burst they made up a steep hill caused them
to pant for breath. But they were not unrewarded. Crawling cautiously
over a sharp ledge they came suddenly upon two mountain rams not a
hundred yards away. Roosevelt dropped on his knee, raising his rifle.
At the report, the largest of the rams staggered and pitched forward,
but recovered himself and disappeared over another ridge. The hunters
jumped and slid down into a ravine, clambering up the opposite side as
fast as their lungs and the slippery ice would let them. They had not
far to go. Two hundred yards beyond the ridge they found their quarry,
dead. They took the head for a trophy.

It was still early in the day, and Roosevelt and Merrifield made up
their minds to push for home. The lowering sky was already overcast by
a mass of leaden-gray clouds; they had no time to lose. They hurried
back to the cabin, packed up their bedding and provisions, and started
northward. Roosevelt rode ahead with Merrifield, not sparing the
horses; but before they had reached the ranch-house the storm had
burst, and a furious blizzard was blowing in their teeth as they
galloped along the last mile of the river bottom.

George Myers celebrated the successful conclusion of the hunt in his
own fashion. In one of his unaccountable culinary lapses, he baked the
beans that night in rosin. With the first mouthful Roosevelt dropped
his knife and fork and made for the door.

"George," he remarked as he returned to the table with his eye fixed
on the offender, "I can eat green biscuits and most of your other
infernal concoctions, but I am hanged if I can eat rosined beans."

He did not eat them, but he did not let the memory of them die either,
to George's deep chagrin.

I have just returned from a three days' trip in the Bad
Lands after mountain sheep [Roosevelt wrote to "Bamie" on
December 14th], and after tramping over the most awful
country that can be imagined, I finally shot one ram with a
fine head. I have now killed every kind of plains game.

I have to stay here till after next Friday to attend a
meeting of the Little Missouri Stockmen; on Saturday,
December 20th, I start home and shall be in New York the
evening of December 23d. I have just had fifty-two horses
brought in by Ferris, and Sewall and Dow started down the
river with their share yesterday. The latter have lost two
horses; I am afraid they have been stolen.