212 EARLY DAY STORIES. 



hunter, and knew every part of the Hills well, and knew the 

 habits of the game and where to find it. 



It is a pleasure to hunt with old soldiers. They know 

 how to select a camp, how to pitch a tent, how to cook, how 

 to build a camp fire, and they never can be drained dry of 

 good stories ; and besides they are always ready to do their 

 part of the camp work. I submit with regret to the fact 

 that never again can it be possible to take another such trip, 

 with such companions. 



I had been having poor luck — all the others were kill- 

 ing game — I was getting none. Either luck was with them 

 and against me, or they were better hunters than I — the 

 latter doubtless being the true reason. But if one sticks 

 faithfully to his job in hunting his luck is pretty sure to turn. 

 Before my luck turned I lost a deer by a very curious miss. 

 I saw two black tail deer lying down within easy range, one 

 of them with breast toward me, and just at the edge of a 

 thick body of timber. I took careful aim and fired expect- 

 ing surely to strike the deer in the center of the breast. To 

 my surprise the deer sprang up at a bound and ran into the 

 timber unhurt, and it was not possible to get another shot. 

 On going to the place where the deer had lain, I found a 

 small gray rock of the same color as the deer, imbedded in 

 the ground and projecting seven or eight inches, that was 

 exactly in range with my aim, and not more than six inches 

 from the deer's breast. This had caught the bullet, and 

 although considerably shattered and splintered it had saved 

 the deer. The bullet had melted, and portions of it were 

 found on the ground near the rock. 



A day or two later I got a deer by waiting for it to come 

 to me. There were six or eight inches of snow on the 

 ground, which had thawed some and then had frozen, form- 

 ing a crust that made noisy walking. This made it neces- 

 sary to go carefully, and to stop frequently to look and list- 

 en. I had just come to the edge of a little park of four or 



