f the decoy; and taking the best parts of both the long-tails upon our
shoulders, we trudged homeward to the post.

"Part of our road, as we returned, lay along the stream, and we saw
several deer approaching the water, but, cumbered as we were, we failed
in getting a shot. An idea, however, was suggested to my companion that
promised us plenty of both sport and venison for the next hunt--which
was to take place by night.

"This idea he communicated to me for my approval. I readily gave my
consent, as I saw in the proposal the chances of enjoying a very rare
sport. That sport was to be a fire-hunt; but not as usually practised
among backwoodsmen, by carrying a torch through the woods. Our torch
was to float upon the water, while we were snugly seated beside it; in
other words, we would carry our torch in a canoe, and, floating down
stream, would shoot the deer that happened to be upon the banks drinking
or cooling their hoofs in the water. I had heard of the plan, but had
never practised it, although I was desirous of so doing. Dick had often
killed deer in this way, and therefore knew all about it. It was
agreed, then, that upon the following night we should try the
experiment.

"During the next day, Dick and I proceeded in our preparations without
saying anything to any one. It was our design to keep our night-hunt a
secret, lest we might be unsuccessful, and get laughed at for our pains.
On the other hand, should we succeed in killing a goodly number of
long-tails, it would be time enough to let it be known how we had
managed matters.

"We had little difficulty in keeping our designs to ourselves. Every
one was busy with his own affairs, and took no heed of our manoeuvres.

"Our chief difficulty lay in procuring a boat; but for the consideration
of a few loads of powder, we at length borrowed an old canoe that
belonged to one of the Flathead Indians--a sort of hanger-on of the
post.

"This craft was simply a log of the cotton-wood, rudely hollowed out by
means of an axe, and slightly rounded at the ends to produce the
canoe-shape. It was that species of water craft popularly known
throughout Western America as a `dug-out,' a phrase which explains
itself. It was both old and ricketty, but after a short inspection,
Blue Dick declared it would do `fust-rate.'

"Our next move was to prepare our torch. For this we had to make an
excursion to the neighbouring hills, where we found the very material we