A Christmas Buck 



countries it is hard to take a horse during 

 darkness. Indeed, we found we had left 

 a little too early, for there was hardly a 

 glimmer of dawn when we reached our 

 proposed hunting-grounds. We left the 

 horses in a sheltered nook where there 

 was abundance of grass, and strode off on 

 foot, numb after the ride. 



The dawn brightened rapidly, and there 

 was almost light enough for shooting when 

 we reached a spur overlooking a large 

 basin around whose edges there were sev- 

 eral wooded coulees. Here we sat down - 

 to wait and watch. We did not have to 

 wait long, for just as the sun was coming 

 up on our right hand we caught a glimpse^ 

 of something moving at the mouth of one, 4 j 

 of the little ravines some hundreds of d*$| i 



zz'lftn. 



yards distant. Another glance showed 

 us that it was a deer feeding, while an- 

 other behind it was walking leisurely in* 

 our direction. 



45 



