dawn, Theodore Roosevelt was
riding along the edge of a creek when he heard a cackling that he knew
must come from some geese, and he determined if possible to lay one low.

It was easy work to dismount and crawl to the edge of the creek. But a
fog lay over the water, and he could see the geese but indistinctly.
Leaving the creek bank, he ran silently to where the watercourse made a
turn and then crawled forward in the brush. Soon the fog lifted once
more, and he saw the geese resting on the water close to the bend. He
fired quickly and brought down the largest of the flock, while the
others lost no time in disappearing. It was a good fat goose and made
excellent eating.

CHAPTER VI

GROUSE AND OTHER SMALL GAME--THE SCOTCHMAN AND THE SKUNK--CAUGHT IN A
HAILSTORM ON THE PRAIRIE--BRINGING DOWN BLACK-TAIL DEER

It cannot be said that Theodore Roosevelt's venture as a ranchman was a
very successful one, and it is doubtful if he expected to make much
money out of it. He lost nothing in a financial way, and there is no
doubt but that the experience was of great benefit to him. In this
semi-wilderness he met all sorts and conditions of men, and grew to know
them thoroughly. In the past his dealings had been almost entirely with
people of large cities and towns, and with men of learning and large
business affairs; here he fell in with the wildest kind of cowboys and
frontiersmen. Some he soon found were not fit to be associated with, but
the majority proved as honest and hard-working fellows as could be met
with anywhere. Many of these loved the young "boss" from the start, and
when, years later, the war with Spain broke out, and there was a call
to arms, not a few of them insisted upon joining the Rough Riders just
to be near Theodore Roosevelt once more.

Around the ranches owned by Theodore Roosevelt there were more or less
grouse of the sharp-tailed variety. As this sort of game made excellent
eating, ranchmen and regular hunters did not hesitate to bring them down
at every opportunity.

One afternoon Theodore Roosevelt left his ranch to visit the shack of
one of his herders, about thirty-five miles down the river. It was a
cold, clear day, and he was finely mounted on a well-trained pony. He
writes that he was after grouse, hoping to get quite a number of them.

He had trusted to reach the shack long before sundown, but the way was
bad, over bottoms covered with thin ice and snow, and soon darkness came
on