April 8, 1905.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
276 
light found us spread comfortably around a big camp-fire, 
which sent its genial glow far into the dark recesses 
of the gloomy forest. When a great heap of burning 
faggots had sunk into a bed of smouldering ashes and 
the rising wind murmuring through the pines gave 
warning of an approaching storm, I concluded to crawl 
under the bedding and sleep. The hard frozen ground 
is not as comfortable as a. spring mattress, but I had 
to get used to it, and was sleeping soundly, when I 
was awakened in the morning by, the cheerful voice of 
the guide, who called out, "Breakfast!" as if he were 
summoning all the guests of a boarding house to a 
feast. When I crawled out of my sleeping bag into 
the chilly atmosphere, I found the guide doing the 
chores in his stocking feet. A few dashes of ice-cold 
water from the stream hardby drove away all feeling 
of drowisness and made me conscious of the fact 
that I had an appetite. After breakfast, without wait- 
ing to clean up, for the morning was already advanced, 
we started out in search of game. On coming to the 
edge of the timber, where the country opened up into 
one of the little parks, which we frequently found in 
that locality, I saw the tall form of my guide_ slowly 
stoop behind some bushes, while, at the same time, he 
motioned me to be cautious. I soon saw what had 
arrested his attention. A magnificent blacktail deer, 
with a fine set of antlers, stdod out in full view not 
more than a hundred yards away. There were a half 
a dozen does nearby, but they did not interest me. I 
brought "Old meat in the pot" to my shoulders, for 
that is what my guide had christened my .45-90, and 
after taking deliberate aim, fired. Which was the most 
astonished, the buck, or myself, I coiild not say. He 
stood perfectly motionless, like an image in bronze. 
I had evidently missed him. A second shot fared the 
same; then the whole bunch of deer began to scamper 
off unharmed by any of the shots 1 had fired at the 
buck. I could not account for the bad marksmanship, 
for I knew that I did not have the buck fever. The 
guide said that I had killed one of the deer, which ! 
disputed, until he pointed to a dying animal lying in 
a dense thicket just to the rear of the deer that had 
served as my target. I had not even seen it, until it 
was pointed out to me after I had shot it. _ After mak- 
ing several experiments with the rifle without satis- 
factory results, I found that the sight had been knocked 
out of place. I then handed the rifle over to the guide 
without correcting the error and requested him to let 
me see how a cowboy could shoot. With evident pride 
in his skill, for he was a good shot, he brought the 
gun to his shoulder, but he did as badly as any tender- 
foot could have done. 
In the meantime, the air was full of sounds more 
terrible than the report of the rifle. Any one who 
has heard a cowboy swear when he is really in earnest 
can understand what I mean. 
At last it occurred to him that the sights might be 
out of order, and when he examined them and dis- 
covered the trouble, he looked at me, and seeing my 
complacent smile, the whole truth dawned upon him. 
We both laughed heartily at our mutual discomfiture 
and pledged each other's health from the flask to cele- 
brate the occasion. 
I returned to the camp without a trophy to com- 
memorate my first success in killing deer, although I 
secured an abundant supply of meat. 
The next day we covered considerable ground on 
horseback, without success. I had, however, an in- 
teresting experience in climbing a mountain known as 
Old Sleepy Cap, sometimes called the Razor Back, on 
account of its peculiar formation at the summit. The 
ascent of this mountain was not particularly easy,_ on 
account of its abrupt elevation, although the height 
above the surrounding country was not great. The 
formation at the summit which gave the unpoetical 
name of Razor Back to the mass, consisted of a long 
narrow ridge not more than eighteen inches to two 
feet in width, bristling with sharp projections of rock 
of quite uniform height extending nearly its entire 
length of about ninety yards. At each end it broadens 
out in a space conveniently large for a temporary rest- 
ing place. After satisfying my curiosity, I suggested 
a descent into the valley, where the cool atmosphere 
would afford a welcome relief from the blazing rays 
of the sun. Much to my surprise the guide informed 
me that the ascent was much easier at the point we 
came up than the descent, unless I wished to reach the 
bottom ui a fashion that would imperil my neck. 
After discussing the matter with him a few moments 
and carefully studying the position, I came to the 
conclusion that he was right. We observed that at 
the other end, we could find an easy way to descend. 
