SPORT AND TRAVEL 227 



them came a fine buck. These mule deer must have 

 been lying on the top of the ridge where the snow was 

 at least three feet deep, and had no doubt been dis- 

 turbed by the wapiti. I was annoyed at having shot 

 the spike bull, and thought that possibly I should lose 

 the wounded animal I was following, and seeing the 

 mule deer buck so near me, determined to have his 

 head at all events, so killed him with a bullet through 

 his lungs. On being struck he came plunging down 

 the hill through the deep snow, and fell dead within 

 ten yards of where I stood. I cleaned him hurriedly, 

 and then laying him out belly downwards on the 

 snow, again took up the tracks of the wapiti bull. 

 He had followed the herd to the top of the ridge, but 

 whilst they had then turned to the left towards a still 

 higher shoulder, he had gone down the other side by 

 himself. He did not descend very far, however, but 

 soon turned and held along the face of the mountain. 

 The snow was here very deep, and I only got through 

 it very slowly and with great labour. Presently the 

 wounded bull turned sharp down the hill again, but 

 only for a very short distance, when he again turned 

 back along the face of it, taking a line just parallel 

 to his tracks a little higher up. I soon found out what 

 this move meant. After going back for about fifty 

 yards parallel to his trail, he had lain down in the 

 snow. Here there was a good deal of blood, but on 

 examining the tracks beyond I found that he had left 

 this bed quite slowly at a walk. I soon, however, 



