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RANCH LIFE AND THE HUNTING-TRAIL 



showing above it as he turned his head to look at us. I was completely 

 winded, and had lost my strength as well as my breath, while great bead- 

 like drops of sweat stood in my eyes ; but I steadied myself as well as I 

 could and aimed to break the backbone, the only shot open to me, and not 

 a difficult one at such a short distance. However, my bullet went just too 



THE FIRST SHOT. 



high, cutting the skin above the long spinal bones over the shoulders ; and 

 the speed with which that three-legged goat went down the precipitous 

 side of the mountain would have done credit to an antelope on the level. 

 Weary and disgusted, we again took up the trail. It led straight 

 down-hill, and we followed it at a smart pace. Down and down it went, 

 into the valley and straight to the edge of the stream, but half a mile above 

 camp. The goat had crossed the water on a fallen tree-trunk, and we took 

 the same path. Once across, it had again gone right up the mountain. 

 We followed it as fast as we could, although pretty nearly done out, until 

 it was too dark to see the blood stains any longer, and then returned to 

 camp, dispirited and so tired that we could hardly drag ourselves along, 

 for we had been going at speed for five hours, up and down the roughest 

 and steepest ground. 



