SLACK-TAILED DEER. 181 



This wall is not built by the plumb or square of the 

 human mason, but is cut by the Great Architect into 

 myriads of fantastic shapes, and furrowed by seams and 

 chasms innumerable, from five to thirty miles in length, 

 and of every conceivable pattern, and running at times to 

 every point of the compass, all, however, to pour their 

 waters at last in the direction of the Arkansas Eiver. 

 The sides of these canons, and the upper and lower plains 

 in their vicinity, are more or less thickly covered with 

 cedar. Sometimes the gorges are filled with a small 

 though thick growth of pines. 



These canons, of all places I have ever seen, are 

 much frequented by the black-tails ; and from the latter 

 part of August until the next April, they are here to be 

 found in abundance amply satisfactory to the keenest 

 sportsman. 



The line of the grand wall was at its nearest point 

 only about twenty-five miles from Fort Lyon, at which 

 post it was my fortunate privilege to be stationed for 

 two hunting seasons. 



Every respite from my legitimate duties found me in 

 these canons, and I habitually bagged from fifteen to 

 thirty-one splendid animals in a week's hunt, the latter 

 being my highest number. 



I am informed that there are now many sheep in 

 that lovely hunting ground. If so, there are no deer. 

 The black-tail has the strongest antipathy to sheep, and, 

 when a herd is driven into any locality, the deer leave 

 with as much precipitation as if the sheep were hounds ; 

 nor will they return until all scent or indication of the 

 sheep's presence is obliterated by time. This may appear 

 a curious statement ; but I have had such ample oppor- 

 tunities of demonstrating its correctness, that I give it as 

 a positive fact. 



I once spent a week at a fine spring in the heart of a 

 series of canons, which more abounded in black-tails 

 than any locality I have ever seen. It was on this occa- 





