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diff --git a/old/67632-0.txt b/old/67632-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9af6028..0000000 --- a/old/67632-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1892 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Good hunting;, by Theodore Roosevelt - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Good hunting; - in pursuit of big game in the West - -Author: Theodore Roosevelt - -Release Date: March 15, 2022 [eBook #67632] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from - images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GOOD HUNTING; *** - - - - - - Good Hunting - - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: A WOUNDED BULL ELK] - - - - - GOOD HUNTING - In Pursuit of Big Game in the West - - - BY - THEODORE ROOSEVELT - - Illustrated - - “Good hunting all - That keep the Jungle law.” - RUDYARD KIPLING. - -[Illustration] - - New York and London - Harper & Brothers Publishers - 1907 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - Copyright, 1896, 1897, 1907, by HARPER & BROTHERS. - - - _All rights reserved._ - Published February, 1907. - - - - - Publisher’s Note - - -[Illustration] - -This book offers to younger readers a series of pictures of out-door -life and big-game hunting in the West. More than this, the author makes -us feel not only the zest of sport and adventure, but also the interest -attaching to the habits and peculiarities of the remarkable animals -which he describes. It is a field-book, since it is written by a true -sportsman out of his own experiences, and its general spirit tends to a -better appreciation of the value of close observation of animal life. -The elk, bear, goats, deer, and other animals which are described, -represent the most remarkable large fauna of our country. These -descriptions, by one whose acquaintance with them has been so intimate, -have an added value in view of the diminution in their number. - -[Illustration] - -It is interesting, also, to remember that the influence of the author -has been constantly exerted in favor of the preservation of big game and -the maintenance of national parks and forest reserves, which, in -addition to other advantages, include the protection of these noble -forms of animal life. - -This series of articles upon big-game hunting was written for _Harper’s -Round Table_, and published therein in 1897. The picture of ranch life -which forms the closing chapter appeared in _Harper’s Round Table_ in -1896. These articles are now presented together in book form for the -first time after consultation with the author. For the title of the book -and the proof-reading the publishers are responsible. - -[Illustration] - - - - - Contents - - - CHAP. PAGE - I. THE WAPITI, OR ROUND-HORNED ELK 13 - - II. A CATTLE-KILLING BEAR 27 - - III. A CHRISTMAS BUCK 41 - - IV. THE TIMBER-WOLF 53 - - V. SHOOTING THE PRONG-BUCK 67 - - VI. A TAME WHITE GOAT 81 - - VII. RANCHING 95 - -[Illustration] - - - - - Illustrations - - - A WOUNDED BULL ELK _Frontispiece_ - - SIX-POINT ELK-ANTLERS _Facing - p._ 18 - - FOLLOWING AN ELK-TRAIL IN WINTER „ 20 - - GREAT WAS THE BULL’S ASTONISHMENT „ 22 - - THE GRIZZLY AND A VICTIM „ 32 - - “THE SHAGGY BEAST WAS FOUND LYING DEAD WITHIN A DOZEN „ - YARDS OF HIS LAST VICTIM” 36 - - “‘I DROPPED ON ONE KNEE AND FIRED’” „ 46 - - CANADIAN WOLVES AT AN INDIAN GRAVE „ 54 - - DOGS IN PURSUIT OF AN OLD WOLF „ 60 - - STALKING BIG GAME „ 68 - - “‘I LEAPED OFF, AND HELD WELL AHEAD OF THE REARMOST AND „ - LARGEST BUCK’” 74 - - A WOUNDED ANTELOPE „ 76 - - FINALLY THE GOAT GOT USED TO THE MOTION OF THE CANOE „ 90 - - COW-BOY AMUSEMENTS „ 96 - - TAILING A BULL „ 100 - - “THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF EXCITING GALLOPING” „ 102 - - - - - The Wapiti, - or Round-horned Elk - - -[Illustration] - - - - - I - THE WAPITI, OR ROUND-HORNED ELK - - -[Illustration] - -No country of the temperate zone can begin to compare with South Asia, -and, above all, tropical and subtropical Africa, in the number and size -of those great beasts of the chase which are known to hunters as big -game; but after the Indian and African hunting-grounds, the best are -still those of North America. Until a few years before 1897 there were -large regions, even in the United States, where the teeming myriads of -wild game, though of far fewer and less varied species, almost equalled -the multitudes found in South Africa, and much surpassed those found -anywhere else in point of numbers, though inferior in variety to those -of India. - -[Illustration] - -This, however, is now a thing of the past. The bison, which was the most -characteristic animal of the American fauna, has been practically -exterminated. There remained in 1897, however, a fair abundance of all -other kinds of game. Perhaps, on the whole, the one affording most sport -from the stand-point of the hardy and skilful hunter is the big-horn, -though in size and in magnificence of horn it is surpassed by some of -the wild sheep of Asia. - -There is a spice of danger in the pursuit of the grizzly-bear—the -largest of all the land bears—especially in Alaska, where it is even -larger than its Kamtchatkan brother. The moose and the wapiti—ordinarily -called the elk—are closely related to the Old-World representatives of -their kind; but the moose is a little larger and the wapiti very much -larger than any of their European or Asiatic kinsfolk. In particular, -the elk, or wapiti, is the stateliest of all deer, and the most -beautiful of American game beasts. - -[Illustration] - -It is a pity we cannot always call the wapiti by its right name, but the -hunters and settlers never know him as anything but the elk, and I fear -it would be pedantry to try to establish his rightful title. In former -days the elk ranged to tide-water on the Atlantic coast. A few lingered -in Pennsylvania until 1869, and throughout the middle of the century -they were abundant on the great plains. In 1888 I shot one on the Little -Missouri, however. In many parts of the Rocky Mountains and of the Coast -Range the species is still as abundant as ever, and this is especially -true of northwestern Wyoming, since that great animal-preserve the -Yellowstone Park swarms with elk, and is their natural nursery and -breeding-ground. - -[Illustration] - -The elk is the lordliest of his kind throughout the world. The Scotch -stag is a pygmy but a fourth his size. The stags of eastern Europe are -larger than those of Scotland, and in Asia larger still, approaching in -size a small wapiti. They are all substantially alike except in size. - -The wapiti is rather easier to kill than the deer, because his size -makes it easier to see him; and he is slower in his movements, so that -he is easier to hit. When pressed he can gallop very hard for a few -hundred yards, but soon becomes tired. The trot is his natural gait, and -this he can keep up for hours at a time, going at a pace which makes it -necessary for a horse to gallop smartly to overtake him, and clearing -great logs in his stride, while he dodges among the thick timber in a -really marvellous way, when one comes to think of the difficulty he must -have in handling his great antlers. - -[Illustration] - -Late in September the rut begins, and then the elk gather in huge bands, -while the great bulls fight vicious battles for leadership. Hunters call -this the whistling-time, because throughout its continuance the bulls -are very noisy, continually challenging one another. Their note is -really not much like a whistle. It consists of two or three bars, rising -and then falling, ending with a succession of grunts; the tone of voice -varies greatly in different individuals; but when heard at a little -distance in the heart of the great wooded wilderness the sound is very -musical, and to me—and, I suppose, to most hunters—it is one of the most -attractive sounds in all nature. - -[Illustration] - -At this season the big bulls are quite easy to approach by any man at -all skilled in still-hunting, for their incessant challenging betrays -their whereabouts, and they are so angry and excited as to be less -watchful than usual. Some of my most pleasurable memories of hunting are -connected with stalking some great bull elk in frosty weather, when the -woods rang with his challenges. - -One evening in early October I was camped high among the mountains of -western Montana. We were travelling with a pack-train, and had pitched -our small tent among some firs by a brook, while the horses grazed in -the little park or meadow close by. Elk were plentiful round about. We -had seen their trails everywhere, and late in the afternoon we had -caught a glimpse of a band of cows as they disappeared among the pines. - -[Illustration: SIX-POINT ELK-ANTLERS] - -[Illustration] - -Towards