WAPITI-RUNNING ON THE PLAINS 79 



nature of the ground, a man has to keep his eyes 

 open, and cannot devote his entire attention to the 

 animal he is pursuing, or even to his own horse. 

 However, I stuck to my deer, though he doubled 

 and turned in all directions, and at last by a lucky 

 shot rolled him over like a rabbit, a fact which I 

 announced by a yell which I should think must have 

 been heard in settlements. 



As soon as I had done for him, I took after 

 the rest of the herd, or rather the largest portion 

 of the herd, for the main body of deer had broken 

 up into several parties, and followed a little bunch 

 of perhaps twenty or thirty, loading and firing, 

 and every now and then bowling over a wapiti. 

 I went on till my rifle fell from my hands through 

 sheer exhaustion, and stuck in the sand, muzzle 

 downwards. That of course stopped my wild 

 career. Then I got off my horse, which was 

 completely blown and stood with his legs wide 

 apart, his nostrils quivering, his flanks heaving, 

 pouring with sweat, and loosened his girths. I 

 felt in pretty much the same condition, for it is 

 hard work running elk on horseback ; so, having 

 first extracted my rifle from its position in the 

 sand, I led my horse slowly up to the top of a 

 sand-hill, turned his head to the fresh vivifying 



