262 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



the deer may run all day, depending upon the veins, 

 bones, etc., that are touched by the ball. A deer with 

 a hind-leg broken can with ease keep clear of a man 

 all day, and with only a fore-leg broken can often run 

 away from a dog, unless the dog be a pretty good one. 

 The worst of all shots and the most common one in all 

 shooting at long standing shots and at game running 

 crosswise is what is called the "paunch-shot." Every 

 shot from the fifth rib to the hip-joint nearly half 

 the body of the animal may be practically regarded 

 as a "paunch-shot." A deer or antelope can run for 

 miles when thus shot, and I have seen a yearling buck 

 shot through the center with an ounce round ball 

 (solid) run away from a common dog, and escape on a 

 fair race of over half a mile. And this, too, on quite 

 open ground where the dog had a full view of the 

 deer and lost no time in hunting the scent. An ante- 

 lope is quite as tough as, if not often tougher than, a 

 deer, and the expedition of either animal in getting 

 away when half shot to pieces is often amazing. 



It is common to hear people talk as if it were only 

 necessary to let a wounded deer alone and it will lie 

 down and either die or get sick. This is true enough 

 if it be badly wounded and time enough be allowed 

 it. But when will it be so sick that it will cease to 

 watch upon its back track and either run away before 

 you get within shot at all or go plunging through 

 brush at your approach and give you a poor running 

 shot ? Of course " it is only a question of time;" but 

 you will find that sweetly delusive formula very poor 

 consolation when night closes in upon you and you 

 wish to go somewhere else in the morning, when fall- 

 ing snow covers the bloody trail, when it leads into 

 heavy windfalls or brush, and on bare ground when 



