OF A RANCHMAN 285 



reached home i h was gratified. We 



were loping down a grassy valley, d 

 with clumps of brush, the wind blowing 

 strong in our faces, and deadening the noise 



c by the hoofs on the grass, 

 passed by a piece of broken ground a year- 

 ling black-tail buck jumped into view and 

 cantered away. I was off Manitou's back 

 in an instant. The buck was moving slowly, 

 and was evidently soon going to stop and 

 look round, so I dropped on one knee, with 



rifle half raised, and waited. When 

 about si rds off he halted and turned 



> to me, offering a beautiful broad- 

 side shot. I aimed at the spot just behind 

 the shoulder and felt I had him. At the 

 report he went off, but with short, weak 

 bounds, and I knew he would not go far; 

 nor did he, but stopped short, swayed un- 

 steadily about, and went over on his side, 

 dead, the bullet clean through his body. 



Each of us already had a deer behind his 

 saddle, so we could not take the last buck 

 along with us. Accordingly v ^ed him. 



