318 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



their dams, they were off like a flash the moment they es- 

 pied us. I always found it an exceedingly difficult matter 

 to approach does when their fawns were with them, as they 

 fled immediately on beholding any strange object; and the 

 crackling of boughs or the brushing of leaves caused them 

 to stampede even before the hunter appeared in sight. 

 Their long ears catch sounds a great distance off, and their 

 sight is also fairly sharp ; so that one has to move in the 

 most circumspect manner, and halt frequently, if he would 

 bag them. We found it a much easier matter to stalk the 

 stags than the does, so we concluded that we had not im- 

 proved our prospects much by a change of camp. "We 

 kept up our hope, however, and toiled away until near sun- 

 set, when we came suddenly upon a group of does and 

 fawns as they were drinking in a ravine a few feet below us. 

 We approached them so cautiously that they did not hear 

 us, and it was not until we stood over them that they de- 

 tected our presence. On recognizing us, however, they were 

 off like a shot, and, as they dashed up the opposite side, we 

 let drive at them. Following in rapid pursuit, we found 

 one dead within a distance of three hundred yards, the ball 

 having entered the spinal column at the root of the tail, 

 and from traces of blood seen farther on, we deduced that 

 another was wounded. We followed the trail at a rapid 

 run for a mile or more ; but not seeing anything of the in- 

 jured animal, we returned to the slain one, and carried it to 

 camp by slinging it on a pole by the hind-legs, and placing 

 the pole on our shoulders. The first doe killed was 

 brought in a little later, and all our trophies were then 

 placed together after the viscera were drawn. 



We hunted in these mountains seven days, and killed 

 twenty deer, a few wolves, and several brace of pine hens ; 

 but we could have done much better if we had kept to the 

 peaks instead of the foot-hills ; for the stags, cautious as 

 they may be, cannot be compared in this characteristic with 

 does having fawns by their sides. Our departure home- 

 ward was hastened by having a polecat invade our camp 

 an intrusion which the dog resented, so he killed it; but 



