42 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



of the mountains in perfect freedom a thing of 

 which the naturalist hunter alone can boast. 



Just as the sun was going over the western range 

 the sharp crack of a rifle was heard in a willow 

 patch up on the side of the mountain, and this was 

 soon followed by the familiar shout. When the 

 gunshot was heard Harvey could hardly wait for the 

 signal, and he yelled to the boys to saddle old Reuben, 

 for he was sure Dyche had a deer. When the call 

 came ringing down the hillside pandemonium reigned 

 at the ranch. Harvey alternately sang, danced, and 

 shouted, and then scolded the boys for being so slow. 



" Get on the skillet, Khea Dyche has a deer. I 

 knew he would get one. Hurry up there, boys. 

 What in time are you poking along so for?" 



Harvey, the boys, and Reuben were soon at the 

 clump of trees and found Dyche standing by the side 

 of a fine doe. It was carried to the ranch in triumph, 

 Harvey alternately congratulating Dyche and then 

 himself on the success of the hunt. He was im- 

 patient to let Beaty know of it, and told Dyche that 

 he would not have had that deer missed for any- 

 thing. He would rather have given fifty, yes, a hun- 

 dred dollars than to have missed getting that deer. 



" I knew you couldn't help getting one. How in 

 time did you find him so easy? Beaty never could 

 see one in this part of the mountain." 



"I spent the afternoon wandering around and 

 thinking of the fine times I had last year. I recalled 

 how I had stalked a buck there and had been disap- 

 pointed under that tree; how a doe had once jumped 

 out of that clump of bushes and how I had killed a 



