tter had we cast away our Indian
trinkets, and even the greater part of our tools!

Within half a day the very last of our food was exhausted, and as no
more game was seen, we at once found ourselves face to face with famine.
To add to our distress, in crossing over the valley toward the White
Mountains two days later, to reach a belt of woods, we had to wade the
creek, and the cold coming on extreme, the feet of nine of the men were
severely frozen before we could get fuel and warm ourselves. We did what
we could to draw out the frost with snow-chafing, but in several
instances the injury had gone beyond that remedy.

Our camp that night was in truth a most miserable one. Not an ounce of
food had we eaten in nearly two days, and though we had an abundance of
pitch-pine for fuel, this meant only that we were free to crouch before
the fires, in our thin tatters, and roast one side, while the other was
pierced by the terrible frost. Hungry, exhausted, and shivering, we
huddled about the fires, even those who were suffering the least being
hardly able to obtain a few hours of broken sleep.

It was all too evident that we must soon find food, or perish of
starvation in this fearful mountain wilderness. At dawn Pike and I took
our rifles and set out, aware that the lives of all depended upon the
success of our hunt.

Spurred on though we were by this dreadful necessity, our wide circuits
through the pine groves and around the hills brought us no sight of any
game throughout that dreary day. At last, near nightfall, we came upon a
gaunt old buffalo bull, and stalked him with extreme care. But though we
succeeded in creeping within range and wounding him three times, our aim
was so unsteady that none of our balls reached a vital spot. He made off
and escaped us.

Bitterly disappointed, and weary from our long hunt, we sought shelter
in a group of rocks, and spent a sleepless night, without food or fire.
Neither of us had the heart to go into camp and tell our starving
companions of our failure.

The long hours of midwinter frost and darkness at last drew to an end,
and, half dead from cold and hunger, we set off again, in the first gray
light of dawn.

After hours of searching, we sighted a small drove of buffalo.
Immediately we circled about to get down the wind from them, and, by
creeping on all fours nearly a mile through the snow, stalked within
fair range of the nearest. By this time, however, we were both so fain