That meant a rather long and disagreeable walk on 
the serrated ridge, attended with considerable danger, 
or a still more unpleasant experience if I should at- 
tempt to crawl on hands and knees for greater safety. 
Like a couple of tomcat serenaders promenading on 
the top of a brick wall liberally strewn with broken 
bottles, we crawled to the far end of the ridge where, 
with some difficulty, we descended. We returned to 
camp with no better luck than securing a snowshoe 
rabbit, which I shot through the head. 
For some days I conscientiously hunted but found 
it difficult to come close enough to get a good shot 
at deer. I saw quite a number bounding away far 
out of range, often stopping at a safe distance to see 
what was to happen next. For lack of better sport, 
I occasionally practiced on the "fool grouse"— a bird 
very similar in appearance to our eastern partridge, 
but about the tamest game I have ever shot. I could 
generally have three trials at one before it would move. 
I would pace off the proper space, and then aim at 
the head. The flesh was not particularly delicate, and 
would certainly not please the palate of an epicure. 
One day as I was traveling in a blinding snow flurry 
I came to a precipice thickly fringed with under- 
growth and small trees. Impelled by curiosity, I got 
off my horse and went near the edge to get a view 
of the" country below. The waving tops of the pines 
beneath were barely visible, the force of the wind com- 
ing through the great long valley at my feet, sounded 
like the hollow roar of the ocean. As I stood upon 
the cliff, gratifying my fancy with the weird and 
Strange impressions the surroundings made upon m?, 
the storm began to abate, and through the diminishing 
fall of snow the sun gradually diffused its light, and 
presently the atmosphere cleared up, and the entire 
landscape was revealed to view as though a great white 
sheet concealing nature's panorama had been pulled 
aside. _ On a ledge jutting out from the base of the 
precipice about two hundred feet below, I observed the 
shapely form of a deer with a fawn lying on the rock 
alongside of it. As far as the eye could distinguish, 
a great forest of aspen with white trunks and branches 
sparsely decorated with yellow leaves, filled the valley. 
Dense masses of pines which completely covered the 
steep mountain sides, except where the ragged pro- 
jections broke through, formed a dark setting to the 
brilliant landscape which lay between. My reverie was 
finally broken by a voice nearby: "Well, pardner, it's 
pretty late, and we are a long way from camp." Travel- 
ing in that rough country after dark is not attractive 
to one who is not looking for trouble. So I mounted 
my horse and began to occupy myself with observing 
game signs and incidentally thought of the camp-fire 
and, kettle. 
It is interesting to notice how strangely the element 
of luck will enter into a sportsman's experience. One 
day, _ after _ hunting faithfully from early dawn until 
evening without success, I concluded to vary the mo- 
notony by shooting at a mark. I had not been en- 
gaged in that pastime very long before my attention 
was arrested by hearing something crashing through 
the brush at the foot of the hill where I stood, and 
presently I saw a fine blacktail buck come bounding 
up the slope directly toward me, accompanied by a 
doe. My rifle was just ready to bring up to my 
shoulder, but I remained motionless in plain view, wait- 
ing for the game to come within easy range. A more 
picturesque sight than that blacktail, easily and grace- 
fully clearing the fallen timbers, I have rarely seen. 
My eagerness did not interfere with my sizing up the 
well-proportioned and beautifully poised antlers, which 
I regarded as already mine. On raising my rifle to 
shoot, although the action was quite deliberate, it was 
immediately noticed. The deer changed its course 
when not over forty yards away, exposing its broad 
flank to my aim. It ran some distance after 
I fired, clearing with ease the trunk of a 
large fallen tree, and giving me no little concern for 
a few moments. Following his tracks, I soon came 
to the lifeless remains. It was indeed a fine specimen; 
weighing perhaps two hundred and fifty pounds, in good 
condition and with a perfect set of antlers. 
