IN THE FAR WEST. 291 



which the North-west is famous, and a few moments later the 

 dogs were set to work on a fresh trail. They soon gave tongue, 

 and their melodious tones rang through the silent woods with 

 a clearness I had never before heard equalled. This was the 

 signal for a scurrying race to get to some convenient points in 

 order to have a shot. The guide placed me on a promising 

 runway, and I had scarcely taken my position ere a mag- 

 nificent black-tailed stag (C. colnmlianus) broke cover not 

 twenty paces from me. His head was high in the air, and 

 his antlers were thrown back, so that he appeared in his 

 most majestic mien. I gave him a low whistle; he halted 

 to learn its import, and ere he could decide upon moving I 

 planted a load of buckshot in his neck and shoulders. Before 

 I could give him the second barrel he was bounding through 

 the shrubbery with those long, high jumps for which he is 

 noted, and the last I saw of him was an erect cauda clearing 

 the branches of a fallen tree. I was of course much piqued at 

 my bad shooting, and still more so when I was rejoined by my 

 companions, who commenced chaffing me most unmercifully, 

 and predicting that we should have no luck that day, as I had 

 missed the first deer. The feeling of chagrin was bad enough, 

 but to be taunted good-naturedly with spoiling the day's 

 amusement was the acme of depressing pride. I insisted that 

 I had wounded the animal so seriously that it could not run 

 very far, but this only elicited a sarcastic laugh, and the query 

 if I did not think I ought to challenge certain redoubted 

 hunters to engage in a week's contest to test superiority. My 

 victory soon came, however, for the guide, who was sounding 

 a mellow cow's horn to recall the pack, reported that they 

 must have overtaken the quarry, or they would have returned 

 in answer to his peremptory summons. This induced two of 

 us to follow the trail, which we did quite readily by noting the 

 condition of the fallen leaves, and we had not proceeded half a 

 mile ere we came to a brook, and on its bank we found the 

 animal lifeless as a stone, and the hounds grouped about it. 

 A joyous halloo from our party soon brought the others, and I 

 was the recipient of theatrical congratulations, which were 

 given demonstratively, as an antidote to the previous wounds. 



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