178 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



them have plenty of arms and branches. And the top 

 of the table-land contains numerous little ravines 

 and swales leading into these valleys, and numerous 

 brushy basins and plateaus along their edges caused 

 by washes and slides in years of excessive rain. 



The first question is, Where shall we walk, upon the 

 high ground or in the valleys ? 



We shall have little trouble to decide this question 

 to-day. For the table-land is in many places too bare 

 to contain any deer. And this brush that you see is 

 just dense enough to stop all the breeze yet admit most 

 of the sun, so that at this time of year August, a 

 month as good as any for still-hunting here the deer 

 will not remain in it during the day. The deer are 

 now in the valleys and the brushy basins and ravines 

 leading into them. But the greater number are 

 doubtless in the main valleys or their large branches, 

 as they are very little disturbed here. Moreover, this 

 brush is so high and level that we could not see a 

 deer in it unless it were jumping, and we should prob- 

 ably see few in this way, as the greater number would 

 simply skulk. 



Then how shall we hunt the valleys ? By walking 

 in them or along the edge of the table-land ? 



If it were no later than eight o'clock I should say 

 keep the edge of the mesa here. For this valley be- 

 fore us is neither wide nor deep, and a hundred and 

 fifty yards will be about the longest shot you would 

 have to make. You can see everything in the valley 

 so much better from the high ground that your chances 

 there would have been best two hours ago. But we 

 have come out too late to-day; the deer are now lying 

 down in the valleys, and you cannot see them as they 

 are in the shade. You might walk along the edge of 



