46 The Wilderness Hunter. 



long-range fusillade proved harmless. During the next 

 two days I redeemed myself, killing four deer. 



Coming back our wagon broke down, no unusual 

 incident in ranch-land, where there is often no road, while 

 the strain is great in hauling through quicksands, and up 

 or across steep broken hills ; it rarely makes much differ- 

 ence beyond the temporary delay, for plains-men and 

 mountain-men are very handy and self-helpful. Besides, 

 a mere break-down sinks into nothing compared to having 

 the team play out ; which is, of course, most apt to happen 

 at the times when it insures hardship and suffering, as in 

 the middle of a snowstorm, or when crossing a region 

 with no water. However, the reinsmen of the plains 

 must needs face many such accidents, not to speak of 

 runaways, or having the wagon pitchpole over on to the 

 team in dropping down too steep a hillside. Once after a 

 three days' rainstorm some of us tried to get the ranch 

 wagon along a trail which led over the ridge of a gumbo 

 or clay butte. The sticky stuff clogged our shoes, the 

 horses' hoofs, and the wheels ; and it was even more 

 slippery than it was sticky. Finally we struck a sloping 

 shoulder; with great struggling, pulling, pushing, and 

 shouting, we reached the middle of it, and then, as one of 

 my men remarked, "the whole darned outfit slid into the 

 coulie." 



These hunting trips after deer or antelope with the 

 wagon usually take four or five days. I always ride some 

 tried hunting horse ; and the wagon itself when on such 

 a hunt is apt to lead a chequered career, as half the time 

 there is not the vestige of a trail to follow. Moreover 



