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purTuit was fuffered to pafs unimproved, and the guefts difperfed growl- 

 ing and hungry. The wolf recovering from his dream, at length hit off the 

 fcent, and fet himfelf, in good earneft, to recover his prey. He proceeded 

 without coming to fault, till he arrived at an extenfive clearing in the 

 •woods, where the men were employed pitting their corn. Forgetting 

 that his depredations had made them his enemies, he prefumptuoufly 

 folicited the good offices of thefe men to difcover the deer, which they 

 had the moment before hid in one of the pits, for the purpofe of fruf- 

 trating his purfuit. The advice he received from them his confi- 

 dence led him to adopt, and, of courfe, he was led aftray. The 

 white deer refreflied, and honeftly counfellcd, proceeded through 

 a fafe traft of the forefl ; and having arrived at and croffed a rapid 

 river, ported herfelf upon an overhanging cliff on the oppofite fide. 

 The wolf, after prowling long in vain, was at length brought to his 

 fenfes, and now refolving to purfue the very oppofite path to that he 

 had been advifed to take, again fell upon the fcent ; and urged the chace 

 with fuch fpeed, that he reached the bank of the river dire£lly oppofite 

 the white deer's cliff, before fiie had quitted her ftation. Her image 

 reflefted from the cliff, realized the objeft of his purfuit. The curl- 

 ing motion of the waters, transferred by him to the reflefted image, 

 he miftook for the diflortions of laughter. Inflamed by the fuppofed in- 

 fult, afliamed of his pad errors, and refolved now at length to preclude 

 all poffibility of efcape, he plunged headlong into the water, grafping 

 the fhadow of the deer already devoured in imagination. A pointed 

 flint concealed under the furface, received the whole weight of his de- 

 fcending fury. Stunned by the fliock, he was incapable of refifting the 

 force of the current, which foon fwept him down the neighbouring 

 rapids, and relieved the trembling fawn from her enemy, at the very 

 moment of his mofl determined vengeance. The white deer departed 

 from the cliff, fecure from immediate danger, yet folitary and friendlefs : 

 but foon after, taking flielter under the branching antlers of a young 

 male of her own fpecies, fhe exchanged the fawnings of the wolf, for 

 the endearments of a proteflor. 



Section 



