HUNTING IN CATTLE COUNTRY 147 



the sight of so tangible a proof of my hunting prowess as 

 whole prongbuck hanging up in the cottonwoods by the 

 house. As it was a well-grown buck the walk home un- 

 der the hot sun was one of genuine toil. 



The spot where I ran across this prongbuck was miles 

 away from the nearest plains, and it was very unusual 

 to see one in such rough country. In fact, the occurrence 

 was wholly exceptional; just as I once saw three bighorn 

 rams, which usually keep to the roughest country, de- 

 liberately crossing the river bottom below my ranch, and 

 going for half a mile through the thick cottonwood tim- 

 ber. Occasionally, however, parties of prongbuck came 

 down the creek bottoms to the river. Once I struck a 

 couple of young bucks in the bottom of a creek which led 

 to the Chimney Butte ranch-house, and stalked them 

 without difficulty; for as prongbuck make no effort to 

 hide, if there is good cover even their sharp eyes do not 

 avail them. On another occasion several does and fawns, 

 which we did not molest, spent some time on what we 

 called " the corral bottom," which was two or three miles 

 above the ranch-house. In the middle of this bottom we 

 had built a corral for better convenience in branding the 

 calves when the round-up came near our ranch as the 

 bottom on which the ranch-house stood was so thickly 

 wooded as to make it difficult to work cattle thereon. 

 The does and fawns hung around the corral bottom for 

 some little time, and showed themselves very curious and 

 by no means shy. 



When I went from the ranch for a day's prongbuck 

 hunting of set purpose, I always rode a stout horse and 