morning I was awakened by hearing a bull challenge not very far -from camp. The sound of the challenge kept coming nearer and nearer, and -finally I heard one of the horses snort loudly in response; evidently -the elk saw them, and, not making out exactly what they were, was coming -down to join them. Sometimes horses will stampede when thus approached; -but our ponies were veterans, and were very tired, and evidently had no -intention of leaving their good pasture. - -Sitting up in my blankets, I could tell from the sound that they were -still in the park, and then the challenge of the bull came pealing up -not three hundred yards from the tent. This was more than I could stand, -and I jumped up and put on my shoes and jacket. The moon was bright, but -shooting by moonlight is very deceptive, and I doubt whether I would -have hit him even had I got down to the park in time. However, he had -moved on before I got down, and I heard his challenge in the woods -beyond. - -[Illustration] - -Looking at my watch, I saw that it was nearly dawn. I returned to the -tent and laid down as I was under the blankets, and shivered and dozed -for half an hour, then I came back to the meadow, where the pack-ponies -stood motionless. In the brightening light the moon paled, and I was -very soon able to pick out the bull’s trail on the frost-covered ground, -where it was almost as plain as if he had been walking in snow. I saw -that he had struck up a long valley, from which a pass led into a wooded -basin. At the top of the pass I lost the trail entirely, and as it was -almost impossible to see for any distance through the woods, I came to -the conclusion that the best thing to do was to sit down and await -events. - -[Illustration: FOLLOWING AN ELK-TRAIL IN WINTER] - -[Illustration] - -I did not have long to wait. In a couple of minutes the bugle of a bull -came echoing across the basin through the frosty morning. Evidently my -friend was still travelling, hunting for some possibly weaker rival. -Almost immediately I heard far off another answering the challenge, and -I stood up and meditated what to do. There was very little air, but such -as there was blew to one side of the spot from which the last challenge -seemed to come, and I immediately struck off at a trot through the woods -to get below the wind. - -The answer to the challenge had evidently greatly excited the bull whose -trail I had been following; he called every two or three minutes. The -other answer was somewhat more irregular, and as I drew nearer I could -tell from the volume of sound that the second challenge was from some -big master-bull, who probably had his herd around him, and was roaring -defiance at his would-be despoiler, for the single bull was doubtless on -the lookout for some weaker one whom he could supplant as master of a -herd. - -[Illustration] - -It was likely that the second bull, being a herd-master, would have the -larger antlers, and I therefore preferred to get a shot at him. However, -I was doomed to disappointment. As I groped towards the herd, and was -within a couple of hundred yards, as I knew by the volume of sound, I -almost stumbled upon a small spike-bull, who was evidently loitering -about the outskirts of the herd, not daring to go too near the -bad-tempered old chief. This little bull dashed away, giving the alarm, -and a clash in the bushes soon told that the herd was following him. - -[Illustration: GREAT WAS THE BULL’S ASTONISHMENT] - -But luck favored me. The master-bull, being absorbed in thoughts of his -rival, evidently suspected that the cows had some thought of fleeing -from him, and, as they ran, tried to hold them together. I ran too, -going at full speed, with the hope of cutting him off; in this I failed, -but I came almost face to face with the very bull which I had been -following from camp, and which had evidently followed the herd at full -speed as soon as they ran. - -[Illustration] - -Great was his astonishment when he saw me. He pulled up so suddenly to -wheel round that he almost fell on his side; then off he went in a -plunging gallop of terror; but he was near by, and stepping to one side -I covered an opening between two trees, firing the minute he appeared. A -convulsive leap showed that the bullet had struck, and after him I went -at full speed. In a short time I saw him again, walking along with -drooping head, and again I fired into his flank; he seemed to pay no -attention to the shot, but walked forward a few steps, then halted, -faltered, and fell on his side. In another second I had placed my rifle -against a tree, and was admiring his shapely form and massive antlers. - -[Illustration] - - - - - A Cattle-killing Bear - - -[Illustration] - - - - - II - A CATTLE-KILLING BEAR - - -[Illustration] - -There were, in 1897, a few grizzlies left here and there along the -Little Missouri, usually in large bottoms covered with an almost -impenetrable jungle of timber and thorny brush. In the old days they -used to be very plentiful in this region, and ventured boldly out on the -prairie. The Little Missouri region was a famous hunting-ground for both -the white trappers and the Indian hunters in those old days when the far -West was still a wilderness, and the men who trapped beaver would wander -for years over the plains and mountains and see no white faces save -those of their companions. - -[Illustration] - -Indeed, at that time the Little Missouri was very dangerous country, as -it was the debatable-ground between many powerful Indian tribes, and was -only visited by formidable war-parties and hunting-parties. In -consequence of nobody daring to live there, game swarmed—buffalo, elk, -deer, antelope, mountain-sheep, and bear. The bears were then very bold, -and the hunters had little difficulty in getting up to them, for they -were quite as apt to attack as to run away. - -[Illustration] - -But when, in 1880, the Northern Pacific Railroad reached the -neighborhood of the Little Missouri, all this changed forever. The game -that for untold ages had trodden out their paths over the prairies and -along the river-bottoms vanished, as the Indians that had hunted it also -vanished. The bold white hunters also passed away with the bears they -had chased and the red foes against whom they had warred. In their -places the ranchman came in with great herds of cattle and horses and -flocks of sheep, and built their log cabins and tilled their scanty -garden-patches, and cut down the wild hay for winter fodder. Now bears -are as shy as they are scarce. No grizzly in such a settled region would -dream of attacking a man unprovoked, and they pass their days in the -deepest thickets, so that it is almost impossible to get at them. I -never killed a bear in the neighborhood of my former ranch, though I -have shot quite a number some hundreds of miles to the west in the Rocky -Mountains. - -[Illustration] - -Usually the bears live almost exclusively on roots, berries, insects, -and the like. In fact, there is always something grotesque and -incongruous in comparing the bear’s vast size, and his formidable claws -and teeth, with the uses to which those claws and teeth are normally -put. At the end of the season the claws, which are very long in spring, -sometimes become so much blunted as to be tender, because the bear has -worked on hard ground digging roots and the like. - -Bears often graze on the fresh tender spring grass. Berries form their -especial delight, and they eat them so greedily when in season as to -become inordinately fat. Indeed, a bear in a berry-patch frequently -grows so absorbed in his work as to lose his wariness, and as he makes a -good deal of noise himself in breaking branches and gobbling down the -fruit, he is exposed to much danger from the hunter. - -[Illustration] - -Besides roots and berries, the bear will feed on any small living thing -he encounters. If in plundering a squirrel’s _cache_ he comes upon some -young squirrels, down they go in company with the hoarded nuts. He is -continually knocking to pieces and overturning old dead logs for the -sake of devouring the insects living beneath them. If, when such a log -is overturned, mice, shrews, or chipmunks are found underneath, the bear -promptly scoops them into his mouth while they are still dazed by the -sudden inrush of light. All this seems rather ludicrous as the life work -of an animal of such huge proportions and such vast strength. - -Sometimes, however, a bear will take to killing fresh meat for itself. -Indeed, I think it is only its clumsiness that prevents it from becoming -an habitual flesh-eater. Deer are so agile that bears can rarely get -them; yet on occasions not only deer, but moose, buffalo, and elk fall -victims to them. Wild game, however, are so shy, so agile, and so alert -that it is only rarely