182 BIG. GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



dimly caught amid the crowd, while their distance apart 

 and direction left no room for doubt. 



My rifle was sighted for that very distance, and was a 

 very accurate one, whereas I knew that IS - had not tried 

 his for a long time, and did not know exactly for what 

 point the sights were set. I handed him mine, and told 

 him to flre about a foot below the center between the lower 

 ends of the two points. 



"No," said he; " you try them." 



There was no time for parley or further interchange of 

 courtesies. At any second the points might disappear, to 

 be seen no more that day. Moreover, it was a difficult shot, 

 involving too much guess-work as to the precise point to 

 strike, and a head being too small a mark for that distance, 

 even if distinctly seen; but firing by guess at the supposed 

 body would have been still worse, as it was impossible to 

 say which way it was standing. 



Drawing a fine sight a foot or so below the center 

 between the points, I fired. What a whirl of gray and 

 white above that distant brush followed the report of the 

 rifle, as the Deer sprang upward and turned around with 

 almost a single motion! Up he came again in a shining 

 curve of gray, his whole outline forming the top of an 

 arch over the brush. Bang! went my companion's rifle, 

 and bang! went mine, aimed about where I thought the 

 glossy hair would descend into the brush. The smoke for 

 a moment rolled across our line of view, then in an instant 

 was swept aside by the breeze; and there, just about the 

 place where our Deer had disappeared, stood a statue of 

 beamy gray. Now we could see it plainly, for it stood 

 upon a knoll, perfect in outline, with head proudly erect; 

 long, tapering nose and great flaring ears pointed directly at 

 us. The bright morning sun shone from its dark, iron-gray 

 back and glittered on three or four points upon each horn 

 a perfect picture of a three-year-old buck. 



Both rifles rang out almost together. Through the 

 smoke we dimly saw another whirl of white and gray, but 

 before either of us could fire again it was gone; but in a 



