The Black-Tail Deer 191 



them a horseman can be seen at a very long dis 

 tance, and going with particular caution whenever 

 we went round a spur or came up over a crest. The 

 country stretched away like an endless, billowy sea 

 of dull-brown soil and barren sage-brush, the valleys 

 making long parallel furrows, and everything hav 

 ing a look of dreary sameness. At length, as we 

 came out on a rounded ridge, three black-tail bucks 

 started up from a lot of sage-brush some two hun 

 dred yards away and below us, and made off down 

 hill . It was a very long shot, especially to try run 

 ning, but, as game seemed scarce and cartridges 

 were plenty, I leaped off the horse, and, kneeling, 

 fired. The bullet went low, striking in line at the 

 feet of the hindmost. I was very high next time, 

 making a wild shot above and ahead of them, which 

 had the effect of turning them, and they went off 

 round a shoulder of a bluff, being by this time down 

 in the valley. Having plenty of time I elevated the 

 sights (a thing I hardly ever do) to four hundred 

 yards and waited for their reappearance. Mean 

 while they had evidently gotten over their fright, 

 for pretty soon one walked out from the other side 

 of the bluff, and came to a standstill, broadside to 

 ward me. He was too far off for me to see his 

 horns. As I was raising the rifle another stepped 

 out and began to walk toward the first. I thought 

 I might as well have as much of a target as possible 

 to shoot at, and waited for the second buck to come 

 out further, which he did immediately, and stood 

 still just alongside of the first. I aimed above his 



