146 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



"Well, that would be luck," said he; "can you tell 

 where you shot at it? " 



" Of course; just beyond the last of those big pines." We 

 went at once, and there lay my yearling, stone-dead. 



" Well, this is luck! Now, father, I understand why 

 your gun snapped on that other Deer. You were elected to 

 miss it, for if you had killed these three Deer in three 

 shots, and all in motion, the wagon wouldn't haw held you 

 down going home!" 



So we had our laugh again, and bled and drew our Deer. 

 Bates cast his eye up at the declining sun, for it was now 

 afternoon. 



"Father, I'll have just time to go to camp, get the 

 horses, and get the Deer home before dark." 



It was a thing as much beyond me as to pull up one of 

 those pines and stand it on its top; but he is perfect in all 

 that pertains to horses and woodcraft, and as he drew his 

 belt a hole tighter, threw his rifle over his shoulder, caught 

 up old Tige's leash, and struck off in an entirety different 

 line from that by which we had come, I followed on, with 

 as little sense and as little hand in the matter as he had 

 when I rocked him in his cradle. 



Over foot-hills, down gulches, across ridges, a half -hour's 

 sturdy tramp, and we paused. 



" Do you know where you are? " said lie. 



And there before me was the camp; the horses at their 

 pickets in the bunch grass; the wagon in its place as we 

 left it, and our morning fire smoldering, with just enough 

 smoke to give it a human look and make one feel at home. 

 We saddled the two cattle-horses; hung the lariats and 

 lash-ropes in their places; he mounted one and led the 

 other, and was soon out of sight. It was two good miles to 

 our first doe, and he told me that he struck the place within 

 ten rods; he loaded her on Jack, followed the ridge to the 

 other two, loaded them on George, and just at dusk his 

 tall, manly form appeared again from the woods, afoot him- 

 self, and leading the horses with the game, seemingly as 

 fresh as when he started in the morning. Such is the vigor 