they afford meals to old Ephraim—as the mountain -hunters call the grizzly. - -[Illustration] - -Domestic animals are slower, more timid, more clumsy, and with far -duller sense. It is on these that the bear by preference preys when he -needs fresh meat. I have never, myself, known one to kill horses; but I -have been informed that the feat is sometimes performed, usually in -spring; and the ranchman who told me insisted that when a bear made his -rush he went with such astonishing speed that the horse was usually -overtaken before it got well under way. - -[Illustration: THE GRIZZLY AND A VICTIM] - -[Illustration] - -The favorite food of a bear, however, if he really wants fresh meat, is -a hog or sheep—by preference the former. If a bear once gets into the -habit of visiting a sheepfold or pigpen, it requires no slight skill and -watchfulness to keep him out. As for swine, they dread bears more than -anything else. A drove of half-wild swine will make head against a wolf -or panther; but the bear scatters them in a panic. This feat is entirely -justifiable, for a bear has a peculiar knack in knocking down a hog, and -then literally eating him alive, in spite of his fearful squealing. - -Every now and then bears take to killing cattle regularly. Sometimes the -criminal is a female with cubs; sometimes an old male in spring, when he -is lean, and has the flesh hunger upon him. But on one occasion a very -large and cunning bear, some twenty-five miles below my ranch, took to -cattle-killing early in the summer, and continued it through the fall. -He made his home in a very densely wooded bottom; but he wandered far -and wide, and I have myself frequently seen his great, half-human -footprints leading along some narrow divide, or across some great -plateau, where there was no cover whatever, and where he must have gone -at night. During the daytime, when on one of these expeditions, he would -lie up in some timber _coulée_, and return to the river-bottoms after -dark, so that no one ever saw him; but his tracks were seen very -frequently. - -[Illustration] - -He began operations on the bottom where he had his den. He at first took -to lying in wait for the cattle as they came down to drink, when he -would seize some animal, usually a fat young steer or heifer, knocking -it over by sheer force. In his furious rush he sometimes broke the back -with a terrific blow from his fore-paw; at other times he threw the -animal over and bit it to death. The rest of the herd never made any -effort to retaliate, but fled in terror. Very soon the cattle would not -go down on this bottom at all; then he began to wander over the -adjoining bottoms, and finally to make excursions far off in the broken -country. Evidently he would sometimes at night steal along a _coulée_ -until he found cattle lying down on the hill-side, and then approach -cautiously and seize his prey. - -[Illustration] - -Usually the animals he killed were cows or steers; and noticing this, a -certain ranchman in the neighborhood used to boast that a favorite bull -on his ranch, of which he was particularly proud, would surely account -for the bear if the latter dared to attack him. The boast proved vain. -One day a cow-boy riding down a lonely _coulée_ came upon the scene of -what had evidently been a very hard conflict. There were deep marks of -hoofs and claws in the soft soil, bushes were smashed down where the -struggling combatants had pressed against and over them, and a little -farther on lay the remains of the bull. - -[Illustration] - -He must have been seized by surprise; probably the great bear rushed at -him from behind, or at one side, and fastened upon him so that he had no -fair chance to use his horns. Nevertheless, he made a gallant struggle -for his life, staggering to and fro trying to shake off his murderous -antagonist, and endeavoring in vain to strike back over his shoulder; -but all was useless. Even his strength could not avail against the might -of his foe, and the cruel claws and teeth tore out his life. At last the -gallant bull fell and breathed his last, and the bear feasted on the -carcass. - -[Illustration: “THE SHAGGY BEAST WAS FOUND LYING DEAD WITHIN A DOZEN -YARDS OF HIS LAST VICTIM”] - -[Illustration] - -The angry ranchman swore vengeance, and set a trap for the bear, hoping -it would return. The sly old beast, however, doubtless was aware that -the body had been visited, for he never came back, but returned to the -river-bottom, and again from time to time was heard of as slaying some -animal. However, at last his fate overtook him. Early one morning a cow -was discovered just killed and not yet eaten, the bear having probably -been scared off. Immediately the ranchman put poison in the bait which -the bear had thus himself left, and twenty-four hours later the shaggy -beast was found lying dead within a dozen yards of his last victim. - - - - - A Christmas Buck - - -[Illustration] - - - - - III - A CHRISTMAS BUCK - - -[Illustration] - -Throughout most of the ranch country there are two kinds of deer, the -black-tail and the white-tail. The white-tail is the same as the deer of -the East; it is a beautiful creature, a marvel of lightness and grace in -all its movements, and it loves to dwell in thick timber, so that in the -plains country it is almost confined to the heavily wooded river -bottoms. The black-tail is somewhat larger, with a different and very -peculiar gait, consisting of a succession of stiff-legged bounds, all -four feet striking the earth at the same time. Its habits are likewise -very different, as it is a bolder animal and much fonder of the open -country. Among the Rockies it is found in the deep forests, but it -prefers scantily wooded regions, and in the plains country it dwells by -choice in the rough hills, spending the day in the patches of ash or -cedar among the ravines. In 1882 the black-tail was very much more -abundant than the white-tail almost everywhere in the West, but owing to -the nature of its haunts it is more easily killed out, and in 1897, -through both species has decreased in numbers, the white-tail was on the -whole the more common. - -[Illustration] - -My ranch-house was situated on a heavily wooded bottom, one of the -places where the white-tail were found. On one occasion I killed one -from the ranch veranda, and two or three times I shot them within half a -mile of the house. Nevertheless, they are so cunning and stealthy in -their ways, and the cover is so dense, that usually, although one may -know of their existence right in one’s neighborhood, there is more -chance of getting game by going off eight or ten miles into the broken -country of the black-tail. - -[Illustration] - -One Christmas I was to be at the ranch, and I made up my mind that I -would try to get a good buck for our Christmas dinner; for I had not had -much time to hunt that fall, and Christmas was almost upon us before we -started to lay in our stock of winter meat. So I arranged with one of -the cow-boys to make an all-day’s hunt through some rugged hills on the -other side of the river, where we knew there were black-tail. - -We were up soon after three o’clock, when it was yet as dark as at -midnight. - -We had a long day’s work before us, and so we ate a substantial -breakfast, then put on our fur caps, coats, and mittens, and walked out -into the cold night. The air was still, but it was biting weather, and -we pulled our caps down over our ears as we walked towards the rough, -low stable where the two hunting-ponies had been put overnight. In a few -minutes we were jogging along on our journey. - -[Illustration] - -There was a powder of snow over the ground, and this and the brilliant -starlight enabled us to see our way without difficulty. The river was -frozen hard, and the hoofs of the horses rang on the ice as they -crossed. For a while we followed the wagon road, and then struck off -into a cattle trail which led up into a long _coulée_. After a while -this faded out, and we began to work our way along the divide, not -without caution, for in broken countries it is hard to take a horse -during darkness. Indeed, we found we had left a little too early, for -there was hardly a glimmer of dawn when we reached our proposed -hunting-grounds. We left the horses in a sheltered nook where there was -abundance of grass, and strode off on foot, numb after the ride. - -[Illustration] - -The dawn brightened rapidly, and there was almost light enough for -shooting when we reached a spur overlooking a large basin around whose -edges there were several wooded _coulées_. Here we sat down to wait and -watch. We did not have to wait long, for just as the sun was coming up -on our right hand we caught a glimpse of something moving at the mouth -of one of the little ravines some hundreds of yards distant. Another -glance showed us that it was a deer feeding, while another behind it was -walking leisurely in our direction. - -[Illustration] - -There was no time to be lost, and, sliding back over the crest, we -trotted off around a spur until we were in line with the quarry, and -then walked rapidly towards them. Our only fear was lest they should -move into some position where they would see us; and this fear was -justified. While still one hundred yards from the mouth of the _coulée_ -in which we had seen the feeding deer, the second one, which all the -time had been walking slowly in our direction, came out on a ridge crest -to one side of our course. It saw us at once and halted short; it was -only a spike buck, but there was no time to lose, for we needed meat, -and in another moment it would have gone off, giving the alarm to its -companion. So I dropped on one knee, and fired just as it turned. - -[Illustration: “‘I DROPPED ON ONE KNEE AND FIRED’”] - -From the jump it gave I was sure it was hit, but it disappeared over the -hill, and at the same time the big buck, its companion, dashed out of -the _coulée_ in front, across the basin. It was broadside to me, and not -more than one hundred yards distant; but a running deer is difficult to -hit, and though I took two shots, both missed, and it disappeared behind -another spur. - -[Illustration] - -This looked pretty bad, and I felt rather blue as I climbed up to look -at the trail of the spike. I was cheered to find blood, and as there was -a good deal of snow here and there it was easy to follow it; nor was it -long before we saw the buck moving forward slowly, evidently very sick. -We did not disturb him, but watched him until he turned down into a -short ravine a quarter of a mile off; he did not come out, and we sat -down and waited nearly an hour to give him time to get stiff. When we -reached the valley, one went down each side so as to be sure to get him -when he jumped up. Our caution was needless, however, for we failed to -start him; and on hunting through some of the patches of brush we found -him stretched out already dead. - -[Illustration] - -This was satisfactory; but still it was not the big buck, and we started -out again after dressing and hanging up the deer. For many hours we saw -nothing, and we had swung around within a couple of miles of the horses -before we sat down behind a screen of stunted cedars for a last look. -After attentively scanning every patch of brush in sight, we were about -to go on when the attention of both of us was caught at the same moment -by seeing a big buck deliberately get up, turn round, and then lie down -again in a grove of small, leafless trees lying opposite to us on a -hill-side with a southern exposure. He had evidently very nearly -finished his day’s rest, but was not quite ready to go out to feed; and -his restlessness cost him his life. - -[Illustration] - -As we now knew where he was, the work was easy. We marked a place on the -hill-top a little above and to one side of him; and while the cow-boy -remained to watch him, I drew back and walked leisurely round to where I -could get a shot. When nearly up to the crest I crawled into view of the -patch of brush, rested my elbows on the ground, and gently tapped two -stones together. The buck rose nimbly to his feet, and at seventy yards -afforded me a standing shot, which I could not fail to turn to good -account. - -[Illustration] - -A winter day is short, and twilight had come before we had packed both -bucks on the horses; but with our game behind our saddles we did not -feel either fatigue, or hunger or cold, while the horses trotted -steadily homeward. The moon was a few days old, and it gave us light -until we reached the top of the bluffs by the river and saw across the -frozen stream the gleam from the fire-lit windows of the ranch-house. - - - - - The Timber-wolf - - -[Illustration] - - - - - IV - THE TIMBER-WOLF - - -[Illustration] - -There are two kinds of wolves found in the United States. One is the -little coyote or prairie-wolf, or barking-wolf, which never was found in -the Eastern States, being an animal of the open country; the other is -the big wolf, and sometimes the timber-wolf or gray wolf, which was -formerly found everywhere from the Atlantic to the Pacific. In some -districts it runs to color varieties of different kinds—red, black, or -white. - -[Illustration] - -The coyote is not at all a formidable beast, and holds its own quite -persistently until civilization is well advanced in a country. Coyotes -are not dangerous to either man or the larger domestic animals. Lambs, -young pigs, hens, and cats often become their prey, and if very hungry -several of them will combine to attack a young calf. In consequence, -farmers and ranchers kill them whenever the chance offers; but they do -not do damage which is even appreciable when compared with the ravages -of their grim big brother, the gray wolf, which in many sections of the -West is a veritable scourge of the stockmen. - -The big wolves shrink back before the growth of the thickly settled -districts, and in the Eastern States they often tend to disappear even -from districts that are uninhabited, save by a few wilderness hunters. -They have thus disappeared almost entirely from Maine, the Adirondacks, -and the Alleghanies, although here and there they are said to be -returning to their old haunts. - -[Illustration: CANADIAN WOLVES AT AN INDIAN GRAVE] - -[Illustration] - -Their disappearance is rather mysterious in some instances, for they are -certainly not all killed off. The black bear is much more easily killed, -yet the black bear holds its own in many parts of the land from which -the wolf has vanished. No animal is quite so difficult to kill as is the -wolf, whether by poison or rifle or hound. Yet, after a comparatively -few have been slain, the entire species will perhaps vanish from certain -localities. - -But with all wild animals it is a noticeable fact that a course of -conduct with man continuing over many generations of animal life causes -a species so to adapt itself to its new surroundings that it ceases to -diminish in numbers. When white men take up a new country, the game, and -especially the big game, being entirely unused to contend with the new -foe, succumbs easily, and it is almost completely killed out. If any -individuals survive at all, however, the succeeding generations are far -more difficult to exterminate than were their ancestors, and they cling -much more tenaciously to their old homes. - -[Illustration] - -The game to be found in old and long-settled countries is much more wary -and able to take care of itself than the game of an untrodden -wilderness. It is a very difficult matter to kill a Swiss chamois; but -it is a very easy matter to kill a white goat after a hunter has once -penetrated among the almost unknown peaks of the mountains of British -Columbia. When the ranchmen first drove their cattle to the Little -Missouri they found the deer tame and easy to kill, but the deer of -Maine and the Adirondacks test to the full the highest skill of the -hunter. - -[Illustration] - -In consequence, after a time, game may even increase in certain -districts where settlements are thin. This has been true of the wolves -throughout the northern cattle country in Montana, Wyoming, and the -western ends of the Dakotas. In the old days wolves were very plentiful -throughout this region, closely following the huge herds of buffaloes. -The white men who followed these herds as professional buffalo-hunters -were often accompanied by other men, known as “wolfers,” who poisoned -these wolves for the sake of their furs. With the disappearance of the -buffalo the wolves seemed so to diminish in numbers that they also -seemed to disappear. During the last ten years their numbers have -steadily increased, and now they seem to be as numerous as they ever -were in the region in question, and they are infinitely more wary and -more difficult to kill. - -[Illustration] - -Along the Little Missouri their ravages were so serious from 1893 to -1897 as to cause heavy damage to the stockmen. Not only colts and -calves, but young trail stock, and in midwinter even full-grown horses -and steers, are continually slain; and in some seasons their losses have -been so serious as to more than eat up all the profits of the ranchman. -The county authorities put a bounty on wolf scalps of three dollars -each, and in my own neighborhood the ranchmen of their own accord put on -a further bounty of five dollars. This made eight dollars for every -wolf, and as the skin is also worth something, the business of killing -wolves was quite profitable. - -Wolves are very shy, and show extraordinary cunning both in hiding -themselves and in slinking out of the way of the hunter. They