A Hunters Adventures in the Great West

game must be abundant. Descending after breakfast to the stream that coursed lengthways through the valley, I found indisputable evidences of the presence of beavers, as well as numerous deer and buffalo tracks. My rough but ready fish-line was always carried in a corner of my bullet-bag. Hoping to find the water as prolific in game as the land promised to be, I cut a wand for a rod, and with some thread ravelled from a few scraps of rag I retained for gun- washing, lashed a diminutive piece of the tail of my scarlet shirt upon the hook's shank Taking my stand where there was a rush of water, produced by a choke caused by the jamming of logs and vegetable matter, I made a cast. In a moment I had hooked a splendid fellow. For a few minutes I gave him the butt, to gain time to find a landing-place. This I succeeded in doing, and pulled my prey ashore, in VICINITY OF FRIENDS OB FOES. 39 spite of his most urgent remonstrances and struggles. Again and again the operation was repeated with equal success, till I began to regret that my horses would not eat fish, and thus justify me in continuing my sport. Returning homewards I could have killed several deer, but, satisfied that I had obtained sufficient food to sustain the inward man, I desisted from useless slaughter. Not to take too much credit upon myself for what by some may be considered self-denial, my reduced stock of ammunition might have had no small amount of influence in producing such comm... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.