366 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



rade ; " but I have not much faith in your finding him. 

 Guess I'll wait in the park at the end of the timber." 

 " Five minutes," I pleaded apologetically. And into the 

 timber I wended my way, imbued with very much the 

 same forlorn hope as has now and then induced Will 

 Goodall again to draw for his beaten fox, on the off-chance 

 of fresh-finding him. 



To any one unfamiliar with the pine forests of the 

 Rockies it would be difficult to imagine the density created 

 by the intermingling of live timber and dead timber, still 

 more to realise the ingenuity and sure-footedness with 

 which a mountain horse will surmount the fallen logs 

 of the latter. Making one more sweep round its out- 

 skirts, I turned upwards to the brow of the narrow 

 wood, picking my way dolefully among the trees, but 

 scrutinising carefully everywhere for dead beast or even 

 for blood-sign. 



My pencil halts upon my notebook when I think of 

 the rush of gladness to my brain as, from behind a prone 

 spruce, there rose, within twenty yards, those glorious 

 great antlers and that huge red form. The horse I be- 

 strode had, I knew well, a deep-rooted fear of gunshot 

 from his back. But what mattered it now ? I flung off a 

 hasty shot at the dim mass among the trees, and the next 

 moment was whirled round and round, clinging to my 

 saddle with the tenacity of a broncho-buster. " Look 

 out ! " I shouted, as soon as I could snatch breath ; and 

 then, kicking spurs into my terrified quadruped, made 

 more haste through the rough timber than I had ever 

 before dared. There was no need for the shout. The 

 shot had proclaimed the find, and the game had slowly 

 entered the open. As I issued from the wood the Judge's 

 last three cartridges rang out in quick succession, and the 

 big bull was to be seen staggermg up another wooded hill 

 ICO yards away. Throwing myself from the saddle, too 

 hurriedly to cast reins in proper fashion over my horse's 

 head, I fired two barrels hastily at the big mark, the second 

 one sounding fair on his back as he rose the ascent. 



The Judge, like me, had neglected to drop his bridle- 

 rein in the hurry of dismounting ; and now the two horses 