are rarely -killed with the rifle. I have never shot but one myself. They are -occasionally trapped, but after a very few have been procured in this -way the survivors become so wary that it is almost impossible even for a -master of the art to do much with them, while an ordinary man can never -get one into a trap except by accident. - -[Illustration] - -More can be done with poison, but even in this case the animal speedily -learns caution by experience. When poison is first used in a district -wolves are very easily killed, and perhaps almost all of them will be -slain, but nowadays it is difficult to catch any but young ones in this -way. Occasionally an old one will succumb, but there are always some who -cannot be persuaded to touch a bait. The old she-wolves teach their -cubs, as soon as they are able to walk, to avoid man’s trace in every -way, and to look out for traps and poison. - -In consequence, though most cow-punchers carry poison with them, and are -continually laying out baits, and though some men devote most of their -time to poisoning for the sake of the bounty and the fur, the results -are not very remunerative. - -[Illustration] - -The most successful wolf-hunter on the Little Missouri in 1896 was a man -who did not rely on poison at all, but on dogs. He was a hunter named -Massingale, and he always had a pack of at least twenty hounds. The -number varied, for a wolf at bay is a terrible fighter, with jaws like -those of a steel trap and teeth that cut like knives, so that the dogs -were continually disabled and sometimes killed, and the hunter had -always to be on the watch to add animals to his pack. - -It was not a pack that would appeal, as far as looks go, to an old -huntsman, but it was thoroughly fitted for its own work. Most of the -dogs were greyhounds, either rough or smooth haired, but many of them -were big mongrels, and part some other breed, such as bull-dog, mastiff, -Newfoundland, blood-hound, or collie. - -[Illustration: DOGS IN PURSUIT OF AN OLD WOLF] - -[Illustration] - -The only two necessary requisites were that the dogs should run fast and -fight gamely; and in consequence they formed as wicked, hard-biting a -crew as ever ran down and throttled a wolf. They were usually taken out -ten at a time, and by their aid Massingale killed two hundred wolves in -the course of the year. - -Of course there were no pretence of giving the game fair play. The -wolves were killed as vermin, not for sport. The greatest havoc was in -the spring-time, when the she-wolves were followed to their dens, which -were sometimes holes in the earth and sometimes natural caves. There -were from three to nine whelps in each litter. Some of the hounds were -very fast, and they could usually overtake a young or weak wolf; but an -old wolf-dog, with a good start, unless run into at once, would surely -get away if he were in a running trim. Frequently, however, he was -caught when he was not in running trim, for the hunter was apt to find -him when he had killed a calf or taken part in dragging down a horse or -steer. Under these circumstances he could not run long before the pack. - -[Illustration] - -If possible, as with all such packs, the hunter himself would get up in -time to end the worry by a stab of his hunting-knife; but unless he was -quick he would have nothing to do, for the pack was thoroughly competent -to do its own killing. Grim fighter though a great wolf-dog is, he -stands no show before the onslaught, who rush on their antagonist in a -body. They possessed great power in their jaws, and unless Massingale -was up within two or three minutes after the wolf was taken, the dogs -literally tore him to pieces, though one or more of their number might -be killed or crippled in the fight. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -Other hunters were striving to get together packs thoroughly organized, -and the wolves may be thinned out; they were certainly altogether too -plentiful. During the fall of 1896 I saw a number myself, although I was -not looking for them. I frequently came upon the remains of sheep and -young stock which they had killed, and once, on the top of a small -plateau, I found the body of a large steer, while the torn and trodden -ground showed that he had fought hard for his life before succumbing. -There were apparently two wolves engaged in the work, and the cunning -beasts had evidently acted in concert. While one attracted the steer’s -attention, the other, according to the invariable wolf habit, attacked -him from behind, hamstringing him and tearing out his flanks. His body -was still warm when I came up, but his murderers had slunk off, either -seeing or smelling me. Their handiwork was unmistakable, however, for, -unlike bears and cougars, wolves invariably attack their victim at the -hind-quarters, and begin their feast on the hams or flanks if the animal -is of any size. - - - - - Shooting the Prong-buck - - -[Illustration] - - - - - V - SHOOTING THE PRONG-BUCK - - -[Illustration] - -For a few years before 1897, when I visited my cattle range I spent most -of my time out on the great plains, where almost the only game that can -be found is the prong-horned antelope; and as on such trips the party -depends for fresh meat upon the rifle, I have on each occasion done a -certain amount of antelope-shooting. - -In the old days, when antelope were far more plentiful than they are -now, they could often be procured by luring them with a red flag—for -they are very inquisitive beasts—but now they have grown wary, and must -usually be either stalked, which is very difficult, owing to their -extreme keenness of vision and the absence of cover on the prairies, or -else must be ridden into. - -[Illustration] - -With first-class greyhounds and good horses they can often be run down -in fair chase; but ordinarily the rider can hope for nothing more than -to get within fair shooting-range, and this only by taking advantage of -their peculiarity of running straight ahead in the direction in which -they are pointed when once they have settled to their pace. Usually -antelope, as soon as they see a hunter, run straight away from him; but -sometimes they make their flight at an angle, and as they do not like to -change their course when once started, it is occasionally possible to -cut them off from the point towards which they are headed, and get a -reasonably close shot. - -[Illustration: STALKING BIG GAME] - -[Illustration] - -In the fall of 1896 I spent a fortnight on the range with the ranch -wagon. I was using for the first time one of the then new small-caliber, -smokeless-powder rifles, a 30–30–160 Winchester. I had a half-jacketed -bullet, the butt being cased in hard-metal, while the nose was of pure -lead. - -While travelling to and fro across the range we usually broke camp each -day, not putting up the tent at all during the trip; but at one spot we -spent three nights. It was in a creek bottom, bounded on either side by -rows of grassy hills, beyond which stretched the rolling prairie. The -creek bed, which at this season was of course dry in most places, wound -in S-shaped curves, with here and there a pool and here and there a -fringe of stunted, wind-beaten timber. We were camped near a little -grove of ash, box-alder, and willow, which gave us shade at noonday; and -there were two or three pools of good water in the creek bed—one so deep -that I made it my swimming-bath. - -[Illustration] - -The first day that I was able to make a hunt I rode out with my foreman, -Sylvane Ferris. I was mounted on Muley. Twelve years before, when Muley -was my favorite cutting-pony on the round-up, he never seemed to tire or -to lose his dash, but Muley was now sixteen years old, and on ordinary -occasions he liked to go as soberly as possible; yet the good old pony -still had the fire latent in his blood, and at the sight of game—or, -indeed, of cattle or horses—he seemed to regain for the time being all -the headlong courage of his vigorous and supple youth. - -On the morning in question it was two or three hours before Sylvane and -I saw any game. Our two ponies went steadily forward at a single foot or -shack, as the cow-punchers term what Easterners call “a fox trot.” Most -of the time we were passing over immense grassy flats, where the mats of -short curled blades lay brown and parched under the bright sunlight. -Occasionally we came to ranges of low, barren hills, which sent off -gently rounding spurs into the plain. - -[Illustration] - -It was on one of these ranges that we first saw our game. As we were -travelling along the divide we spied eight antelope far ahead of us. -They saw us as soon as we saw them, and the chance of getting to them -seemed small; but it was worth an effort, for by humoring them when they -start to run, and galloping