350 8PORTIXG ADVENTURES IN THE FAM WEST. 



she toppled over after running a short distance. I gr.il- 

 loched her there and then, and started off toward my old 

 stand ; but, as I could hear firing in every direction, I de- 

 cided to halt to learn its import. Shots were heard deto- 

 nating through the forest for several seconds, like explo- 

 sions of fire-crackers, and, as soon as they ceased, the long 

 mellow tones of three or four cow's horns, which are there 

 used for hunting-horns, were heard ringing through the 

 woodlands, as a signal for an assembly. 



Before I started to answer the summons, the half-breed 

 was at my side, and so noiseless was his approach that I 

 did not know he was near me until he spoke. He, the best 

 hunter of the party, had killed nothing, owing to his de- 

 sire to do too much, and deserting his stand ; so he helped 

 me to carry the doe to where the other victim lay, and we 

 placed both together. The guide then sounded his horn; 

 and as his blast was well known, and it was supposed he 

 had some new project in view, the party began to strag- 

 gle in from every direction, some emerging suddenly from 

 the undergrowth, while others strolled down the run-ways. 

 When all were assembled I learned that twelve deer had 

 been killed inside of three hours, and that the hounds must 

 have driven twenty more at least toward the river, judging 

 from the number that passed on either side of the men on 

 the stands. 



Knowing from this that the animals were very abundant, 

 we concluded to hunt that section all day, and to place 

 some of the party on the run-ways that led up toward the 

 hills. All the slain were then collected together and placed 

 under the care of the oldest member of the company, who 

 found the exercise of the morning too severe for even his 

 hardy frame, as he had been compelled to run a good deal. 

 While moving toward the hills the hounds started two 

 deer; but instead of running upward they broke for the 

 river at once, and the dogs soon lost them there, at least we 

 presumed they did ; but the guide attributed the cause of 

 their speedy return to the fact that they had been fed too 

 much on the viscera of those captured, and they therefore 



