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 



