sunder. Pitamakan led the way straight back from the river toward the south side of the valley, and we had run probably two hundred yards b

cross there. It broke off and came tearing down into the valley. Trees, boulders, everythi

th of the avalanche, but I insisted that we stay at home and work har

d piece of driftwood, grained it with a heavy elk rib for a graining-knife. It was very hard work. Although we sharpened an edge of the rib with a piece of sandstone and kept it as sharp as p

lk brains and liver well into it, and then, rolling it up, laid it away for a couple of days until the mixture could neutralize the large amount of glue that is in all hides. After that operat

th which we wrapped our feet as a protection from the cold. Our needle for sewing the

was woven on them in a way to make a forest Indian laugh. Neither Pitamakan's people nor the other tribes of the plains knew anything about snowshoes except in a general way, and I had never seen a

rced us to postpone our hunt. We employed the time in improving the interior of the lodge by building

y, and this chilled us. Finally, I remembered that I had seen in the Mandan lodges screens s

comfortable. But in the night, although the stones gave out some heat, we were obliged to replenish the fire as soon as it died down. What we needed in order to have unbroken sleep was bed

and cold, but my partner refused to go

biting and clawing me, and the other sticking its sharp horns into my side. Now either that is a warning not to hunt goats to-day, or it

n good since we began s

rself; I shall not

ng!" I exclaimed. "White peop

he said, very seriously. "To us is given the dream; in that way our gods show us the

ok, did I cast even a shadow of doubt upon his beliefs. For that reason, l

the "figure 4" pattern; more complicated than the two-piece triggers, but more sure of action. Having with the small ones set deadfalls for marten, fisher, and mink, we went on up the river to the carcasses of the bear and the bull elk. We found that both

them. As we neared the lodge, another snowstorm set in, but that did not disturb us; in fact, the more snow the better, for with deep snow the hoofed game of the valley would be unable to escape us. We could choose the fat does and co

fter climbing the mountain-side opposite the lodge for some time, we came to a series of ledges, whence we obtained a fine view of the country which we were living in. The mountain which we were o

how absolutely white it all was except the perpendicular cliffs, where snow could not lie.

I would give anything, suffer any hardships, if I could only get once more to Fort Benton and my uncle. True, we now had a comfortable lodge and plenty of elk meat, weapons for killing game, snowshoes for traveling, and th

from my reverie by a

ut look over there at the ledges well up on the next

, but that was not strange; as they were of practically the same color as the snow, we could not see them at that distance except when they happened to get in front of the dark pines or rock. Although t

large, dark-furred marten, its body nipped across the shoulders and crushed by the drop-bar. Taking the little victim out, and hanging it in a tree,

," I ve

e," Pitamak

l as the Crows and Gros Ventres, prized the skins very highly for use as saddle-robes-we could get at least four horses for this one. Taking such a

nd more steep, until it was impossible for us to go farther on snowshoes. Taking them off, we wallowed up through the deep snow from l

frequent intervals, it was impossible to do so, for the instant we halted we began to shiver. More than once we were on the poin

that kept flying a short distance ahead of us and lighting on the pines, where it pretended to pick kernels out of

t singers, flying all round us in large flocks, was especially numerous. I wondered what they could be. Long years afterward an

re mountains the year round. They are heavily feathered clear to the toes, so that their feet cannot freeze; and at night, and by day, too, in severe weather, instead of roosting in the dwarf pines they plunge down into soft snow, tunnel under the surface for several feet, and then tramp

ely ludicrous. In the case of the goat, because of its strange and uncouth shape, it is more than ludicrous; it is weird. The animal has a long, broad-nosed head, set apparently right against its shoulders; a long, flowing beard hangs from its chin; its withers are extremely high, and its hams low, like those of the buffalo. Its abnormally long

ost as new to Pi

t?" he exclaimed. "Do you

he felt very s

brisket, its black eyes staring vacantly at the valley far below,

were standing, others lying down. One big old "billy" lay under a low-branched dwarf pine, and now and then would raise its head, bite off a mouthful of

he shelter of the pines back there, then look

attention to our movements. Unquestionably they had never seen man before, and did not consider us enemies because we were not four-legged, like the beasts that preyed upon them. So instead of backing cautiously, we turned and walked into the little clump of pines

ow. Using our snowshoes for shovels and taking the lead in turn, we fought our way through, upward, inch by inch. More than once a mass of snow gave way above our gouging, and

t was easy. Straight ahead of us the mountain dropped in a series of little shelves, or cliffs, down which we could easily climb. Stopping when we thought we were near

ty, and in places fifty feet wide. Here and there were clumps of dwarf pine and juniper that p

us. Did you ever see a wild pig prance out for a fight? Well, that is the way that goat came at us-head down and prancing sidewise. I don't know whether we were more

was little chance for an a

kan cried, as he gave me a

nto the deep snow, and it was remarkable what progress we made. As I said, the goat came prancing toward

d billy flinched and humped himself, threw up his head with a pitiful, silly expression of surprise, and dropped in his tracks. We waded back into the trail and examined our prize; such heavy, thick, long hair and

. He proposed that we go after the band and kill as many as possible;

on, lead the

d see his eyes grow big as if f

eard the faint, remote droning noise that had alarmed him. We looked at the mountain

illing us with dread all the more poignant be

no place for the Blackfeet. The gods that dwell here are not our gods, and t

roning grew louder; it seemed all about

et away from here

of C