104 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



cat made a straight run for the timber, and Dyche 

 tried a flying shot at it with a charge of double- O 

 shot, which tore up the ground all around the animal. 

 The cat immmediately sat down and began to snarl 

 and growl. Riding close, Dyche removed all the 

 shot from a cartridge except about a dozen and killed 

 the cat. One shot from the first load had hit it close 

 to the spine, causing it suddenly to sit down. 



The cowboys insisted that there was another cat in 

 the thicket, and a search was made which soon drove 

 the animal out. It came running along a cow-path 

 towards Dyche, who waited until the animal was 

 within twenty-five feet of him. Seeing the hunter 

 the cat crouched in the cow-path. It was too close 

 for a shot with the heavy load in the gun, and Dyche 

 got down from his horse and began extracting the 

 shot. The cat waited, showing its teeth and snarling, 

 until a dozen number 3 shot ended its career. 



Next day Dyche found a buck and doe and killed 

 the former. Robinson came in with two fine turkey 

 hens, and these, with several prairie-chickens and 

 other small game, made a very respectable showing 

 for the three-days' hunt. Robinson's time was up, 

 however, and he was compelled to return to his home. 

 Dyche accompanied him to Caldwell, and there pre- 

 pared for a longer hunt. He made arrangements 

 with three white men and an Indian for transporta- 

 tion to Fort Reno, starting the same afternoon on the 

 journey of one hundred and fifteen miles. 



Dyche had discovered that a man's blankets were 

 considered public property, and in order to get rid of 

 troublesome bedfellows and at the same time secure 



