THE MULE DEER. 163 



the biped slaughterer and the prostrate victims a whole 

 band of Elk; and it stirs every better element of one's 

 nature to loathing for the creatures who disgrace their kind. 



An instance occurs to me. I will give it in the words of 

 the hunter who told it to me: 



"Mr. C , 1 have been a hunter in the mountains all 



my life, and have lived among rough men; but the hardest- 

 hearted, the worst man I ever met, was an Englishman for 

 whom I was guide and hunter in Western Colorado, a few 

 years ago. He was full of money ; had a splendid outfit of 

 double-barreled rifles and shotguns, and all things needed 

 for hunting, and had come clear from England to break the 

 record on the greatest number of heads of game within a 

 certain time. He hired me and three others to go with him, 

 and we were all to play into his hands to kill all we could 

 in a certain time. I am ashamed to say how many Elk and 

 Deer were killed and left, all to rot as they fell not even 

 bled or drawn. It was money to us, and plenty of it, and I 

 was poor; but, as long as I live, I shall feel that that Eng- 

 lishman was more a devil than a man. He was the only 

 man I ever knew, of all the rough class even in these mount- 

 ains, that enjoyed giving pain; and I will say that, anyway, 

 for the honor of the rest of us. One day he had shot a 

 Mule doe through the hips, and she lay wallowing on the 

 ground, and bleating with fear as we came up to her. The 

 Englishman stood over her, and laughed aloud to see her 

 fear and her pain. Then he shot her in different parts of 

 her body where it would not kill her, and laughed and 

 ha-ha' d to see her jump at the shot, and flounder and cry out 

 with the new pain. At last the poor creature stretched out 

 her legs full length, her eye glazed, and with a quiver over 

 her whole body, she died. And he burst out again in 

 laughter, and shouted, 'This is the greatest sport yet! ' As 



sure as God made me, Mr. C , I felt for a minute that 



the dead doe was the better creature of the two, and I felt 

 almost ashamed that I was a man! '' 



Now, what penalty would be adequate for the deed of 

 this butcher, this human fiend ! I am a minister, and have 



