u6 The Wilderness Hunter 



try must risk many long shots. In no other kind 

 of hunting is there so much long-distance shooting, 

 or so many shots fired for every head of game 

 bagged. 



Throwing the buck into the wagon, we continued 

 our journey across the prairie, no longer following 

 any road, and before sunset jolted down toward the 

 big creek for which we had been heading. There 

 were many water-holes therein, and timber of con- 

 siderable size; box-alder and ash grew here and 

 there in clumps and fringes, beside the serpentine 

 curves of the nearly dry torrent bed, the growth 

 being thickest under the shelter of the occasional low 

 bluffs. We drove down to a heavily grassed bot- 

 tom, near a deep, narrow pool, with, at one end, that 

 rarest of luxuries in the plains country, a bubbling 

 spring of pure, cold water. With plenty of wood, 

 delicious water, ample feed for the horses, and fresh 

 meat we had every comfort and luxury incident to 

 camp life in good weather. The bedding was tossed 

 out on a smooth spot beside the wagon; the horses 

 were watered and tethered to picket pins where the 

 feed was best ; water was fetched from the spring ; a 

 deep hole was dug for the fire, and the grass round 

 about carefully burned off; and in a few moments 

 the bread was baking in the Dutch oven, the po- 

 tatoes were boiling, antelope steaks were sizzling in 

 the frying-pan, and the kettle was ready for the 

 tea. After supper, eaten with the relish known well 



