406 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



miles, through belts of woods alternating with 

 open fields, over masses of wild flowers and 

 around marshy thickets. Grouse were abundant 

 and the tracks of bear and deer plentiful, but the 

 few of the latter which we saw chanced to be does. 

 They were mule deer although universally called 

 blacktail in that country. The true blacktail is 

 not more than half their weight and is found only 

 near the Pacific coast. 



At the lower end of the Mesa Ned and I tied 

 our ponies and started down a ravine on foot, one 

 upon each side. In a few minutes I jumped a 

 big buck within fifty yards and snapped my rifle 

 at him, but the cartridge failed to explode. I 

 had another chance at a hundred yards and again 

 my rifle failed me. I despaired of again seeing 

 the buck, but once more he appeared, this time 

 near the top of the precipice that formed the side 

 of the ravine. Fully two hundred and fifty 

 yards distant he presented a target the like of 

 which has seldom gladdened the eye and heart of 

 a sportsman. As he struggled up the last foot 

 of the ascent his antlers, head, and shoulders were 



