We had an instance of this at Fort Union in the case of a
Kentucky man, who, though an excellent shot with a rifle at a
mark or at prairie hens on the trees, and constantly challenging us
hunters to a trial of skill, was, from being a bad rider, very
unsuccessful at buffalo ; and when the hunters returned laden with
meat after a fortunate run, used to say, "Well ! now that's mighty
fine, but rU astonish you yet at deer and elk in the woods;"
accordingly one day he set off with Smith and Ramsay, the Fort
Union hunters, who afterwards told me, that they had taken a good
hunt of three days, camping out twice, and bagged five elk and
seven deer ; but the Kentucky rifle man, accustomed to such plain
clear marks a,s turkeys and squirrels perched on tree-top, could
not get a single shot ; and even on more than one occasion lost
the hunters their chance, by their endeavouring to afford hitu a
shot at game pointed out in vain to him, but which their keen
practised eyes found no difBculty in detecting.
L 2



148 RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. [ohap. vi.
without the smallest compunction, not even giving
him the chance of a run, and speedily possessed
myself of his magnificent skin, which I took with
me, not reaching the Fort till long after dark. Next
day they very gcod-naturedly brought in the antlers
of my elk along with the meat, which, thanks to my
precautions, had escaped the depredations of the
wolves, who, poor brutes, suffer horribly from the
pangs of hunger, and will at those times dare almost
anything short of an attack on man.
