A DAY IN THE TABLE-LANDS. 189 



Go then around the edge and look for tracks. If you 

 find none> then you know the deer are hiding in that 

 brush. In such case you have an excellent opportunity 

 to try one of the surest ways to outgeneral the skulk- 

 ing deer to get on a commanding point of view and 

 sit him out. He cannot stand it a great while. When 

 all is quiet for half an hour or so often a much less time 

 will suffice the skulking deer gets uneasy. He must 

 move a little. And when you are well above him you 

 can then hardly fail to see him. 



But I did not tell you to lose sight of the brush while 

 looking for those tracks. Can you not watch both at 

 once? You must have more ubiquitous eyes than you 

 now exhibit if you expect much success as a still- 

 hunter. Look down there where that little cut at the 

 bottom of the basin branches off from the main gully 

 at the bottom. Do you not see there a yellowish 

 tinge of something in the brush? Explore it at once 

 with a bullet. Why do you hesitate? It cannot be a 

 man or any domestic animal. The loss of a bullet is 

 nothing. The noise will probably not start the skulk- 

 ers; and even if it should, what could you wish that 

 would be better? 



And now it is gone. So it was a deer after all. 

 And the fear of losing a bullet has cost you a deer. 



But run quickly to that point that juts out into the 

 basin near its mouth and shoot at the first brown, 

 yellow, wjiite, or gray spot that moves in the brush. 



You get there and look long and keenly, but see 

 nothing. Despair begins to settle upon you, when 

 suddenly you catch sight of a small white spot with a 

 small point of black in the center just disappearing in 

 the bush over the other edge of the basin where you 

 were a fc\v moments ago. It must have slipped up 



