PRONG-HORNS 



secluded places for their young. Each buck 

 goes off to some out of the way place for the 

 purpose of shedding his horns. The family 

 consists of one or two fawns, usually two, which 

 are born in the latter part of May or the first 

 of June. No true sportsman or honest think- 

 ing person will ever kill a doe at this time of 

 year. 



I turned my pony in the direction of the doe 

 and rode slowly to the spot where she lay. 

 Near her, partly covered with the long over- 

 hanging grass, were two fawns of a uniform dun 

 color. They were so near the color of their 

 surroundings that one could scarcely see them 

 as they lay with their legs doubled up under 

 them and their necks stretched out with their 

 heads flat on the ground. As I dismounted the 

 mother looked up at me and in her large black 

 eyes was a pleading expression that was almost 

 human. She tried to get upon her feet but was 

 too weak. I took one of the fawns in my arms. 

 He was scarcely as large as a jack-rabbit. I 

 held him close and stroked his coarse hair and 

 felt of the two small bumps on his head caused 

 by the undeveloped horns that in a few months 

 [37] 



