54 HUNTING TRIPS 



some who pass their lives in hunting only; 

 and we cannot pretend to equal the achieve- 

 ments of such men, for with us it is merely 

 a pleasure, to be eagerly sought after when 

 we have the chance, but not to be allowed 

 to interfere with our business. No ranch- 

 men have time to make such extended trips 

 as are made by some devotees of sport who 

 are so fortunate as to have no every-day 

 work to which to attend. Still, ranch life 

 undoubtedly offers more chance to a man to 

 get sport than is now the case with any other 

 occupation in America, and those who fol- 

 low it are apt to be men of game spirit, fond 

 of excitement and adventure, who perforce 

 lead an open-air life, who must needs ride 

 well, for they are often in the saddle from 

 sunrise to sunset, and who naturally take 

 kindly to that noblest of weapons the rifle. 

 With such men hunting is one of the chief 

 of pleasures; arid they follow it eagerly 

 when their work will allow them. And with 

 some of them it is at times more than a 



