Clarice insisted on having a load likewise--although Manley, who made it
up, took good care that it should be a very light one.

The first day's journey was not so fatiguing as we expected to find it,
for we managed to wend our way upward on the slopes of the hills,
avoiding the more broken and steep places. We were soon satisfied, too,
that there was no risk of running short of food, for several times we
came upon herds of deer; although, as we approached them without care,
they scampered off before we were near enough to get a shot.

We had made our way through another pine forest, and had just turned an
angle in the mountains, when suddenly before us we saw several wapiti,
commonly known as the "Canada stag," one of the largest of the deer
tribe. This animal is fully as large as the biggest ox I ever saw; his
horns, branching in serpentine curves, being upwards of six feet from
tip to tip. In colour he is reddish-brown; on the upper part of the
neck the hairs are mixed with red and black, while from the shoulders
and along the sides the hide is a kind of gray.

The stags stopped and gazed at us stupidly, without taking to flight,
then began to utter cries which sounded wonderfully like the braying of
an ass; upon which Uncle Jeff lifted his unerring rifle and brought one
of them down, when the rest, taking fright, scampered off.

He and the two soldiers immediately began cutting up the animal.

"I wish we could take the hide with us, for it makes the best leather
anywhere to be found," Uncle Jeff observed; "but we must not add to our
loads."

As the day was now drawing to a close, we had not far to carry the meat
we had just obtained; and coming to a spot near one of the numerous
streams which fed the "big cataract," we encamped. As before, the small
bell-tent, which Pat Sperry had carried, was erected for Clarice and
Rachel; while we made our beds of fir-tops, round our camp-fire, with
such shelter as our blankets and a few boughs afforded. We were too well
accustomed to this sort of life, however, to consider it any hardship.

We had no longer any fear of being attacked by Indians, but it was still
necessary to keep a watch by night, for it was very possible that a
grizzly might take it into his head to pay us a visit, or a pack of
wolves find us out; or a prowling panther might pounce down upon us,
should the fire go out, and no one be on the alert to drive him off.

[Illustration: WAPITI OF THE ROCKY MOUNT