plain that all three of us were proud of our
respective shots. To do justice, however, that of Harry was decidedly
the best. He had knocked his one over while on the run--no easy matter
with these black-tails, who do not gallop regularly as other deer, but
bound forward, lifting all their feet together, as you will sometimes
see sheep do. This mode of running is one of the peculiarities of their
species--which, perhaps, more than any other thing, distinguishes them
from the common deer.

"After carefully wiping out, and then reloading, our rifles, we rested
them against the trees, and set to work to skin our game.

"While engaged in this operation, Harry complained of thirst. Indeed,
we were all thirsty as well, for the sun was hot, and we had walked a
good distance. We could not be far from the stream, although we were
not sure of its direction; and Harry, taking the tin cup which we had
brought with us, set out to find it, promising soon to return with water
for our relief. He had only left us but a short while, when we heard
him calling back through the trees; and, thinking that some animal might
have attacked him, Frank and I seized our rifles, and ran after him. On
coming up, we were surprised to find him standing quietly on the bank of
a crystal rivulet, holding the cup=full of water in his hand.

"`Why did you bring us away?' asked Frank.

"`Taste this,' replied he; `here's a pickle!'

"`Oh, papa!' cried Frank, after applying the cup to his lips; `salt as
brine, I declare.'

"`Salt you may say,' continued his brother; `the sea itself is not so
salt--taste it, papa!'

"I did as I was desired; and, to my delight, I found that the water of
the rivulet was, what Frank had alleged, `salt as brine.' I say to my
delight, for I was greatly pleased at this discovery. The boys could
not understand this, as they, being now very thirsty, would much rather
have met with a cup of fresh, than a whole river of salt water. I soon
pointed out to them the importance of what we had found. We had
hitherto been in great need of salt--for we had not a single grain of
it--and had felt the want ever since our arrival in the valley. Only
they who cannot get salt, can understand what a terrible thing it is to
be without this homely, but necessary article.

"The flesh of our elk, which for many days past we lived upon, had
proved quite insipid for want of salt; and we had not been able to make
a soup that was in any wa