114 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



but with perseverance and care I managed to carry the 

 track almost across to clear ground, where I suddenly lost 

 all signs, and was completely brought to a stand-still. I 

 was aware that all dodges were practiced, more particular- 

 ly when deer feel the effects of increasing weakness and 

 incapacity for further exertion ; so, hoping that fortune 

 would favor me, I determined, like a skillful fox-hunter, to 

 make a cast completely round the disturbed ground. After 

 the loss of twenty minutes, I fortunately again struck the 

 trail, which, to my surprise, led in a reverse direction ; 

 clearly indicating that the deer had retraced his steps 

 probably in the same track, and thus, by this cunning de- 

 vice, almost succeeded in eluding his pursuer. The trail of 

 the animal now became more irregular, and the tell-tale 

 track of the wounded limb greatly assisted me in distin- 

 guishing his footsteps from those of his fellows, which on 

 every opportunity he selected ; but all having failed to 

 throw me off so far, the deer adopted a new ruse, which 

 under other circumstances would have been eminently 

 agreeable to the sportsman, but in this instance made me 

 so savage that I would have indulged in the amiable weak- 

 ness of breaking the gun-stock over the nearest tree, if it 

 had not been that my friend might not see the joke of his 

 rifle being thus treated. 



So intent was I watching the tracks, that I did not ob- 

 serve the exhausted deer had halted. Becoming alarmed 

 by my near approach, and deeming it advisable to make 

 afresh effort to place distance between us, he again put 

 forth renewed energy. The brush, unfortunately, was so 

 remarkably dense, that although I got several glimpses of 

 his tawny hide, still never for sufficient length of time to 

 get a fair chance to shoot, and I was unwillingly compelled 

 to keep tracking. About fifty yards from where I stood, a 

 small river, not over ninety feet across, named the Amba- 



