THE CHASE. 59 



bow pai'tly driiwn, and strike his victim before bis fleetness could 

 carry him beyond reach. 



In stalking this animal the Indians show great dexterity now, 

 though we may well assume not equal to that of their ancestors, 

 who knew not the use of fire-arms. This feat is extremely diffi- 

 cult though not impossible in the naked plains, where neither 

 sage-bush or ant-hill is found to conceal the approach, but only 

 the short, sparse grass is found. When this or the former mode 

 is resolved upon, the first step of the hunter who sees his game 

 in the far distance is by describing a wide circle, if need be, to 

 obtain a position to the leeward of the game, so that the odor 

 with which he taints the air may not betray him. Thus, if upon 

 the naked plain, while yet a long distance off, he must get down 

 npon the ground and crawl as close to it as possible, always 

 when moving keeping his eye upon every one of the band, and 

 the instant one of them turns his head towards him stop every 

 movement, no matter what his position may be, till the animal 

 turns away or again goes to feeding. If none of the animals 

 smell him or hear him, or see him move, he may steal upon them 

 and secure a prize. No matter if they do see him, unless they 

 see some motion the chances are that no one of them will recog- 

 nize him or suspect that the object is anything harmful. They 

 will not notice that they have never before seen an object 

 there on the naked plain. If they see the least motion their 

 fears are instantly aroused, and they dash away like the wind to 

 a safe distance, when they will usually stop and turn round to 

 see what, it was that alarmed them. If the hunter still remains 

 perfectly quiet their alarm will not usually subside entirely for 

 some time, but they will soon renew their retreat, though per- 

 haps not at full speed, and if they even go to feeding not far 

 away they are apt to keep a vigilant watch of the object so that 

 it is hardly possible to approach them again. 



Stalking among the sage brush is of course much less difficult, 

 for there the hunter has cover, behind which he may conceal his 

 approach. Still, when he deems it necessary to get a view of the 

 game, he must i-aise his head above the brush as little as possi- 

 ble, and so slowly and cautiously that if one of the animals hap- 

 pens to be looking in that direction he will not observe it. Of 

 course it is presumed he will already have taken advantage of 

 the wind which would help to prevent the hearing of any slight 

 noise he might accidentally make, for if the sense of hearing of 

 this animal is not as acute as that of the moose, it is so sensitive 



