92 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



inspected the track, and I had not even the gratifi- 

 cation to find blood. Well, Will was for giving it up, 

 but I wished to follow it out ; so after using all his 

 powers of persuasion and argument in favour of his 

 views, he succumbed, and consented for once to be 

 dictated to. 



For over a mile we followed our game. The line 

 was straight and the track distinct : moreover, the 

 gait was steady, if one could judge from the regularity 

 of the impressions ; and there was nought to indicate 

 that we might not with as great propriety follow any 

 animal in these bottom lands at which a shot had never 

 been fired. Will was going ahead, leading, and your 

 humble servant bringing up the rear, when the former 

 suddenly halted and turned round. From the expres- 

 , sion of his face I knew something was up, but was 

 scarcely prepared for the information he gave. " Look 

 here," said he : " you have hit that deer, Cap., 

 tolerably badly, and I suspect we shall get him yet ; 

 his fore leg is disabled, and he can't travel far without 

 our overhauling him." On inquiring how he gained 

 his information, he pointed to the tracks ; and sure 

 enough the off fore-foot, instead of making a clean im- 

 pression, cut the snow for nearly a foot when ever 

 raised off the ground. " You see," said he, chuckling, 

 "he don't use both alike, for it's all he can do to 

 get this one up." There was no gainsaying such 

 conclusive evidence, and with renewed ardour we 

 sharpened the pace of pursuit, alternately changing 

 places, one being constantly on the look-out while the 

 other tracked. Once or twice we got sight of the deer, 

 but too far off, or for too limited a period, to shoot ; 

 but the view was always cheering. Forward we 



