248 HUNTING TRIPS 



and he made very little noise, coming down 

 against the wind. While passing a deep 

 pocket I heard from within it a snort and 

 stamping of feet, the well-known sounds 

 made by a startled deer. Pulling up short 

 I jumped off the horse it was Manitou, 

 who instantly began feeding with perfect 

 indifference to what he probably regarded 

 as an irrational freak of his master; and, 

 aiming as well as I could in the gathering 

 dusk, held the rifle well ahead of a shadowy 

 gray object which was scudding along the 

 base of the hill towards the mouth of the 

 pocket. The ball struck in front of and 

 turned the deer, which then started obliquely 

 up the hill. A second shot missed it; and 

 I then (here comes in the good of having a 

 repeater) knelt down and pointed the rifle 

 against the sky line, at the place where the 

 deer seemed likely to top the bluff. Imme- 

 diately afterwards the buck appeared, mak- 

 ing the last jump with a great effort which 

 landed him square on the edge, as sharply 

 outlined as a silhouette against the fading 



