206 CRUISINGS IJS" THE CASCADES 



and get the head of the buck I killed. It's a very 

 handsome one, and only two miles from camp." 



I said I didn't want any heads for my own use 

 unless I could kill their owners myself, but would 

 take this one home for a friend, so we saddled our 

 horses and started. 



As we reached the top of a hill about a mile from 

 camp a large buck that was grazing ahead of us 

 jumped and ran away to what he seemed to consider 

 a safe distance, and stopped to look at us. Sam 

 generously offered me the shot, and springing out 

 of my saddle I threw down my rifle, took careful 

 aim and fired. At the crack the buck turned just 

 half way round, but was unable to make a single 

 jump and sank dead in his tracks. 



Sam is ordinarily a quiet man, but he fairly 

 shouted at the result of my shot. I paced the dis- 

 tance carefully to where the carcass lay, and it was 

 exactly 290 steps. The buck was standing broadside 

 to me and I had shot him through the heart. Of 

 course, it was a scratch. I could not do it again per- 

 ha.ps in twenty shots, and yet when I considered that 

 I shot for one single animal and got him I could not 

 help feeling a little proud of it. As we approached 

 the animal, not knowing just where I had hit him, 

 I held my rifle in readiness, but Sam said: 



"Oh, you needn't be afraid of his getting up. 

 One of those Winchester express bullets is all an 

 antelope needs, no matter what part of the body you 

 hit him in." 



This old fellow had a fine head, and we took it 

 off, and now as I write it gazes down upon me with 

 those large, lustrous black eyes, from its place on 