towards them at an oblique angle to their -line of flight, there is always some little chance of getting a shot. -Sylvane was on a light buckskin horse, and I left him on the ridge crest -to occupy their time while I cantered off to one side. - -[Illustration] - -The prong-horns became uneasy as I galloped off, and ran off the ridge -crest in a line nearly parallel to mine. They did not go very fast, and -I held Muley in, who was all on fire at the sight of the game. After -crossing two or three spurs, the antelope going at half speed, they -found I had come closer to them, and, turning, they ran up one of the -valleys between two spurs. - -Now was my chance, and, wheeling at right angles to my former course, I -galloped Muley as hard as I knew how up the valley nearest and parallel -to where the antelope had gone. The good old fellow ran like a -quarter-horse, and when we were almost at the main ridge crest I leaped -off, and ran ahead with my rifle at the ready, crouching down as I came -to the sky-line. Usually on such occasions I find that the antelope have -gone on, and merely catch a glimpse of them half a mile distant, but on -this occasion everything went right. The band had just reached the ridge -crest about two hundred and twenty yards from me across the head of the -valley, and I halted for a moment to look around. They were starting as -I raised my rifle, but the trajectory is very flat with these small-bore -smokeless-powder weapons, and taking a coarse front sight I fired at a -young buck which stood broadside to me. There was no smoke, and as the -band raced away I saw him sink backward, the ball having broken his hip. - -[Illustration] - -We packed him bodily behind Sylvane on the buckskin and continued our -ride, as there was no fresh meat in camp, and we wished to bring in a -couple of bucks if possible. For two or three hours we saw nothing. The -unshod feet of the horses made hardly any noise on the stretches of -sun-cured grass, but now and then we passed through patches of thin -weeds, their dry stalks rattling curiously, making a sound like that of -a rattlesnake. At last, coming over a gentle rise of ground, we spied -two more antelopes, half a mile ahead of us and to our right. - -[Illustration] - -Again there seemed small chance of bagging our quarry, but again fortune -favored us. I at once cantered Muley ahead, not towards them, so as to -pass them well on one side. After some hesitation they started, not -straightaway, but at an angle to my own course. For some moments I kept -at a hand-gallop, until they got thoroughly settled in their line of -flight; then I touched Muley, and he went as hard as he knew how. - -[Illustration: “‘I LEAPED OFF, AND HELD WELL AHEAD OF THE REARMOST AND -LARGEST BUCK’”] - -[Illustration] - -Immediately the two panic-stricken and foolish beasts seemed to feel -that I was cutting off their line of retreat, and raced forward at mad -speed. They went much faster than I did, but I had the shorter course, -and when they crossed me they were not fifty yards ahead—by which time I -had come nearly a mile. Muley stopped short, like the trained cow-pony -he was; I leaped off, and held well ahead of the rearmost and largest -buck. At the crack of the little rifle down he went with his neck -broken. In a minute or two he was packed behind me on Muley, and we bent -our steps towards camp. - -During the remainder of my trip we were never out of fresh meat, for I -shot three other bucks—one after a smart chase on horseback, and the -other two after careful stalks. - -The game being both scarce and shy, I had to exercise much care, and -after sighting a band I would sometimes have to wait and crawl round for -two or three hours before they would get into a position where I had any -chance of approaching. Even then they were more apt to see me and go off -than I was to get near them. - -[Illustration] - -Antelope are the only game that can be hunted as well at noonday as in -the morning or evening, for their times for sleeping and feeding are -irregular. They never seek shelter from the sun, and when they lie down -for a noonday nap they are apt to choose a hollow, so as to be out of -the wind; in consequence, if the band is seen at all at this time, it is -easier to approach them than when they are up and feeding. - -They sometimes come down to water in the middle of the day, sometimes in -the morning or evening. On this trip I came across bands feeding and -resting at almost every time of the day. They seemed usually to feed for -a couple of hours, then rest for a couple of hours, then begin feeding -again. - -[Illustration: A WOUNDED ANTELOPE] - -[Illustration] - -The last shot I got was when I was out with Joe Ferris, in whose company -I had killed my first buffalo, just thirteen years before, and not very -far from the spot I then was at. We had seen two or three bands that -morning, and in each case, after a couple of hours of useless effort, I -failed to get near enough. At last, towards mid-day, we got within range -of a small band lying down in a little cup-shaped hollow in the middle -of a great flat. I did not have a close shot, for they were running -about one hundred and eighty yards off. The buck was rear-most, and at -him I aimed; the bullet struck him in the flank, coming out of the -opposite shoulder, and he fell in his next bound. As we stood over him, -Joe shook his head, and said, “I guess that little 30–30 is the ace”; -and I told him I guessed so too. - - - - - A Tame White Goat - - -[Illustration] - - - - - VI - A TAME WHITE GOAT - - -[Illustration] - -One of the queerest wild beasts in North America is the so-called white -goat. It is found all along the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains -from Alaska into Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Really it is not a goat -at all, but a kind of mountain-antelope, whose nearest kinsfolk are -certain Asiatic antelopes found in the Himalayas. It is a squat, -powerfully built, and rather clumsy-looking animal, about as heavy as a -good-sized deer, but not as tall. It is pure white in color, except that -its hoofs, horns, and muzzle are jet black. In winter its fleece is very -long, and at that time it wears a long beard, which makes it look still -more like a goat. It has a very distinct hump on the shoulders, and the -head is usually carried low. - -[Illustration] - -White goats are quite as queer in their habits as in their looks. They -delight in cold, and, except in the northernmost portion of their range, -they keep to the very tops of the mountains; and at mid-day, if the sun -is at all powerful, retire to caves to rest themselves. They have the -very curious habit of sitting up on their haunches, in the attitude of a -dog begging, when looking about for any foe whose presence they suspect. -They are wonderful climbers, although they have no liveliness or agility -of movement; their surefootedness and remarkable strength enable them to -go up or down seemingly impossible places. Their great round hoofs, with -sharp-cut edges, can grip the slightest projection in the rocks, and no -precipice or ice-wall has any terror for them. At times they come quite -low towards the foot-hills, usually to visit some mineral lick, but -generally they are found only in the very high broken ground, among -stupendous crags and precipices. They are self-confident, rather stupid -beasts, and as they are accustomed to look for danger only from below, -it is an easy matter to approach them if once the hunter is able to get -above them; but they live in such inaccessible places that their pursuit -entails great labor and hardship. - -[Illustration] - -Their sharp black horns are eight or ten inches long, with points like -needles, and their necks are thick and muscular, so that they are -dangerous enemies for any foe to handle at close quarters; and they know -their capacities very well, and are confident in their prowess, often -preferring to stand and fight a dog or wolf rather than to try to run. -Nevertheless, though they are such wicked and resolute fighters, they -have not a few enemies. The young kids are frequently carried off by -eagles, and mountain-lions, wolves, and occasionally even wolverenes -prey on the grown animals whenever they venture down out of their -inaccessible resting-places to prowl along the upper edges of the timber -or on the open terraces of grass and shrubby mountain plants. If a goat -is on its guard, and can get its back to a rock, both wolf and panther -will fight shy of facing the thrust of the dagger-like horns; but the -beasts of prey are so much more agile and stealthy that if they can get -a goat in the open or take it by surprise, they can readily pull it -down. - -[Illustration] - -I have several times shot white goats for the sake of the