12 The Acorn The Hunt "O! Gladys, here comes Uncle Ben. Let's get him to tell us a story, for I have studied nearly two hours to-night and now I'd just like to hear one of his experiences," called Rae to her cousin, who had been looking aimlessly out of the sitting room window for sometime. Uncle Ben was met at the door with much ceremony such as is common to lively high school girls, and was soon seated in an easy chair by the blazing fire that warmed the cozy little sitting room. "Now, Uncle Ben, we are ready to hear about one of your journeys, something that happened when Grandpa and Grandma were living", suggested Rae, quietly seating herself at his feet, while Gladys gathered all the sofa pillows from the couch to put behind her uncle's head to make him comfortable. "Well, girls," said Uncle Ben, "after all this kindness to me, I surely must tell you something very interesting". "Let me think You want to hear a story of early days? Alright, I will tell you an incident that happened when I was fifteen years old, that is twenty-five years ago. "We decided to move from Nebraska because the crops were a failure, and father was anxious to go to the fertile valleys in this part of Wyoming where he could raise things we wanted and have all the land we could use. "Our family moved the provisions to a little valley called Elk Valley. The land was comparatively level and the rich loomy soil was broken by several large streams of water, and a number of gravel-bars. Great clumps of willows and a few cotton-wood trees grew near the water. "We camped on the bank of a creek in the eastern part of the valley, and it was not long until we built a log cabin where we could live until spring. Father, Paul, Arthur, and I began our work hauling, sawing, and splitting the winter supply of wood." "After working at this two months, we decided to take a trip hunting elk; for we had heard that October was a very good month for shooting this game. We told mother that we would bring her all the meat she could use that winter. "Mother laughed at us and Fay, who was seventeen, said she wished she were a boy too so she could accompany us on this wonderful trip. "I wished Fay were a boy too The Acorn 13 for she seemed the whole life of the family and was as good at shooting game and handling a gun as anyone of us boys. "We started on our hunt that day, and did not intend to be gone more than three days at the most. "Well, girls, we saw a few elk, but they would run so fast that it seemed impossible to catch them. We chased them up hill and down hill for two days. Finally father and Arthur cornered one and shot him. You can guess how we danced and threw our hats in the air when this deed was done. I was only fifteen, but I can remember it all as if it were yesterday. "What was happening at home? Well mother, Aunt Lucy, Fay, and Grace, who was twelve, were home alone, but we had some close neighbors who promised to look after them while we were away. "The folks expected us the night of the third day, but our success had not satisfied us, so we had decided to stay another day. "Fay and Grace watched for us all morning of the fourth day and decided that they would walk along the road to meet us. After walking for a long way not thinking how far they wandered, they started to go back in the direction they thought was home. "They thought they were near-ing home when they suddenly met two large husky looking men. They appeared to be trappers. One fellow said, "Where're you going girls? Why you are the first girls we've seen fur a long time." "The voice frightened them so much that Grace began to cry, but Fay said sternly, "We are going home; we came to meet father and the boys, but have not seen anything of them.' "Goin home hey?' replied the other fellow, 'well you must be on the wrong road fer no one lives any where around here.' "This frightened Grace still more and she clung to Fay so tight the men laughed. "Never mind young-en, come with us, we'll take you home safe enough, you'll never reach home in ten years going that way," replied one. "They were both very frightened but thinking these men would put them on the right road they started. "They were led on and on over a road that seemed very strange to Fay, for it was very steep. She soon became alarmed and thinking that they might be bad men, decided to get away from them even though lost her way. She told them she would go no farther, but one of the men caught her arm and said, "O! yes you will missie." "Both girls were frightened, but Fay said, "I will not go, there is some one who can see you and He will help us." "This made the men both laugh again, but Fay dropped to her knees and prayed aloud for protection. This seemed to surprise them so much that they let go of