A COLORADO SKETCH 39 



beauties should be enjoyed by man. I well re- 

 member the commencement of civilisation. I 

 was sitting on the stoop of the log-shanty one 

 fine hot summer's evening, when to me appeared 

 the strange apparition of an aged gentleman on a 

 diminutive donkey. He was the first stranger I 

 had ever seen in the Park. After surveying me in 

 silence for some moments he observed, " Say, is 

 this a pretty good place to drink whisky in ? " 

 I replied " Yes," naturally, for I have never heard 

 of a spot that was not favourable for the consump- 

 tion of whisky, the State of Maine not excepted. 

 " Well, have you any to sell ? " he continued. 

 '*No," I answered, ''got none." After gazing at 

 me in melancholy silence for some moments, 

 evidently puzzled at the idea of a man and a house 

 but no whisky, he went slowly and sadly on his 

 way, and I saw him no more. 



On the morning that Sandie and I went out, 

 it was not necessary to go far from the house. 

 We had not ridden long before we came to likely 

 looking country, got off, unsaddled and tethered 

 our horses, and started on foot, carefully scanning 

 the ground for fresh sign. Soon we came upon it — 

 quite recently formed tracks of three or four deer. 

 Then we had to decide upon the plan of opera- 



