Blacktails in the Bad Lands 



it is hardly at such a time that his kindly 

 instincts will suggest the propriety of letting 

 the poor beasts escape. 



As for myself, with every muscle and nerve 

 at tension from an exciting chase, and mind 

 fairly satisfied of game well earned, it would 

 have taken more self-denial than I pretend to 

 possess not to shoot, especially since we had 

 been living on pork for some time. When 

 fresh meat is plentiful in camp, it is to a real 

 sportsman no sacrifice to let the does and 

 fawns escape, or to shoot them merely with the 

 deadly kodak ; but on this day the shack really 

 had to have meat — those lordly heads, too. 



There is always a strong desire, when one 

 comes upon game, to shoot at once; but it is 

 a good plan, if possible, to rest and get one's 

 breathing apparatus into proper shape. It is 

 most exasperating, not to say cruel, to wound 

 a deer and have him get away; and there is 

 a good chance of this happening if, before 

 your hand steadies and your head clears, you 

 begin to open fire. 



From the direction of the wind it was quite 

 evident that the deer could not scent me, so 

 for some moments I lay watching the animals 

 19* 293 



