ANOTHER KIND OF OPEN GROUND. 195 



that little basin about three hundred yards away and 

 a hundred feet or so lower than we are? There is yet 

 no wind to cause it so to move, and a bird could 

 hardly give it such a jerking motion. A deer nipping 

 twigs from it could, however, give it just such a mo- 

 tion. Move gently over to this side of that next 

 ridge and follow it out to its point. From there you 

 can almost see the other side of the bush. Take an 

 occasional look over the ridge as you go, but be very 

 careful how you do it. 



Reaching the point, you discover on the farther 

 side of the bush a little spot of white set in a slight 

 framework of brown, with something like the taper 

 of a brownish-gray leg just below it. In the cen- 

 ter of the white is a stubby little black and white 

 tail that gives a highly complacent wiggle. Very 

 much the same kind of a target as that you shot at 

 on our last hunt. 



Sit down and keep cool a moment. Then take an 

 inspection of the ground and decide upon the best 

 means to get nearer to the deer. It suspects nothing 

 as yet, and is not going to run. At this time of day 

 about sunrise it will probably stay there several 

 minutes. At all events, your chances of getting within 

 a hundred yards of it are greater than your chances 

 of making a killing shot from here ; for both the 

 ground and wind are favorable for a close approach. 

 On such ground as this you must make a mortal shot 

 and not break a leg or lightly cripple such game. 

 Once wounded, a few seconds will carry it into that 

 dense dark chapparal you see beyond there so heavily 

 robing the mountain's breast and shoulders. And once 

 there it is forever lost to you unless you have a very 



