HUNTING IN NEW MEXICO. 



261 



8. Tony joined us Monday night. Tues- 

 day morning the start was made. One 

 horse carried all necessary supplies. The 

 other was available for saddle; Hufford 

 and I riding alternately. Tony carried a 

 Winchester, Hugh was armed with an old 

 model, 45-70, while I pinned my faith to a 

 38-55 take down, fitted with Lyman sights. 

 The fellows were inclined to look askance 

 at my light rifle, but I had the pleasure of 

 showing them a thing or 2 before we left 

 the woods. 



We reached Tony's cabin about noon, 

 and immediately got to work. Parks occur 

 frequently in that section of the Pecos, and 

 there we tried our skill. For 2 weary days 

 we tramped hither and thither, within a 

 radius of 5 or 6 miles, and did not see a 

 hair. Tony said, "still higher." So Friday 

 morning we went together to the snow 

 line, and killed 4 deer that day ; 3 does 

 and a young buck, all blacktails. Tony 

 returned to camp for horses and blankets. 

 We spent the night just below snow line, 

 spreading our blankets on pine boughs, and, 

 in spite of the cold, I never slept better in 

 my life. In the morning Tony started back 

 to camp with the deer and horses, and 

 Hugh and I continued around the moun- 

 tain. We walked about 15 miles that day 

 before noon, but killed nothing and had 

 nothing to eat. I was hungry as a wolf, 

 and actually had to tighten my belt to ease 

 the gnawing pain at my stomach. 



About 5 miles from the cabin we found 

 signs of turkeys and Hugh tried his pipe 

 again with better success. In 5 minutes 

 he got an answer. While he remained 

 quietly calling I crept in the direction of 

 the sound and was rewarded by seeing, 

 after a close study of a clump of bushes, 

 the wattles of a gobbler through the un- 

 derbrush. I waited some time for him to 

 come out, but he would not move ; so I 

 calculated for his breast and shot him low 

 in the neck. Immediately 8 or 10 more 

 got up all around him. Hugh came run- 

 ning and, although we got no more an- 



swers to our calls, we hunted so assiduous- 

 ly as to get 2 more birds. These were the 

 only turkeys we saw during our stay. We 

 reached camp footsore, weary, and hungry, 

 about 6 o'clock. 



There we found Tony awaiting us with 

 a bountiful supper of venison, onions and 

 tortillas. He had spent the day getting 

 our game in shape for packing, as he had 

 to go home the next day. We accordingly 

 started early Sunday morning and proceed- 

 ed leisurely. Hufford and Tony shot some 

 grouse and squirrels on the way down ; 

 but I was content to trudge behind the 

 pack horses, feeling I had earned glory 

 enough for one trip. We reached camp 

 about 3 o'clock and found we had run 

 away from sport almost at our door. The 

 boys had killed 2 whitetail deer less than 

 200 yards from the cabin. Tony had supper 

 with us and as I intended to go back the 

 next morning, he concluded to remain all 

 night with us,. 



I wished to see Santa Fe before returning 

 East, and Hugh proposed we cross the 

 divide to Santa Fe on foot. Accordingly 

 we bade Tony farewell, left the outfit in 

 charge of the boys and started to walk 41 

 miles. From Tony's description, we easily 

 found the bridle path up Viles canyon. An 

 easy walk for 7 miles, when a steady climb 

 for 9 miles took us to the base of Santa 

 Fe Baldy and plenty of snow. We had 

 taken food with us and made an excel- 

 lent meal up on that bleak mountain. At 

 one o'clock we began the descent to Santa 

 Fe, 25 miles away. Night overtook us long 

 before we reached our goal. We arrived 

 at Santa Fe at 8.45, 12J/2 hours after we left 

 camp. Neither of us had walked much 

 during the year and Hugh weighs 225 and 

 I 215 pounds. The wonder is we ever got 

 to Santa Fe at all. 



I saw as much of Santa Fe as I could in 

 one dav, and took the evening train to Cer- 

 rillos. Our outfit arrived the next day in 

 good shape. I bade Hugh, John and Roy 

 good-by and thus ended my trip, 



"Jack, dear," she sighed, "Jack, when you 

 are gone I shall pine away." 



"Don't," he answered, adding, with an 

 uneasy laugh, "don't pine away ; spruce 

 up,"— Princeton Tiger, 



