198 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



Yes, he guessed he was alone and washing for colour. 

 His pard had gone into the nearest settlement for stores. 

 In answer to inquiries about game, he calculated he 

 hadn't lost any bear himself, but that we should find 

 all the grizzlies we had any use for further up the 

 range. Had we a chaw of 'baccy ? We had, and 

 gave it, and so passed on. 



Soon after, riding through an open park, we jumped 

 a fine black-tail buck with a clustered head of many 

 points. Before I was out of the saddle the deer was 

 going, with the bounding gallop peculiar to these 

 animals, for all he was worth to the cover beyond. 

 I broke his neck, just as he was entering the timber, 

 with one of those lucky shots that occasionally come 

 off when wanted, and a splendid pair of fat haunches 

 subsequently hung in camp that night. It was our 

 pride all through the rest of that hunting-trip never 

 to be without fat black-tail venison in the larder. 



Next day was our first regular hunt. For the first 

 time, too, we pitched our A tents. Hitherto, having 

 been travelling steadily every day, we had been satis- 

 fied, in glorious August weather, to make our beds on 

 the prairie under the stars. 



Our camp was pitched at the head of a long valley 

 edged with rocky cliffs and timber. Spying with a 

 glass while breakfast was in preparation, we had seen 

 about a mile away some animals that looked like big- 

 horns. My friend and I tossed up, and the chance 

 fell to me to go after them. As luck would have 

 it, however, the ram that day fell to Miller, and not 

 to myself, while I managed to secure a couple of 

 bears. 



About 9 a.m. we started in different directions, 

 Jack and I down the lip of the valley before-men- 



