130 BIG GAME OF NOKTH AMERICA. 



business now being over, I found myself in a great game 

 country, with plenty of time to enjoy myself. It is, per- 

 haps, needless to add that I availed myself of the oppor- 

 tunity to my entire satisfaction. 



I spent many a pleasant day Deer and Elk hunting, and 

 I remember one day in particular. It was in the latter part 

 of August. The men had been hinting that a little venison 

 would be acceptable; so, after breakfast, I took down my 

 44-caliber Winchester, and started. out alone. Taking the 

 summit of a ridge, I walked slowly along, more intent on 

 watching the beautiful effects of the rising sim on the 

 mountains than on hunting Deer. Suddenly, a buck 

 jumped up from a ravine about one hundred yards from me, 

 and made a dive for a clump of underbrush. I fired at his 

 vanishing form, but failed to stop him. I mentally kicked 

 myself just as I' pulled the trigger, for I did not want 

 to wound any Deer that I did not get, and I knew that 

 with me it would be but a chance shot that would kill a 

 running Deer at such a distance and under such circum- 

 stances. 



As I sauntered along, I saw several Deer jump from their 

 beds in the canon, and bound off into the brush. Had- 1 

 wanted to kill a lot of Deer, I would have hunted in these 

 places; but I knew that it would be hard to get the veni- 

 son out of such places, and thought I would find plenty of 

 Deer on the ridges, before the day was over. These ridges 

 run one into the other, and by walking along their summits 

 one can travel all over this country with but little incon- 

 venience. 



It was about ten o'clock when, in passing through a 

 clump of brush, I saw, about three hundred yards distant, 

 on the south side of the same ridge, a large buck and a 

 doe. 



Of course, I was hunting against the wind, but, as there 

 was almost no cover between the game and myself, I saw 

 that I would either have to risk a long shot or make a 

 detour and come up on the north side of the ridge. I was 

 not slow in choosing the latter plan, and, retracing my steps, 



