THE JOKE ON THE OTHER MAN 233

deer appeared, coming my way at full speed. They flew
past me with their long tails straight up, and they gave
snorts of derision at every jump. Before they passed
me, which they did at a distance of not more than sixty
yards, there was time for me to count them and, as they
were all there, it was evident that my partner had failed
to get one. So, picking out the best buck, I fired and
rolled him over. When my partner arrived on the scene
it was my turn to do the joking. “I thought you could
hit something occasionally,”? I said; ‘‘ but it seems that
prospecting has made you ‘ cross-eyed,’ too, or was it
‘buck fever’ you got in your old age? Why, you got
to within forty yards of them and never even touched
one, though I must acknowledge you gave them something
of a scare.’? Now I really had no idea how close he got
to them, but just made a guess. So it was something of
a surprise when he answered, ‘‘ No, I did not get to within
forty yards of them, but they got to within twenty yards
of me. They came my way, and I began to think that
old buck would bite me if I did not do something, so I
began ‘ whanging’ away at him. I take it all back, and
you can take your old rifle back too; you had better
bust it over a log; no more of it for me, it is ‘ leaded,’
sure enough !”