trophies -afforded by the horns and skins, but I have never gone after them much, -as the work is very severe, and the flesh usually affords poor eating, -being musky, as there is a big musk-pod situated between the ear and the -horn. Only a few of the old-time hunters knew anything about white -goats; and even nowadays there are not very many men who go into their -haunts as a steady thing; but the settlers who live high up in the -mountains do come across them now and then, and they occasionally have -odd stories to relate about them. - -[Illustration] - -One was told to me by an old fellow who had a cabin on one of the -tributaries that ran into Flathead Lake. He had been off prospecting for -gold in the mountains early one spring. The life of a prospector is very -hard. He goes alone, and in these northern mountains he cannot take with -him the donkey which towards the south is his almost invariable -companion and beast of burden; the tangled forests of the northern -ranges make it necessary for him to trust only to his own power as a -pack-bearer, and he carries merely what he takes on his own shoulders. - -[Illustration] - -The old fellow in question had been out for a month before the snow was -all gone, and his dog, a large and rather vicious hound, to which he was -greatly attached, accompanied him. When his food gave out he was working -his way back towards Flathead Lake, and struck a stream, on which he -found an old dugout canoe, deserted the previous fall by some other -prospector or prospectors. Into this he got, with his traps and his dog, -and started down-stream. - -[Illustration] - -On the morning of the second day, while rounding a point of land, he -suddenly came upon two white goats, a female and a little kid, evidently -but a few weeks old, standing right by the stream. As soon as they saw -him they turned and galloped clumsily off towards the foot of the -precipice. As he was in need of meat, he shoved ashore and ran after the -fleeing animals with his rifle, while the dog galloped in front. Just -before reaching the precipice the dog overtook the goats. When he was -almost up, however, the mother goat turned suddenly around, while the -kid stopped short behind her, and she threatened the dog with lowered -head. After a second’s hesitation the dog once more resumed his gallop, -and flung himself full on the quarry. It was a fatal move. As he gave -his last leap, the goat, bending her head down sideways, struck -viciously, so that one horn slipped right up to the root into the dog’s -chest. The blow was mortal, and the dog barely had time to give one yelp -before his life passed. - -[Illustration] - -It was, however, several seconds before the goat could disengage its -head from its adversary, and by that time the enraged hunter was close -at hand, and with a single bullet avenged the loss of his dog. When the -goat fell, however, he began to feel a little ashamed, thinking of the -gallant fight she had made for herself and kid, and he did not wish to -harm the latter. So he walked forward, trying to scare it away; but the -little thing stood obstinately near its dead mother, and butted angrily -at him as he came up. It was far too young to hurt him in any way, and -he was bound not to hurt it, so he sat down beside it and smoked a pipe. - -[Illustration] - -When he got up it seemed to have become used to his presence, and no -longer showed any hostility. For some seconds he debated what to do, -fearing lest it might die if left alone; then he came to the conclusion -that it was probably old enough to do without its mother’s milk, and -would have at least a chance for its life if left to itself. -Accordingly, he walked towards the boat; but he soon found it was -following him. He tried to frighten it back, but it belonged to much too -stout-hearted a race to yield to pretence, and on it came after him. -When he reached the boat, after some hesitation he put the little thing -in and started down-stream. At first the motion of the boat startled it, -and it jumped right out into the water. When he got it back, it again -jumped out, on to a bowlder. On being replaced the second time, it made -no further effort to escape; but it puzzled him now and then by suddenly -standing up with its fore-feet on the very rim of the ticklish dugout, -so that he had to be very careful how he balanced. Finally, however, it -got used to the motion of the canoe, and it was then a very contented -and amusing passenger. - -[Illustration] - -The last part of the journey, after its owner abandoned the canoe, was -performed with the kid slung on his back. Of course it again at first -objected strenuously to this new mode of progress, but in time it became -quite reconciled, and accepted the situation philosophically. When the -prospector reached his cabin his difficulties were at an end. The little -goat had fallen off very much in flesh; for though it would browse of -its own accord around the camp at night, it was evidently too young to -take to the change kindly. - -[Illustration: FINALLY THE GOAT GOT USED TO THE MOTION OF THE CANOE] - -[Illustration] - -Before reaching the cabin, however, it began to pick up again, and it -soon became thoroughly at home amid its new surroundings. It was very -familiar, not only with the prospector, but with strangers, and -evidently regarded the cabin as a kind of safety spot. Though it would -stray off into the surrounding woods, it never ventured farther than two -or three hundred yards, and after an absence of half an hour or so at -the longest, it would grow alarmed, and come back at full speed, -bounding along like a wild buck through the woods, until it reached what -it evidently deemed its haven of refuge. - -Its favorite abode was the roof of the cabin, at one corner of which, -where the projecting ends of the logs were uneven, it speedily found a -kind of ladder, up which it would climb until the roof was reached. -Sometimes it would promenade along the ridge, and at other times mount -the chimney, which it would hastily abandon, however, when a fire was -lit. The presence of a dog always resulted in immediate flight, first to -the roof, and then to the chimney; and when it came inside the cabin it -was fond of jumping on a big wooden shelf above the fireplace, which -served as a mantel-piece. - -[Illustration] - -If teased it was decidedly truculent; but its tameness and confidence, -and the quickness with which it recognized any friend, made it a great -favorite, not only with the prospector, but with his few neighbors. -However, the little thing did not live very long. Whether it was the -change of climate or something wrong with its food, when the hot weather -came on it pined gradually away, and one morning it was found dead, -lying on its beloved roof-tree. The prospector had grown so fond of it -that, as he told me, he gave it a burial “just as if it were a -Christian.” - - - - - Ranching - - -[Illustration] - - - - - VII - RANCHING - - -[Illustration] - -There are in every community young men to whom life at the desk or -behind the counter is unutterably dreary and unattractive, and who long -for some out-of-door occupation which shall, if possible, contain a -spice of excitement. These young men can be divided into two -classes—first, those who, if they get a chance to try the life for which -they long, will speedily betray their utter inability to lead it; and, -secondly, those who possess the physical capacity and the peculiar -mental make-up necessary for success in an employment far out of the -usual paths of civilized occupations. A great many of these young men -think of ranching as a business which they might possibly take up, and -what I am about to say[1] is meant as much for a warning to one class as -for advice to the other. - -Footnote 1: - - Written in 1896. - -[Illustration] - -Ranching is a rather indefinite term. In a good many parts of the West a -ranch simply means a farm; but I shall not use it in this sense, since -the advantages and disadvantages of a farmer’s life, whether it be led -in New Jersey or Iowa, have often been dwelt upon by men infinitely more -competent than I am to pass judgment. Accordingly, when I speak of -ranching I shall mean some form of stock-raising or sheep-farming as -practised now in the wilder parts of the United States, where there is -still plenty of land which, because of the lack of rainfall, is not very -productive for agricultural purposes. - -[Illustration: COW-BOY AMUSEMENTS] - -[Illustration] - -The first thing to be remembered by any boy or young man who wishes to -go West and start life on a cattle ranch, horse ranch, or sheep ranch is -that he must know the business thoroughly before he can earn any salary -to speak of, still less start out on his own accord. A great many young -fellows apparently