The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-02

edge of the pool. Following his example,
i soon joined him. and a few steps in the
yielding sands brought us to ridge Of sand
hills, thrown up by the last receding waves
desert. and which now blocked the further
progress Of the water course down which
we had come Along the base of the sand
hills, headed ever toward the sun, now
getting we'll down In the west, our course
led. At last the half breed seemed to know
by some fine form of intuition that we
we're opposite the thing we sought, and,
dropping fiat on his face, he crawled to
the top Of the ridge. motionini. ne to fol-
low. did so, peering through the screen
Of greasewood bushes at the top OF the
sand hills at the little valley spread out
below.
Beginning at the very base OF the sand
hills and evidently an underground outlet
for the small lake we had just left, narrow
thread Of green SHOWED where water was
stunted mosquitoes offered shade, and all in
all the sight WAS one refreshing to the
eye long accustomed to the dead same
ness Of desert landscape. But none of
these things drew my attention as did the
along along the a brook. MY deer!" whisp rel Tie
savage at my elbow Yet he showed no
desire to kill, and am sure my only wish
was for the old camera now boxed up at
camp more than sixty miles away.
lneSe were his deer, anu ytt lHey WcTc
not deer, they were pronghorns. the last
band known to California-yery possibly
the last to be left alive Of oil the few de-
pleted herds that yet remain in the New
| World, for it will, to my thinking, be many
a day before the hunters OF the outside
world draw bead on these treasures OF this
primitive Ishmaelite.. Long we lay there
and watched them play and eat and rest
and then arouse Themselves to Craze again
amid the grasses. Then we tied an old
CROSSWORD stick and with this irnprovised
| flag caught the attention Of the watchful
old leader. who at first sight OF the new
object on his field Of vision. raised his head
with snort we easily heard and dash ed on
down the valley. followed by his whole
as nearly as we could make out ithout
glasses though one OF the supposed does
might have been a yearling buck:
| After 8 while. seeing tnat TIE flag cen
tinueh to wave, tire whole herd came hae X
SLOWLY and with mincing eteps,, yet PLAINLY
overcome by thei'' curiosity. So we drew
! them, patiently and en- esulls, lest we
rnake the least sound, that they came up
to within less than a stones throw Of ou'
| hiding place, and there, when ne took the
! flag down, fell to grazing on tho young
shoots OF the shrubs. Aud SO we left them,
| none the worse for oUr coming; ourselves
one of us, at 10 ISL much the wiser II not
the better for having seen this bit of life
that is fast passing away forever.
That night we calnped on the banks OF
the little lake. killing ono of the many
rabbits of the region for our supper. and
sleeping thu ouPh the white desel night as
| only they can sleeD who live the life of the
wild. Next day the willing ponies turned
their noses toward camp. carrying US in
in somewhat less time than we required to
cover the ground the fret day. But in all
that silent, sixty mile ride homeward, and
in all the days that knew him and hunted
with him afterward, the taciturn half
breed never said aught OF why he held this
little band so sacred, or when and how he
had discovered them.