Most of our travels through the day was through prairie; before dark we entered timbered land; as we ap- proached the timber a large black bear met us; we had no weapons. When the bear got within about six rods of us, he rose upon hi[s] hind feet and examined us a short time, an[d] went off.

We started about sunrise and crossed a thirty mile prairie, apparently as level as a house floor, without shrub or water. We arrived at timber about two o'clock in the afternoon. As we approached the timber a large black bear came out towards us. We were not afraid of him, for we were on the Lord's business, and had not mocked God's prophets as did the forty- two wicked children who said to Elisha "Go up thou bald head," for which they were torn by bears. When the bear got within eight rods of us he sat on his haunches and looked at us a moment, and then ran away; and we went on our way rejoicing. We had to travel in the night, which was cloudy and very dark, so we had great difficulty to keep the road. Soon a large drove of wolves gathered around, and followed us. They came very close, and at times it seemed as though they would eat us up. We had materials for striking alight, and at ten o'clock, not knowing where we were, and the wolves becoming so bold, we thought it wisdom to make a fire; so we stopped and gathered a lot of oak limbs that lay on the ground, and lit them, and as our fire began to burn the wolves left us.

In traveling across the plains, for three days and nights, we met an al- most endless number of buffalo, going to their summer ranges to break up into smaller herds to feed in the Platte country. They were so numerous that we could scarcely |find| our way through them.

I exhorted the brotherin not to kill a serpant, bird, or animal of any kind during our journey, unless it was nessary to preserve ourselves from hunger. I had frequently spoken upon this subject, when on a certain occasion I came up to the brotherin who were watching a squrrel on a tree, and to prove them, and to know if they whould heed my council. I took one of their guns, shot the squrrel and passed on, leaving the squrrel on the ground. Br. Orson Hyde, who was just behind came up, picked up the squrrel and said, "We will cook this, that nothing may be lost."