Blacktails in the Bad Lands 
if not quite decided whether to follow her ex- 
ample, but finally began to nibble grass and 
walk about. Here, indeed, was a pretty 
picture.—an embarrassment of riches. I 
thought it quite possible to get one big 
buck, with the chance of a good running shot 
at the other; and as there was no hurry, and 
my gun was at a dead rest for the first shot 
at least, I decided to shoot at the largest buck 
behind the ear, and then trust to occasion for 
whatever should follow. 
I felt that excitement was again about to 
get the upper hand, and I aimed carefully sev- 
eral times before pulling trigger. At last, 
after a sharp report, the smoke blew directly 
in my face, and for a second I could see 
nothing distinctly; but when it cleared away, 
and I, having pumped a cartridge into place, 
was again prepared to shoot, what was my 
astonishment to find that the buck fired at 
had utterly disappeared, and that the second, 
far from being frightened, was still standing 
with his nose poked down into the washout 
that had been between them. 
Without further speculation, I sighted for 
the neck of buck number two, and at the re- 
295 
