102 PKAIRIE AND FOREST. 



snow to track. My defeat had similarly operated on 

 myself, so that we mutually agreed to devote the morrow, 

 blow or snow, to re-establish our tarnished honour. The 

 morning was well suited for our task, still and clear, with 

 just sufficient frost in the atmosphere to give zest to 

 travelling. The track was easily found, my back track 

 being taken as the guide. 



In ten minutes we again had our game afoot, but 

 without getting a shot, the animal having doubled round 

 before lying down, and, consequently, rising behind us. 

 The bed where he had passed the night was soiled with 

 blood, and other indications were such as to justify us in 

 hoping early success. Although perseverance is generally 

 rewarded, it was not so on this occasion. Hour after hour 

 slipped by, the game appeared to moderate its pace in 

 accordance with ours, just keeping sufficiently ahead to be 

 out of range. The badness of the walking (for a thaw had 

 commenced), the continued disappointment, and the tliffi- 

 culty of following through the bush, commenced to operate 

 upon our spirits, and, but that we struck a more open range 

 of country where the travelling was better, doubtless we 

 would have given up. However, being in the vicinity of 

 our ponies, we determined to continue the pursuit on 

 horseback, hoping to get a view, in crossing some opening, 

 where we could give the buck a run of a few minutes, 

 with the expectation that a sharper gait might break him 

 down ; hut luck continued adverse. Time was rapidly 

 gliding by, a few hours more would bring on night, and 

 as far as we could see, the prospect of a termination was 

 as distant as ever. Want of success or fatigue made us 



