest part of
the brush, through which they run and
dodge like a rabbit If taken young
they grow very tame and are most
dainty pets. One which we had round
the house answered well to its name.
1t was at first fed with milk, which
it Tapped eagerly from Il saucer, shar-
ing the meal with the two cats. who
rather resented its presence and cuff
ed it heartily when they thought it
was greedy and was taking more than
its share. As it grew older it would
eat bread or potatoes from our hands,
and was perfectly fearless. At night
it was let go or put in the cow-shed,
whichever was handiest. but it was
round in time for breakfast
next morning. \ blue ribbon with a
bell attached was hung round its neck,
so as to prevent its being shot; but /
IN the end it shared the fate of all
pets, for one night it went off and /
never came back again.
Only once have l ever killed white [
all buck while hunting on horseback;
Ind at that time l had been expecting
o fail in with blacl-tail.
This was while we had been making
wagon trip to the westward follow
ng the old Keogh trail, which was
made by the heavy army wagons that
to Fort Keogh in the old
laws when the soldiers were. except
few daring trappers, the only white
nen to be seen on the last great hunt
ng-ground OF the Indians 1t was
bandoned as a military route several
ears ago. and is now only rarely
ravelled over, either by the canvas
opped ranch-wagon of some wander
10 cattle-men-lik Ourselves-or else
' a small party of emigrants, in two
r three prairie sehooners. which con-
lin all their household goods. Never
leless. it is still as plain and distinct
) ever. The two deep parallel ruts, F.;
1T into the sod by the wheels of the l
eavy wagon. stretch for scores OF !
lies in straight line across the {
vel prairie. and take great turns and '
)ublings to avoid the impossible por-
ems of the Bad Lands. The track is {
ways perfectly plain, for in the dry 5
innate of the western plains the ac- I
On of the weather tends to preserve
ther than TO obliterate it; where it {
ads downhill the snow water has q
# and widened the ruts into deep S
lilies. so that a wagon has at those q
aces to travel alongside the road b
.om any little rising in the prairie c
e road can be seen a long way OF, 0
dark line which, when near. re- o
ives itself into two sharply defined a
rallel cuts y
Oh the trip in question we had at {
st verr bad weather. Leaving the s
nch in the rlorping. two Of us, who Z
ne mounted. pushed on ahead TO y
nt. tire wagon following slowly with r
,5unle Of spare Saddle ponies loadiRg n