Blacktails in the Bad Lands 



if not quite decided whether to follow her ex- 

 ample, but finally began to nibble grass and 

 walk about. Here, indeed, was a pretty- 

 picture, — an embarrassment of riches. I 

 thought it quite possible to get one big 

 buck, with the chance of a good running shot 

 at the other ; and as there was no hurry, and 

 my gun was at a dead rest for the first shot 

 at least, I decided to shoot at the largest buck 

 behind the ear, and then trust to occasion for 

 whatever should follow. 



I felt that excitement was again about to 

 get the upper hand, and I aimed carefully sev- 

 eral times before pulling trigger. At last, 

 after a sharp report, the smoke blew directly 

 in my face, and for a second I could see 

 nothing distinctly; but when it cleared away, 

 and I, having pumped a cartridge into place, 

 was again prepared to shoot, what was my 

 astonishment to find that the buck fired at 

 had utterly disappeared, and that the second, 

 far from being frightened, was still standing 

 with his nose poked down into the washout 

 that had been between them. 



Without further speculation, I sighted for 



the neck of buck number two, and at the re- 



295 



