THE WILDCAT. 505 



My first introduction to this variety of sport was late in 

 the fall of 1868, while on a hunting-trip in Cass County, 

 Missouri. One night, there came a light fall of snow. The 

 next morning, by the time it was light, I was in the woods, 

 near a large, open prairie-bottom about one and a half miles 

 long by half a mile wide. This bottom lay on the south side 

 of Grand River, just below the mouth of Pony Creek. I 

 was looking for Deer, as this region was at that time a 

 famous place for both Deer and wild turkeys. Wolves, 

 'Coons, Wildcats, and other "varmints" abounded. It 

 being but a short time after the close of the great fratri- 

 cidal strife that agitated our country, during which there 

 was a general let-up in the hunting of the natural fauna of 

 the woods and prairies, these animals had multiplied and 

 were abundant. I had just come out, and was standing 

 inside the brush, on a little ridge just above the bottom, 

 when I saw a large buck coming out of the woods some 

 eighty yards below me. I bleated for him to stop, and on 

 his doing so, fired and shot him through, but too far back 

 to down him at once. Upon being struck, he plunged off 

 down into the bottom, and was soon lost to sight in the tall 

 "rail," or slough-grass, with which this part of the bottom 

 was covered. 



Reloading my rifle, I took up his trail and struck out 

 after him, hoping to soon find him dead. Getting out into 

 the long grass, I almost stepped on a large doe, which 

 bounded up; and by the time she made her second jump. I 

 put a bullet through her, and laid her out. At the crack of 

 my rifle, up bounded two tremendous bucks that had been 

 lying some twenty feet ahead of me, and made off through 

 the high grass. After noting the place, so as to have no 

 trouble in finding my dead Deer, I went on and tried to 

 trail up my wounded buck. Because of the lightness of the 

 fall of snow which here lay upon the high grass, it was 

 difficult trailing. The sun coming up clear and warm, soon 

 melted the snow, so I gave it up as a hard job. I then went 

 across to the timber which lay along the river, and fol- 

 lowed it down to the eastern or lower point of the open 



