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deer of the river bottoms and of the large 

 creeks, whose beds contain plenty of brush 

 and timber running down into them. It 

 prefers the densest cover, in which it lies 

 hid all day, and it is especially fond of 

 wet, swampy places, where a horse runs 

 the risk of being engulfed. Thus it is very 

 rarely jumped by accident, and when the 

 cattle stray into its haunts, which is but 

 seldom, the cowboys are not apt to follow 

 them. Besides, unlike most other game, it 

 has no aversion to the presence of cattle, 

 and in the morning and evening will come 

 out and feed freely among them. 



This last habit was the cause of our 

 getting a fine buck a few days before 

 last Christmas. The weather was bitterly 

 cold, the spirit in the thermometer some- 

 times going down at night to 50 below 

 zero and never for over a fortnight get- 

 above 10 (Fahrenheit). Snow cov- 

 the ground, to the depth, however, 

 of but a few inches, for in the cattle country 

 the snowfall is always light. When the 



