ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND WESTERN CATTLE LAND. 129 



the sky-line, that it shook its head in a most unusual 

 manner, or, at least, in a way that I judged to be 

 unusual, this being the first mule-deer I had encoun- 

 tered. I found, when two hours later I succeeded in 

 killing the animal, that my bullet had passed through 

 one of its ears, which accounted for the head- 

 shaking. At present there was nothing left but to 

 examine the ground for traces of blood and to con- 

 tinue upwards on Pete towards the summit. On my 

 way I saw the stag still mounting the hill far away to 

 the left. 



Close to the top, unsuspected and invisible from 

 below, I came upon a few small pine-groves in 

 sheltered hollows, with pools of water, and looking 

 such a likely place for a deer that I unslung my 

 i Express ' and approached on foot. Appearances 

 were not deceptive, for almost immediately several 

 fawns and hinds ran up the hill followed by a stag. 

 At my first shot the stag turned down, showing that I 

 had hit it, and came straight towards me, but halted 

 in the timber, in which it was quite invisible. 



I next caught sight of it some distance off making 

 down the hill through another part of the cover, and 

 fired four more shots without any effect but that of 

 hastening its movements. The hinds, which I ' had no 

 use for,' had meanwhile passed away over the summit 

 of the mountain. The stag was evidently badly 

 wounded, and had made for a small wood below. I 

 took plenty of time, for, cruel as it may be, a wounded 

 deer should never be closely pressed. If left to itself 



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