Of All The Large Game We Have Ever Had - Buffalo, Antelope, Black-Tail
Deer, White-Tail Deer - The Mountain Sheep Is The Most Delicious.
The
meat is very tender and juicy and exceedingly rich in flavor.
It is
very "gamey," of course, and is better after having been frozen or
hung for a few days. These wary animals are most difficult to get, for
they are seldom found except on the peaks of high mountains, where the
many big rocks screen them, so when one is brought in, it is always
with great pride and rejoicing. There are antelope in the lowlands
about here, but none have been brought in since we came to the post.
The ruffed grouse and the tule hens are plentiful, and of course
nothing can be more delicious.
And the trout are perfect, too, but the manner in which we get them
this frozen-up weather is not sportsmanlike. There is a fine trout
stream just outside the post which is frozen over now, but when we
wish a few nice trout for dinner or breakfast. Cagey and I go down,
and with a hatchet he will cut a hole in the ice through which I fish,
and usually catch all we want in a few minutes. The fish seem to be
hungry and rise quickly to almost any kind of bait except flies. They
seem to know that this is not the fly season. The trout are not very
large, about eight and ten inches long, but they are delicate in
flavor and very delicious.
Cagey is not a wonderful cook, but he does very well, and I think that
I would much prefer him to a Chinaman, judging from what I have seen
of them here. Mrs. Conrad, wife of Captain Conrad, of the - th
Infantry, had one who was an excellent servant in every way except in
the manner of doing the laundry work. He persisted in putting the
soiled linen in the boiler right from the basket, and no amount of
talk on the part of Mrs. Conrad could induce him to do otherwise.
Monday morning Mrs. Conrad went to the kitchen and told him once more
that he must look the linen over, and rub it with plenty of water and
soap before boiling it. The heathen looked at her with a grin and
said, "Allee light, you no likee my washee, you washee yousel'," and
lifting the boiler from the stove he emptied its entire steaming
contents out upon the floor! He then went to his own room, gathered up
his few clothes and bedding, and started off. He knew full well that
if he did not leave the reservation at once he would be put off after
such a performance.
CAMP BAKER, MONTANA TERRITORY,
February, 1878.
HOME seems very cozy and attractive after the mountains of snow and
ice we crossed and re-crossed on our little trip to Helena. The bitter
cold of those canons will long be remembered.
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