THE INDIAN AND I 537 



reaching the top found that the deer had been I followed him for a mile or more when 

 grazing slowly along in a more open and I saw where he had stopped for a few 

 stony country, which to my great advantage minutes to get his wind. He then walked 

 enabled me to see farther ahead than ever. slowly on, as though thinking himself out 

 I walked quietly and slowly to the top of a of all danger. Once more I waded through 

 small, rocky peak, which lay a little to my the deep snow as quickly as possible, hoping 

 left, and as I looked down the other side I to come onto him suddenly, which I did, 

 saw a buck. He was standing under a big although he heard me and must have seen 

 fir tree getting what little sun there was me long before I caught sight of his crouch- 

 to be had. Just as I was about to fire a ing, catlike form lying close along a thickly- 

 bigger one stepped forward in a very un- covered branch nearly forty feet from the 

 easy manner, as though he had been startled ground. He was now just where I wanted 

 by some noise below, and stood in the open him. I could only see a part of his body 

 on a rocky ledge, broadside to me and look- from below, which I fired at. He came drop- 

 ing with his head high in the air down the ping in all shapes through the thick branch- 

 hill. I quickly drew a bead on him close es and hit the ground at the bottom with a 

 behind the shoulder, so as to catch the heart, great thud as though to break every bone 

 and he dropped to the ground like a log. in his body. He was not yet dead, but could 

 I had scarcely loaded up my rifle when two not quite get onto his legs. Not wanting to 

 large bucks came bouncing up the moun- mutilate his fine, shaggy skin with another 

 tain toward me. I fired three shots in sue- bullet, I finished him off with a short, dead 

 cession at the biggest one, who was in the stick, hitting him between the ears, which 

 lead, one of which missed him altogether, soon put an end to my exciting chase. Not 

 while another bullet imbedded itself deeply waiting to take off the skin I threw him 

 in his shoulder, and the third struck him a over my shoulder and started for camp, 

 little above the knee, which at last brought well-pleased with my day's hunt. Having 

 him to a stand. Not knowing from which nearly five miles to walk before dark made 

 direction the firing was coming, and no me not lose any time, as it was getting late, 

 doubt feeling half -dazed from the wounds in I got back in good time, feeling tired and 

 his shoulder and leg, he began limping on hungry. 



three legs along the steep sidehill. He I asked Andrew in his own language how 



again stopped, and as he stood facing me, many deer he had got. He answered : " M 00s 



not over seventy-five yards below, I fired, hyas mowich," meaning four big deer, 



catching him through the neck. I kept on We soon got some supper ready, and after 



through the thick undergrowth of small we talked and smoked and told exciting 



willows, every now and then coming into a yarns of what we had gone through during 



small patch of five or six stately spruce trees the day, in reckoning how long we had 



towering above all the rest. In a few min- spent in the mountains since our start much 



utes more I saw where he had started to run to my surprise I found we had been away 



from the noise of my rifle and at the same seven days, and we were now completely 



time discovered the freshly made tracks out of grub, only having enough flour to 



of a huge lynx. I stood for a moment make one small bannock, 



wondering if there was any use in follow- At noon the next day we started for home, 



ing him, and at last made up my mind each of the horses carrying a heavy pack 



that I would, as a lynx when frightened along the narrow trail down the mountain, 



will in some cases take refuge in some while we walked slowly behind, feeling well 



tall tree where he thinks he cannot be pleased with the result of our hunt for the 



seen. winter's meat. 



