ANOTHER KIND OF OPEN GROUND. 199 



enough where he is to make a good lying-place for as 

 warm a day as to-day will be. 



And now he starts. Slowly indeed, but, do you see? 

 upon a long stride, a sort of a stalk of extreme digni- 

 ty. And now he takes the side of the ravine upon 

 something looking like a trail. 



Now is your time for expedition. Out of here by 

 the back way in a twinkling. Fordo you not see that 

 that ravine runs up to yonder little brushy plateau? 

 He is undoubtedly going there, and will keep the side 

 of the ravine he is on or go up and take the ridge. 

 You must get to the head of the ravine before he does; 

 and keep out of sight while doing it. 



Backing out of your present position, you slip along 

 the rear side of the ridge you are on and run along it 

 to where it joins the main body of the mountain. And 

 there, thanks to the old Spanish cattle, is a good trail 

 winding directly toward the plateau toward which 

 the buck is going. With head low down and body 

 bent so as to keep below the brush, you reach the pla- 

 teau with a short run. Then slowly raising your head 

 you take a look for your game, and in a moment you 

 see it moving deliberately up the side of the ridge 

 some two hundred yards away. 



No, no. Do not shoot. A deer walking at that dis- 

 tance, especially on a course both rising and slanting, 

 is entirely too hard a shot for even an old hand to 

 take unless compelled to. Do not even move until 

 you see whether he crosses the ridge, takes the top of 

 it, or keeps on the side he still is on. In any of these 

 events your prospects of a pretty fair shot are far 

 stronger than the probabilities of hitting the deer 

 where it now is. 



And now see! the deer is going over the ridge. 



