114 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 
but with perseverance and care I managed to carry the 
track almost across to clear ground, where I suddenly lost 
all signs, and was completely brought to a stand-still. I 
was aware that all dodges were practiced, more particular- 
ly when deer feel the effects of increasing weakness and 
incapacity for further exertion; so, hoping that fortune 
would favor me, I determined, like a skillful fox-hunter, to 
make a cast completely round the disturbed ground. After 
the loss of twenty minutes, I fortunately again struck the 
trail, which, to my surprise, led in a reverse direction; 
clearly indicating that the deer had retraced his steps 
probably in the same track, and thus, by this cunning de- 
vice, almost succeeded in eluding his pursuer. The trail of 
the animal now became more irregular, and the tell-tale 
track of the wounded limb greatly assisted me in distin- 
guishing his footsteps from those of his fellows, which on 
every opportunity he selected; but ail having failed to 
throw me off so far, the deer adopted a new ruse, which 
under other circumstances would have been eminently 
agreeable to the sportsman, but in this instance made me 
so savage that I would have indulged in the amiable weak- 
ness of breaking the gun-stock over the nearest tree, if it 
had not been that my friend might not see the joke of his 
rifle being thus treated. 
So intent was I watching the tracks, that I did not ob- 
serve the exhausted deer had halted. Becoming alarmed 
by my near approach, and deeming it advisable to make 
a fresh effort to place distance between us, he again put 
forth renewed energy. The brush, unfortunately, was so 
remarkably dense, that although I got several glimpses of 
his tawny hide, still never for sufficient length of time to 
get afair chance to shoot, and I was unwillingly compelled 
to keep tracking. About fifty yards from where I stood, a 
small river, not over ninety feet across, named the Amba- 
