134 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



seem, this region was the abiding-place of thousands of 

 humming-birds, of different varieties and most gorgeous 

 plumage. 



I took my rifle, and wandered about among these plants 

 and flowers, drinking in the beautiful sight, for a full hour, 

 and as I did so the thought came to me that at last the 

 sportsman's paradise, the mysterious liap^^y hunting- 

 ground of the red man, had been discovered. Here was 

 game in the greatest abundance; locomotion was easy; 

 the climate was nearly perfect, and the air and water were 

 the purest in the world; scenery the superior of which is 

 not to be found on the continent, and birds, flowers, and 

 berries of beautiful colors and forms. 



During the time that I was feasting on the beauties of 

 Nature I saw several Deer at no great distance, but did not 

 disturb them. Once a large doe jumped up from her bed 

 among the shrubs and bounded slowly away; but I was not 

 shooting does as long as there were plenty of bucks. The 

 afternoon was half-spent before I directed my steps toward 

 camp. I had hardly walked three hundred yards, from the 

 spot where I ate my lunch, when a fine two-point buck 

 walked out from behind a wall of rock. Throwing my rifle 

 to my shoulder, I gave it to him where I thought his heart 

 lay. Down went his tail, and, after making about half a 

 dozen quick bounds, over he went on his head. On coming 

 up to him, I found that my aim had been true, and that the 

 ball had passed through his heart. In such a case a Deer 

 will often run as long as he can hold his breath. I soon had 

 him hung up, and i^roceeded on my way to camp. 



I had arrived within almost half a mile of camp, when I 

 came upon two bucks and three does feeding in a little 

 glade. They were not more than fifty yards distant, and 

 had not discovered me. So confident was I of killing the 

 buck I had selected that I did not take careful aim, and I 

 made a clean miss. The does and the other buck ran off in 

 alarm, but their curiosity would not admit of their going 

 far. The buck that I had fired at gave but a couple of 

 bounds, and stood looking at me. Within a second after I 



