158 AN AMERICAN HUNTER 



the country at all, we would decide in the morning about 

 where the camp was to be made in the afternoon, and 

 then I would lope off on my own account, while the 

 wagon lumbered slowly across the rough prairie sward 

 straight toward its destination. Sometimes I took the 

 spare man with me, and sometimes not. It was conven- 

 ient to have him, for there are continually small emer- 

 gencies in which it is well to be with a companion. For 

 instance, if one jumps off for a sudden shot, there is al- 

 ways a slight possibility that any but a thoroughly trained 

 horse will get frightened and gallop away. On some of 

 my horses I could absolutely depend, but there were 

 others, and very good ones too, which would on rare occa- 

 sions fail me; and few things are more disheartening 

 than a long stern chase after one's steed under such cir- 

 cumstances, with the unpleasant possibility of seeing him 

 leave the country entirely and strike out for the ranch 

 fifty or sixty miles distant. If there is a companion with 

 one, all danger of this is over. Moreover, in galloping 

 at full speed after the game it is impossible now and then 

 to avoid a tumble, as the horse may put his leg into a 

 prairie-dog hole or badger burrow; and on such occasions 

 a companion may come in very handily. On the other 

 hand, there is so great a charm in absolute solitude, in the 

 wild, lonely freedom of the great plains, that often I 

 would make some excuse and go off entirely by myself. 



Such rides had a fascination of their own. Hour after 

 hour the wiry pony shuffled onward across the sea of 

 short, matted grass. On every side the plains stretched 

 seemingly limitless. Sometimes there would be no ob- 



