A PRIZE CURLY'S MISHAP. 96 



of dried venison, slices of bacon, maize bread, and cof- 

 fee ; a princely repast for the forest ; but we hoped to 

 have fresh meat on the morrow. 



We breakfasted with the first gleam of light, fed the 

 dogs, and related stories until it was light enough to see 

 the sights on the muzzles of the rifles ; then taking our 

 preconcerted directions, we trod lightly and cautiously 

 over the dried leaves. A little before sunrise I heard 

 the crack of Curly's rifle ; a few minutes later a second 

 report, then a third. I stood still for about a quarter 

 of an hour, in case a frightened deer should bound past. 

 Nothing moved ; I continued my march. I had not 

 gone far when I saw a majestic buck at a walk. I crept 

 lightly to a right angle with his course ; when about 

 eighty yards off. I gave a hail : he stopped, and my ball 

 pierced his shoulder ; after a few bounds, he lay strug- 

 gling in the yellow leaves. Bearsgrease rushed after him, 

 but finding him already dead, he only licked the wound, 

 and lay quietly beside him, waiting for his share of the 

 prize. I took the skin and the two legs, hanging the 

 latter on a tree with the skin over them, cut a few bits 

 of the rest for Bearsgrease, leaving the remainder for the 

 wolves and vultures, and continued my march. Soon 

 after I heard a shot, about a hundred yards off on the 

 other side of a thick jungle, and proceeded towards the 

 sound. It turned out to be Curly, who had killed a tur- 

 key ; he was lying under a tree, and told me, with a 

 mournful visage, that, having wounded a buck, he was 

 following him over some loose stones, when he sprained 

 his ankle, and could hardly move, being obliged to leave 

 the wounded deer to its fate, 



