244 HUNTING TRIPS 



mentary glimpse of a dark outline vanish- 

 ing into the thicket as the sole reward of 

 his labor. Almost the only way to success- 

 fully still-hunt a deer in the middle of the 

 day, is to find its trail and follow it up to 

 the resting-places, and such a feat needs an 

 expert tracker and a noiseless and most 

 skilful stalker. 



The black-tail prefers to live in the neigh- 

 borhood of water, where he can get it every 

 twenty- four hours ; but he is perfectly will- 

 ing to drink only every other day, if, as is 

 often the case, he happens to be in a very 

 dry locality. Nor does he stay long in the 

 water or near it, like the white-tail, but 

 moves off as soon as he is no longer thirsty. 

 On moonlight nights he feeds a good deal 

 of the time, and before dawn he is always 

 on foot for his breakfast ; the hours around 

 daybreak are those in which most of his 

 grazing is done. By the time the sun has 

 been up an hour he is on his way home- 

 ward, grazing as he goes ; and he will often 

 stay for some little time longer, if there has 