I had often heard of the remarkably acute senses 
of v.'ild animals; the timidity and keeness of deer are 
proverbial, and yet here was an instance which seemed 
to belie all former stories and past experience. Stand- 
ing in plain view while firing at a mark, the buck ran 
directly toward me. You would naturally suppose 
that the noise of the shooting would have driven the 
animal away from me. My theory about the oc- 
currence is, that when the report of the rifle is first 
heard, the tendency is for a wild animal to become 
alarmed and run in the opposite direction, but presently, 
when it catches the echo, the real direction of the 
sound is misconceived, and it will then run in the 
direction of the firing. Other sportsmen have agreed 
with me in this view, and there is no doubt that deer 
and other wild animals can tell the direction of sound, 
and consequently, when one becomes alarmed by the 
shooting and runs toward the place where the sports- 
man is located, it is not the ear, but the judgment 
that is at fault. A wild animal can have no idea of 
what an echo is, but undoubtedly imagines that it is 
an entirely dift'erent sound, and being last heard de- 
termines its final course. This, however, does not ex- 
plain the action of the deer in running directly to- 
ward me when I was in plain view. All sportsmen soon 
learn to recognize the fact that animals, although keen 
of sight, are not very discriminating. Birds, as well 
as wild animals, will frequently continue their course 
when it lies in the direction of a human being, pro- 
vided there is no perceptible movement to attract their 
attention. Any kind of motion is immediately noticed, 
particularly if it is at all sudden. Stationary objects 
are not apt to attract much attention unless there is 
something very strange in their appearance, especially 
if the coloring does not harmonize with the general 
surroundings and happens to be different from what 
is ordinarily seen. Animals use their faculties in a 
very mechanical way, and this observation is more 
true of sight than of any other sense. I have seen a 
pack of dogs which had followed a bobcat's tracks 
to a tree where they supposed it had taken refuge, bay- 
ing and standing guard, while it was perfectly evident 
to any one who was not blind, that the cat had escaped. 
The sense of smell had directed the dogs to the spot, 
and relying upon the information received in that way, 
they failed to avail themselves of the intelligence they 
might have derived from another source. I have no 
doubt that the sight of dogs is particularly keen, but 
they rely almost entirely upon the sense of smell. 
When the mind is greatly absorbed in one direction it 
is for the time being far less observant or attentive 
in other ways. A human being depends mostly upon 
the sight, and next upon hearing; the sense of smell 
is the least used of any of the senses. Among animals, 
with few exceptions, smell is the principal sense, and 
all the others are little used in comparison, although 
very acute. 
Having secured a good deer trophy, I next turned 
my thoughts to a different kind of hunting and con- 
cluded that antelope would afford a pleasing variety, 
both as a prize and in the method of hunting. 
The next day the outfit was got in readiness, and 
we started for a place called Hayden, located in Cali- 
fornia Park. The sun had melted the snow, and the 
journey was hot and dusty. Traveling over the steep 
mountain trails, the guide gave me the lead, while he 
rode at the rear of the pack horses strung out in single 
file, and made use of all the arts of persuasion to keep 
them going; frequently leaning down to pick up a 
rock or a stick to hurl at some •'"^^nery" beast that 
would turn a deaf ear to the appeai, "wake up and 
pay for your bedding." Speeches in true cowboy style, 
with plenty of rhetorical flourishes, were delivered al- 
most without intermission, when the traveling was par- 
ticularly difficult. After leaving the timber, we had a 
tedious journey through long stretches of sage brush. 
The land where the sage brush abounds seems desolate 
and forsaken, and would impress the casual observer 
as perfectly worthless. While reflecting upon the for- 
bidding aspect of the country, I wondered if this land 
could be rendered productive upon the arrival of that 
era "when the desert would blossom as the rose." I 
discovered an answer to my question ere long, when 
my sight was gladdened by a neat little ranch located 
near a stream with about two acres of ground irrigated 
and under cultivation. If it had been an oasis in a 
desert, the contrast could not have been more strik- 
ing. A great stack of alfafa grass stood near the ranch, 
exposing a cut in its side which revealed the interior 
perfectly green. At first I thought that the grass had 
not been properly cured, but I learned afterward that 
the alfafa contains so much nutriment that it remains 
green a long time after it has been cured and stacked. 
There were quite a number of fruit trees of small size 
so laden with fruit that the branches had to be propped. 
All that is needed to make the soil productive, is to 
clear off the sage brush and irrigate. 
We camped that night by a stream in a clump of 
aspen trees, many of which, although dead, were still 
standing. The aspen when dead becomes exceedingly 
dry and light, and makes a very hot and bright fire, 
but quickly burns out, leaving a small quantity of ashes 
to the amount of wood consumed. After the evening 
meal, we piled , the dead aspen wood upon the fire 
until it formed a heap nearly as high as our heads. 
