284 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
tail!” He is ecstatic upon “ buffalo hump,” and sups his 
divinest inspiration from a gourd of “‘bar’s grease.” What 
knows he, then, of that “dim religious awe’ within the 
natural temples of the Most High, at which I have hinted! 
Not he! He has become in these temples what the world 
calls a practical priest, and cuts up the “flesh offerings” 
like a saw,as harsh and as steely hard! 
But to return to our story. The day’s hunt had been an 
unusually exciting one. We hunted deer after the following 
fashion. These animals feed principally upon the open 
prairie, but about eleven o *clock, A. M. they may be seen in 
long lines sauntering towards the nearest wood, which usually, 
throughout Texas, grows upon the margin of the small lakes 
or banks of streams. 
They are now going to water, and repose in the-shade 
until three or four o’clock in the afternoon, when they come 
out to feed again. The deer of the prairies is a very swift 
variety, with smaller antlers than the common buck of our 
forests bears. We stationed ourselves some half a mile dis- 
tant in the prairie on fleet horses, some who were most skilled 
with the common “lasso” of the country, and others with our 
holster pistols, as in my own case. A negro “driver,” as he 
is called, was then sent in with dogs on the opposite side of 
the wood to drive the deer out upon the plain; for, contrary 
to the usage of the common deer, this creature of the plains 
makes always for open ground directly when pursued, and we 
awaiting their exit chased them by sight on our horses. We had 
but little time to wait, for within twenty minutes out burst a 
numerousherd. It was a splendid sight as they came plunging 
into the long grass and sunshine, out from the dark shadows 
suddenly, with their white throats, their “antlered pride” 
thrown back, and round ears laid sharp behind to hearken 
the pursuing cry of “bell-mouthed” hound. It is one of the 
most exciting scenes I know in the sports of our country. 
We reined up our horses for the start; bending forward 
