THE CHASE. 379 



where they station themselves listening for the coming of the 

 pack to indicate who is to be favored with the presence of the 

 deer which may be looked for far in advance of the hounds. 



When the watchers are warned by the hounds that the game 

 is afoot, in those regions where both abound, to determine 

 whether it is a black-tailed or a white-tailed deer is very desir- 

 able. If the former is approaching, probably but one has been 

 started ; if the latter, there may be two or more. If the former, 

 he may run in a large circle, and if in the lowland forest and 

 hard pressed, will make for the mountains or rocky broken 

 ground, where he can the more readily throw the dogs off the 

 scent and elude pursuit, and only when all other resources fail 

 him will he make for the water if lake or river be in reach ; if the 

 latter, they may be expected to scatter if there be more than one, 

 but all will probably be found making their way to a river or 

 lake if one can be found within any reasonable distance. To 

 determine the course of the deer, therefore, it is important to 

 know which species has been started. 



Some hunters claim to be able to determine this fact at an 

 early stage of the run, from the course the hounds may pursue 

 and from other sagacious observations. From the dense covert 

 in which these deer are found in the lowlands, when their pursuit 

 is practicable by the hounds, the shot is usually at very close 

 range, and must be made on the instant or the deer is again lost 

 to view, hence a heavy fowling-piece with buck-shot is gener- 

 ally preferred to the rifle. 



When they are hunted with hounds in the vicinity of large 

 bodies of water, as the Columbia River, or on islands in the Sound, 

 when hard pressed they take to the water and swim with scarcely 

 less dexterity than the other species, crossing the river to escape 

 their pursuers or making for another island, but if the distance 

 be too great for them to undertake, they return to shore sooner 

 than the common deer. When they take to the water they may 

 be pursued in a boat if one be convenient, with which they may 

 be readily overtaken, seized by the antlers and drowned, if the 

 pursuer chooses, or is obliged to despatch them in that way. 



The still hunt is quite practicable in the forest of the lowlands, 

 and throughout the country ; ten are killed in this way, where 

 one is taken before the hounds. In the still Innit in the forests 

 they are more generally jumped ?/|>, as the hunters express it, 

 when they must be shot on the instant, or they will make good 

 their escape. The hunter, therefore, must be ever on the alert, 



