THE MULE DEER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. 183 



second more, there rose from the brush in a little ravine 

 beyond just such another pair of horns, with just such 

 another curve of beamy gray behind them. Again our 

 repeaters poured dire intentions upon the scene, but in a 

 moment the gray was once more gone, fading over a ridge 

 amid a maze of brush. 



But there was no time to think or indulge in specula- 

 tions or regrets; for scarcely had the brush closed over the 

 slippery beauty, before a crash of brush about a hundred 

 yards ahead of us made us turn about with something akin 

 to haste. There, surging through the chaparral upon a 

 slope across a deep ravine, were the two fawns. They 

 looked nearly as large as the bucks, as, with the gay bound 

 of the Mule Deer, they rose high above the brush from the 

 impulse of their springy legs, striking ground with all four 

 feet at once, and bouncing from earth again as though it 

 was an India-rubber cushion. Now with a long jump to 

 one side, then with a short jump to the other side, rising 

 ever high in air, with all four feet grouped beneath them, 

 ready to beat the ground simultaneously with a heavy 

 thump as they descended, the fawns sped swiftly away. 



Ball after ball tore up the dirt around, above, and below, 

 and hissed and sang through the air beyond, until they 

 suddenly wheeled and plunged into a little ravine filled 

 with brush. Just ahead of them, a big Wildcat was run- 

 ning, evidently under the impression that he had fallen 

 on dangerous times. As he reached the top of the slope, 

 he yielded to the temptation to stop and see what was the 

 cause of the uproar, evidently having been started by the 

 noise only. He sat upon his haunches, with brindle back 

 turned toward us, and turned his gray face backward over 

 his shoulder. In a second more, the cat and the dry dirt 

 beneath it flew about two feet in air, as a heavy ball 

 from my friend' s rifle struck the ground by the root of its 

 stubbed tail. It went over the ridge in a somersault of 

 brindle hair, and we were again alone. 



We had made plenty of noise and smoke. In fact, few 

 rocks have ever seen such a cannonade in such a short space 



