P R E FAG E 



COR a number of years much of my life was 

 1 spent either in the wilderness or on the 

 borders of the settled country if, indeed, "set- 

 tled" is a term that can rightly be applied to 

 the vast, scantily peopled regions where cattle- 

 ranching is the only regular industry. Dur- 

 ing this time I hunted much, among the moun- 

 tains and on the plains, both as a pastime and 

 to procure hides, meat, and robes for use on 

 the ranch ; and it was my good luck to kill all 

 the various kinds of large game that can prop- 

 erly be considered to belong to temperate 

 North America. 



In hunting, the finding and killing of the 

 game is after all but a part of the whole. The 

 free, self-reliant, adventurous life, with its 

 rugged and stalwart democracy; the wild sur- 

 roundings, the grand beauty of the scenery, 

 the chance to study the ways and habits of the 

 woodland creatures all these unite to give to 

 the career of the wilderness hunter its peculiar 

 charm. The chase is among the best of all 

 national pastimes; it cultivates that vigorous 



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