Evening journal., 1900-02-06

est and most widely separated trail,
the hunter will follow IL into the brush.
las goes carelessly at first because tho
a. imal has had an hours start Of him
and he knows that It will not bed with
In half-mile OF its feeding place. AZ
te- putting three-uuarters OF a mile be-
hind him he grows cautious and walks
with head thrown forward. his gun In
the crook OF his left arm and his eyes
pcering steadily. His ears are open for
every ground. The cheep-cheep OF the
blue quail. threading its rapid way
from him. the swift patter OF the feet o.
the chapaiI'al cock. Cr even the vhlr OF
the RATHER will not disturb him. he
knows from the long even stride OF the
deer that it was travelling freely and
had no thought of stopping soon. He
knows also. however, that Il Is often a
trick Of the animal when seeking its bed
to walk or trot a long distance. then
double and lie down at n point about
half way between the end OF its trail
and its feeding ground He is search
ing, too, for sign which will tell him
whether his intended quarry Is a buck
o. doe. He is reasonably certain that
10 is buck and large one from the size
of the footprints and the length OF the
stride, but there is no surety In such
matters. He notes, however, as he
stoops forward, stepping carefully but
swiftly, that the bark on n mesquite Ia
freshly broken at q height Of 1--WE feet
irem the ground. He stops 20 examine
tho scar and then smiles 20 himself
The deer threw It's head up when &c
passed that point, possibly winding
something to It's dislike, and the scarwas
imade by the point Of the antlers. It Is
O. buck, and big one
Another mile Is put behind the trail
er and now he has become n breathing
image of caution. He Is bent forward
urtll his body makes almost semi
lrcle. The rife is held at the trail. it's
butt almost If not quite touching tho
round. Frequently he leans down and
Xamines the hoof-marks He sees, too
Were each foot Is placed. He does not
care to step on twig or dried cactus
leaf He has reached a dark. almost
imrenetrable thicket. In some places
he cacti stand twenty feet high. About
rim are the tall columns Of the Span
.sh dagger. The limbs of the mesquite
sway far down. The sweet, overpOwer-
ing scent of the huisache is on the
heavy air. The buck, he knows, Is ly-
ing down and probably Is asleep. II
would be invisible probably at twenty
yards. 1t Is as apt. however. to be
awake and quietly Eliminating, its
watchfulness no way lessened Sud
denly he stops. examines a track with
added closeness, then turns az right
angles and wriggles into a chaparral
Going straight for fifty yards, he re-
sumes his former course and travels
two hundred yards before hating.
SEcn he turns again and strikes his
former line of travel, but this time sets
his face in the direction whence he has
core. lie has gone around the buck. OF
thinks he has. Il Is most exhausting
work, this crawling through the chap
laral IN q superheated atmosphere. He
wants his nerves steady. lie Is too old
q hand to suffer from bucb-ague, which
is produced by continuous excitement
ard unconsciously holding the breath
too long but he wants to be thorough
by at himself. as he would express it,
! He takes a long drink of water and
lloOsens his light wooden shirt at the col
lar. He lifts his gun slowly and cocks
&C. holding the trigger pressed back 81
that the hammer will make no clicl
. when Il comes up. This gun is a Win
leicester carbine. sighted by himself {,
/, lshoOt to the size OF a half-dollar at fifty
! Yards. He would not have one Of th'
modern small-bore long-range rifles
because Il would be useless in thi.
closely covered country He resume
his stalk putting down one foot care
j July before picking up the other
, stopped with his head within
, ward OF the ground and breathing 81
!, lliEhtly and as evenly as possible. II,
, y not looking for the deers body az al
( nov. because he knows that he canno
, iee IL. He Is looking for the horns. Tn.
! wind Is blowing sharply strai7ht acres
| between him and his quarry The mar
has slipped in this way as slowly as
, snail and as silently as a ghost for nv,
J minutes, when suddenly he stops ant
becomes rigid. Not forty yards away
lrising from a clump Of low cat-clav
and petalla cactus, he sees the sweeI
? OF the antlers. The buck Is lying, o
/, course, with its rump toward him, Il.
! eyes fixed on its own back trail. i
will remain for an hour IL undisturbed
then will go to sleep. The man is sl
! lold q hunter that he is able TO locate
I The exact position of the head below
/ The horns without trouble but he doe
Inct shoot al It. Between him and me
! target are the branches OF cat-ciaw ant
! the leaves of the petalla. Il takes lit
, O. fnrn a bullet. and the chances arr
! thousand to one against him maxim
I centre shot He stands still for
r oment or two, then utters q shr
, hort whistle that rings far througl
f The tangle of growth The buck bound
y Instantly in air and lands facing th
= nan. For one-half second he stand
= l'hus, then gives q mighty leap forwar0
{ .nl falls with a crash q good twent,
4 act from his resting place. He ha
/ 1een shot straight through the throa
4 nom front to rear. just where tn
: mall head joins the brown column O
I neck.
e. The populists ought to look ate
r. TilIman and South norcIf,, A.. L.,