246 AN AMERICAN HUNTER 



a snort, and then the thud, thud, thud, of four hoofs strik- 

 ing the ground exactly in unison, and away would go a 

 mule-deer with the peculiar bounding motion of its kind. 

 The pony, well accustomed to the work, stopped short, 

 and I was off its back in an instant. If the deer had 

 not made out exactly what I was, it would often show 

 by its gait that it was not yet prepared to run straight 

 out of sight. Under such circumstances I would wait 

 until it stopped and turned round to look back. If it 

 was going very fast, I took the shot running. Once I 

 put up a young buck from some thick brush in the bot- 

 tom of a winding washout. I leaped off the pony, stand- 

 ing within ten yards of the washout. The buck went up 

 a hill on my left, and as he reached the top and paused 

 for a second on the sky-line, I fired. At the shot there 

 was a great scrambling and crashing in the washout be- 

 low me, and another and larger buck came out and tore 

 off in frantic haste. I fired several shots at him, finally 

 bringing him down. Meanwhile, the other buck had 

 disappeared, but there was blood on his trail, and I found 

 him lying down in the next coulee, and finished him. 

 This was not much over a mile from the ranch-house, 

 and after dressing the deer, I put one behind the saddle 

 and one on it, and led the pony home. 



Such hunting, though great fun, does not imply any 

 particular skill either in horsemanship, marksmanship, or 

 plainscraft and knowledge of the animal's habits; and 

 it can of course be followed only where the game is very 

 plentiful. Ordinarily the mule-deer must be killed by 

 long tramping among the hills, skilful stalking, and good 



