EARLY DAY STORIES. 133 



standing the whole surface was in plain sight, and it seemed 

 that a jack rabbit could not hide there without being seen, 

 there being five or six inches of snow at the time. The 

 rifle was raised and all ready to take aim, but after carefully 

 scanning the valley and seeing nothing of the deer, I took 

 the gun down and started to follow the track. Just then 

 the deer jumped out, not more than ten rods away and 

 started to run. I fired wounding him badly, but did not 

 think it necessary to give a second shot, although there was 

 plenty of time to do so. The deer ran a little south of east, 

 crossing the road running south from Neligh just at the 

 pond where Alexander McKay was drowned only a year 

 or so before. Within another quarter of a mile I came upon 

 the deer lying down on a knoll not much more than a mile 

 from Neligh in a straight line. A shot through the head 

 finished him. 



There are many pleasant recollections connected with 

 the lives of the wild animals aside from the interest in hunt- 

 ing them. There was one old buck that seemed to make 

 his headquarters on the north branch of the Cedar, that was 

 very cunning, and for a long time eluded all attempts to get 

 him. I made several trips to the north branch on purpose 

 to hunt him, but without avail. I got three or four shots 

 at different times, but always under a disadvantage he 

 would never leave the brush until he was entirely beyond 

 reach. After a time D. E. Beckwith killed somewhere in 

 that vicinity a very large buck corresponding in size and 

 the appearance of the horns to this one. As the old fellow 

 was not seen afterwards in his customary haunts, he prob- 

 ably fell to Mr. Beckwith's rifle. 



One summer there were two deer that used frequently 

 to come and lick the salt where we salted the cattle, less 

 than a quarter of a mile from and in plain sight of the house. 

 One winter there were ten antelope that frequently came to 



