seven o'clock in the
morning
It was about New-Year 's that I began to spend my evenings in noting down in the hotel register what had happened during the day . I did this chiefly so that when I came to write to my mother Sunday I would forget nothing ; and I am very glad now that I did so , for without the register and the letters -LRB- both of which I now have -RRB- about some things , especially dates , I might go wrong in writing this account . Besides , in the past , it has been much satisfaction when I have related any of the incidents of my winter at Track 's End and some person , to show how smart he was , has tried to cast doubt on my word -- it has been much comfort to me , I say , in such cases to have the register and letters to show him , with it all set down in black and white . Thus it comes I know that Pawsy caught a mouse in the barn on Wednesday , January 12th , at about half-past seven o'clock in the morning , while I was milking the cow . I think it was the only mouse at Track 's End that winter , for I never saw or heard any other . There were no rats in the Territory then anywhere , unless it may have been at Yankton , or at some of the old Red River settlements about Pembina . Pawsy was a good hunter , and several times caught a snowbird , though I boxed her ears for this ; and on Friday , the 21st , I found her near Joyce 's store trying to drag home a jack-rabbit .