vious
night--one that was extremely attractive from the variety of the high
ground, the depths of the chasms around, and the beauty of the cedars
that spread their flat, frond-like branches over the mountain-sides,
which were diversified by the presence of endless dense thickets.

"It looks like a deer country," Joses had said as they were tethering
the horses amongst some magnificent grass.

These words had haunted Bart the night through, and hence, at the first
sight of morning on the peaks up far above where they were, he had taken
his rifle and gone off to see what he could find.

Three hours' tramp produced nothing but a glimpse of some mountain sheep
far away and at a very great height.

He was too weary and hungry to think of following them, and was
reluctantly making for the camp, when all at once a magnificent deer
sprang up from amongst a thicket of young pines, and bounded off at an
astounding rate.

It seemed madness to fire, but, aiming well in front, Bart drew trigger,
and then leaped aside to get free of the smoke. As he did so, he just
caught a glimpse of the deer as it bounded up a steep slope and the next
moment it was gone.

Bart felt that he had not hit it, but curiosity prompted him to follow
in the animal's track, in the hope of getting a second shot, and as he
proceeded, he could not help wishing for the muscular strength of these
deer, for the ground, full of rifts and chasms, over which he toiled
painfully in a regular climb, the deer had bounded over at full speed.

It took him some time to get to the spot where he had last seen the
deer, when, to his intense surprise and delight, he found traces of
blood upon the stones, and upon climbing higher, he found his way
blocked by a chasm.

Feeling sure that the animal would have cleared this at a bound, he
lowered himself down by holding on by a young pine which bent beneath
his weight. Then he slipped for a few feet, made a leap, and came down
amongst some bushes, where, lying perfectly dead, was the most beautiful
deer he had ever seen.

Unfortunately hunger and the knowledge that others are hungry interfere
with romantic admiration, and after feasting his eyes, Bart began to
feast his imagination on the delight of those in the camp with the
prospect of venison steaks. So, in regular hunter's fashion, he
proceeded to partially skin and dress the deer, cutting off sufficient
for their meal, and leaving the other parts to be fetched by