The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-02-28
1 TENDERFCOT
AFTER DEER.
80
BY I. & VAN DYKE
HVXTHAT do you take me for. any
wv way? Haven't you stuffed me

fvNTHAT do you take me for. any
w way? Haven't you stuffed me
enough already? The idea of deer
living in this kind of a country" said
my friend Boswell one day. when we
were out hunting quail 1t was on
one of the most forbidding parts of
the cobble-stone and cactus mesas
along the lower coast of California.
and when suggested that we should
come out after deer the next day with
rifles l had quite forgotten how abb
surd the same idea had seemed to me
some years before, as il must TO any
one who has ever known much of deer
n the east. induced him. however.
30 try il, and as he had never had any
experience with deer except with the
shotgun before hounds. we had not
been out long before his kicker was
In good working order.
Cant you dig up something deeper
across big ravine. IF there is any
thing / like il is California canyon
on hot day"
Wen have some hills that'll make
up for the difference before we get
through. ! replied.
"You bet. There are some expecta-
fions here that never 60 back on me-
But how the deuce do you expect TO
find any deer here? What is there for
them to live on?
What's the matter with living on
climate. the same as some of the peo-
ple?"
"By Jove. there is some hope that
you'll live 10 tell the truth yet I'm
afraid. though. you slipped that ad-
mission ont accidentally" he growled-
a glimmer of greyish brown
through a bush on hillside made me
whirl my rifle from my shoulder be-
fore il came into full sight outside the
hush and showed il was coyote get
ting under full sail.
Boswell tumblcd TO the ground and
rolled with laughter. The best | could
do was to smile a cheap smile and
keep still.
II was my turn again before we
had gone half mile. AS we rounded
point of rocks at the bottom Of 4
culch. just above some brush about @
yards ahead Jared the big round ears
Of doe. and lower down. still larger
by contrast. were the ears of two
fawns: all looking much like hugs
lobes of the dead prickly pear. witt
little besides the neck and part o.
the back 10 indicate the difference. In
those DAYS we paid no attention x
the sex of deer as we do now IL was
simply question of whether W.
wanted venison or not and when W.
went after any we made practic'
OF wanting some. So said:
There are three deer. Hurry up
TOO, for they see us and won't stans
long
where? Where? Where" he said
looking in the direction in which
was pointing. while his hand tremble'
on the rifle. II don't see any Wher'
are they?"
"Why. right over that brush there
Don't you see their errs""
"What? That, Why. they're gone
he said. as with that mysterious pow
err deer has of folding his tent iik
the Arab and silently stealing away
they dropped their heads and left u
gazing at the brush.
"Why. darn it. ! thought that wa
cactus" he said.
''Of course. You never saw n dee
standing still before except in pic
turc. You were looking for the ai
;i;udc OF the sculptor's warhorse. wit
arched neck. mouth wide open.
couple of dozen tines on his head a
flashing like streaks of lightning. SCI
eral hundred individual hairs all shir
ing and plainly visible at GO yards @
more. dew claws all drawn out J
full with glistening curve. with
binding glitter on perfect hoofs an
line Of dark jet for the split in IN
hoof. Such a deer was never seen e,
ccpt in a smoothly shaver park. br
that is exactly what the tenderfoe
Il always looking for. and consequen
" he can't see anything else"
Your granny's nightcap. It's
the cusscd country. Like evcrythin
else here, mighty fine 10 talk abou
out don't stand inspection Just lii
you. always sneaking out when ] co
ner you on anything in that cusss
book of yours that brought me or
here TO make fool OF myself whs
There was plenty of better shootir
- home. Why don't you have de-