absolutely no concern for the safety of the 

 herd feeding near by. And that is one 

 reason why, in a natural state, deer rarely 

 allow the bucks and bulls to lead them. 



The summer laziness was still upon these 

 big bucks; the wild fall running had not 

 seized them. Once I saw a curious and 

 canny bit of their laziness. I had gone off 

 with a guide to try*the trout at a distant lake. 

 While I watched a porcupine and tried to 

 win his confidence with sweet chocolate 

 a bad shot, by the way the guide went on 

 far ahead. As he climbed a ridge, busy with 

 thoughts of the dim blazed trail he was fol- 

 lowing, I noticed a faint stir in some bushes 

 on one side, and through my glass I made 

 out the head of a big buck that was watch- 

 ing the guide keenly from his hiding. It 

 was in the late forenoon, when deer are 

 mostly resting, and the lazy buck 

 was debating, prob- 

 ably, whether it 

 were necessary for 

 him to run or not. 

 The guide passed 



253 



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