The Whitetail Deer 65 



spotted coat. They were walking with heads down 

 along the edge of a sand-bar, near a pool, on the 

 further side of the stream bed, over two hundred 

 yards distant. They saw us at once, and turning, 

 galloped away, with flags aloft, the pictures of 

 springing, vigorous beauty. I jumped off my horse 

 in an instant, knelt, and covered the fawn. It was 

 going straight away from me, running very evenly, 

 and I drew a coarse sight at the tip of the white 

 flag- As I pulled trigger down went the deer, the 

 ball having gone into the back of its head. The 

 distance was a good three hundred yards ; and while 

 of course there was much more chance than skill in 

 the shot I felt well pleased with it though I could 

 not help a regret that, while making such a difficult 

 shot at a mere whitetail, I should have missed a 

 much easier shot at a noble bighorn. Not only I, 

 but all the camp, had a practical interest in my suc- 

 cess ; for we had no fresh meat, and a fat whitetail 

 fawn, killed in October, yields the best of venison. 

 So after dressing the deer I slung the carcass behind 

 my saddle, and we rode swiftly back to camp through 

 the dark; and that evening we feasted on the juicy 

 roasted ribs. 



The degree of tameness and unsuspiciousness 

 shown by whitetail deer depends, of course, upon 

 the amount of molestation to which they are ex- 

 posed. Their times for sleeping, feeding, and com- 

 ing to water vary from the same cause. Where 