think that a cow-boy is born and not made, and that -in order to become one all they have to do is to wish very hard to be -one. Now, as a matter of fact, a young fellow trained as a book-keeper -would take quite as long to learn the trade of a cow-boy as the average -cow-boy would take to learn the trade of book-keeper. The first thing -that the beginner anywhere in the wilder parts of the West has to learn -is the capacity to stand monotony, fatigue, and hardship; the next thing -is to learn the nature of the country. - -[Illustration] - -A young fellow from the East who has been brought up on a farm, or who -has done hard manual labor as a machinist, need not go through a -novitiate of manual labor in order to get accustomed to the roughness -that such labor implies; but a boy just out of a high-school, or a young -clerk, will have to go through just such a novitiate before he will be -able to command a dollar’s pay. Both alike will have to learn the nature -of the country, and this can only be learned by actual experience on the -ground. - -Again, the beginner must remember that though there is occasional -excitement and danger in a ranchman’s life, it is only occasional, while -the monotony of hard and regular toil is not often broken. Except in the -matter of fresh air and freedom from crowding, a small ranchman often -leads a life of as grinding hardness as the average dweller in a New -York tenement-house. His shelter is a small log hut, or possibly a -dugout in the side of a bank, or in summer a shabby tent. For food he -will have to depend mainly on the bread of his own baking, on fried fat -pork, and on coffee or tea with sugar and no milk. Of course he will -occasionally have some canned stuff or potatoes. The furniture of the -hut is of the roughest description—a roll of blankets for bedding, a -bucket, a tin wash-basin, and a tin mug, with perhaps a cracked -looking-glass four inches square. - -[Illustration] - -He will not have much society of any kind, and the society he does have -is not apt to be over-refined. If he is a lad of a delicate, shrinking -nature and fastidious habits, he will find much that is uncomfortable, -and will need to show no small amount of pluck and fortitude if he is to -hold his own. The work, too, is often hard and often wearisome from mere -sameness. It is generally done on horseback even on a sheep ranch, and -always on a cow ranch. The beginner must learn to ride with indifference -all kinds of rough and dangerous horses before he will be worth his -keep. - -[Illustration] - -With all this before him, the beginner will speedily find out that life -on a Western ranch is very far from being a mere holiday. A young man -who desires to start in the life ought, if possible, to have with him a -little money—just enough to keep body and soul together—until he can -gain a foothold somewhere. - -No specific directions can be given him as to where to start. Wyoming, -most of Montana, the western edge of the Dakotas, western Texas, and -some portions of the Rocky Mountain States still offer chances for a man -to go into the ranch business. In different seasons in the different -localities business may be good or bad, and it would be impossible to -tell where was the best place to start. - -[Illustration: TAILING A BULL] - -[Illustration] - -Wherever the beginner goes, he ought to make up his mind at the outset -to start by doing any kind of work he can. Let him chop wood, hoe, do -any chore that will bring him in twenty-five cents. If he is once able -to start by showing that he is willing to work hard and do something, he -can probably get employment of some kind, although this employment will -almost certainly be very ill paid and not attractive. Perhaps it will be -to dig in a garden, or to help one of the men drive oxen, or to do the -heavy work around camp for some party of cow-punchers or lumberers. -Whatever it is, let the boy go at it with all his might, and at the same -time take every opportunity to get acquainted with the kind of life -which he intends ultimately to lead. If he wishes to try to ride a -horse, he will have every chance, if for no other reason than that he -will continually meet men whose ideas of fun are met by the spectacle of -a tenderfoot on a bucking bronco. - -[Illustration] - -By degrees he will learn a good deal of the ways of the life and of the -country. Then he must snatch the first chance that offers itself to take -a position in connection with the regular work of a ranch. He may be -employed as a regular hand to help cook on the ranch wagon, or taken by -a shepherd to do the hard and dirty work which the shepherd would like -to put off on somebody else. When he has once got as far as this his -rise is certain, if he is not afraid of labor, and keeps a lookout for -the opportunities that offer. After a while he will have a horse -himself, and he will be employed as a second-rate man to do the ordinary -ranch work. - -[Illustration: “THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF EXCITING GALLOPING”] - -[Illustration] - -Work on a sheep ranch is less attractive, but more profitable than on -any other. A good deal of skill must be shown by the shepherd in -managing his flock and in handling the sheep dogs; but ordinarily it is -appallingly dreary to sit all day long in the sun, or loll about in the -saddle, watching the flocks of fleecy idiots. In time of storm he must -work like a demon and know exactly what to do, or his whole flock will -die before his eyes, sheep being as tender as horses and cattle are -tough. - -With the work of a cow ranch or horse ranch there comes more excitement. -Every man on such a ranch has a string of eight or ten horses for his -own riding, and there is a great deal of exciting galloping and hot -riding across the plains; and the work in a stampede at night, or in -line-riding during the winter, or in breaking the fierce little horses -to the saddle, is as exciting as it is hard and dangerous. - -[Illustration] - -The wilder phases of the life, however, are steadily passing away. -Almost everywhere great wire fences are being put up, and no small part -of the cow-boy’s duty nowadays is to ride along the line of a fence and -repair it wherever broken. Moreover, at present [1896] the business of -cattle or horse raising on the plains does not pay well, and, except in -peculiar cases, can hardly be recommended to a boy ambitious for his -future. - -So much for the unattractive reality of ranch life. It would be unfair -not to point out that it has a very attractive side also. If the boy is -fond of open-air exercise, and willing to risk tumbles that may break an -occasional bone, and to endure at need heat and cold, hunger and thirst, -he will find much that is pleasant in the early mornings on the great -plains, particularly on the rare days when he is able to take a few -hours’ holiday to go with his shot-gun after prairie-chickens or ducks, -or, perchance, to ride out with a Winchester rifle to a locality where -on one of his working days he has seen a small band of antelope standing -in the open, or caught a glimpse of a deer bounding through the brush. -There is little temptation to spend money, unless he is addicted to the -coarsest kind of dissipation, and after a few years the young fellow -ought to have some hundreds of dollars laid aside. By this time he -should know all about the business and the locality, and should be able -to gauge just what he can accomplish. - -[Illustration] - -For a year or two perhaps he can try to run a little outfit of his own -in connection with his work on a big ranch. Then he will abandon the -latter and start out entirely on his own account. Disaster may overtake -him, as it may overtake any business man; but if he wins success, even -though of a moderate kind, he has a pleasant life before him, riding -about over the prairie among his own horses or cattle or sheep, -occasionally taking a day off to go after game, and, while working hard, -not having to face the mere drudgery which he had to encounter as a -tyro. - -[Illustration] - -The chances are very small that he will ever gain great wealth; and when -he marries and has children of his own there are many uncomfortable -problems to face, the chief being that of schools; but for a young man -in good health and of adventurous temper the life is certainly -pleasanter than that of one cooped up in the counting-room, and while it -is not one to be sought save by the very few who have natural liking for -it, and a natural capacity to enjoy it and profit by it, still for these -few people it remains one of the most attractive forms of existence in -America. - -[Illustration] - - - THE END - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - - 1. 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