The flames shot well into the air and lighted up the 
landscape for a considerable distance. Listening to 
the guide spinning his yarns as we lay by the cheerful 
blaze, the time slipped by rapidly. It may not be out 
of place to relate one of the stories my guide told 
me, as a sample of the kind of intellectual treat they 
furnished. He numbered among his acquaintances a 
telegraph operator at a place called Red Wing on the 
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. The operator had 
taught him just a smattering of telegraphy, and the 
sequel will prove the truth of the saying, "that a little 
knowledge is a dangerous thing." The operator was 
on very friendly terms with a young lady in the same 
employment at a station not many miles away, and 
when business was slack they freely corresponded in 
complimentary and sometimes sentimental messages, 
until at length their feelings toward each other had 
deepened into something more than friendship. One 
day the guide dropped into the office, and while he 
was there,, the operator had to leave for a short space 
on other business. During his absence a message came 
over the wire of the usual sentimental kind. The 
"charge d'affaires" did not recognize the sender nor 
understand the .message, but being possessed of ready 
wit and unlimited assurance, he immediately sent back 
a reply characterized by brevity, force and spiciness. 
When the regular operator returned and endeavored to 
resume the tete-a-tete he could get no response, nor 
was further communication continued, except in the 
ordinary course of business. An effort to obtain an 
explanation received no notice, as he was supposed 
to be the guilty party and naturally would understand 
the cause of the trouble' well enough without it. While 
the operator was pouring out the burden of his 
troubled soul to the guide a few days after, a suspicion 
flashed across the mind of the latter that perhaps the 
fragrant message he had sent at random might have 
been the cause of the misunderstanding. He so in- 
formed the operator and matters were finally satis- 
factorily explained and the former friendly relations 
restored. 
When California Park was at length reached, we 
found the country very hilly but open. There were 
quite a number of antelope in that locality, but it was 
almost impossible to get a good shot at one. The 
atmosphere is so deceptive that it is very difficult to 
gauge the distance. I made a good many line shots 
which were quite accurate but were frequently too high 
or too low. It was some time before I could form a 
correct idea of the distance. I believe it is best for 
any one shooting in a strange country where distances 
are deceptive, to ask information of the guide so that 
he may be able to sight his rifle at the right elevations. 
In an open country, where the atmosphere is rarefied 
and objects are seen very distinctly, it is easy to under- 
estimate the range of your mark; while in the timber, 
particularly if it is fairly dense, the tendency is to 
over-estimate and consequently shoot too high. After 
a couple of days, I at last succeeded in bagging an 
antelope and tried to run down on horseback another 
one that I had creased, but it managed to escape. _ It 
would frequently stop and look back while being 
pursued. Once I checked my horse and waited. The 
antelope stood still and watched me at a safe distance. 
I observed that it grew no weaker from the loss of 
blood, and when I resumed the chase I became con- 
vinced that it was probably more than a match in 
speed for my jaded horse. I did not seem to gain on 
it, and the horse was showing great distress under the 
strain. I had not the heart to apply the stimulus to 
make him quicken his pace as the guide did to his 
horse, fairly raking his sides from the shoulders down 
with the great Mexican spurs until they were red with 
blood. ■ . 
My experience in hunting antelope convinces me that 
a sportsman earns about every trophy he gets. No. 
man can be a sluggard and succeed in hunting^ this 
kind of game. With senses as acute as any wild animals 
possess, they live in ah open country where every object 
is visible except for the slight concealment offered by 
the sage brush, or some depression of the ground. 
The antelope have one stupid habit — very remarkable 
on account of its keennes-s in other respects. They 
will almost always follow their leader strung out in 
single file, notwithstanding that in doing so the end 
of the line may come close to a hunter in pursuit who 
is cutting across their course. When the line is 
strung out a considerable length and the mounted 
hunter is not more than a few hundred yards away and, 
is riding at right angles to the course that the antelope 
are pursuing, it can readily be seen that the last of 
the herd will have allowed the pursuer to gain consider- 
^j)le distance, Thpv^ has been a good deal gf di§ct?§- 
