58 Hunting Trips of a Ranchman 



we get one. Musk-rats are quite plentiful in all the 

 pools of water. Sometimes a little pool out on the 

 prairie will show along its edges numerous traces 

 of animal life; for, though of small extent, and a 

 long distance from other water, it may be the home 

 of beavers and musk-rats, the breeding-place of 

 different kinds of ducks, and the drinking-place for 

 the denizens of the dry country roundabout, such as 

 wolves, antelopes, and badgers. 



Although the plains country is in most places 

 very dry, yet there are here and there patches of 

 prairie land where the reverse is true. One such is 

 some thirty miles distant from my ranch. The 

 ground is gently rolling, in some places almost level, 

 and is crossed by two or three sluggish, winding 

 creeks with many branches, always holding water, 

 and swelling out into small pools and lakelets where- 

 ever there is a hollow. The prairie round about is 

 wet, at times almost marshy, especially at the borders 

 of the great reedy slews. These pools and slews are 

 favorite breeding-places for waterfowl, especially 

 for mallard, and a good bag can be made at them in 

 the fall, both among the young flappers (as tender 

 and delicious birds for the table as any I know), 

 and among the flights of wild duck that make the 

 region a stopping-place on their southern migra- 

 tion. In these small pools, with little cover round 

 the edges, the poor flappers are at a great disad- 

 vantage; we never shoot them unless we really need 

 them for the table. But quite often, in August or 

 September, if near the place, I have gone down to 



