96 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



earliest dawn and every nook and corner carefully, noiselessly scrutinized 

 and explored, — and yet no deer, caribou or moose. 



The day was leaden and lifeless; dense snow clouds banked the horizon; 

 no sunshine broke through the tree-tops to tell him the hour or location. 

 Snow in great broad flakes began to fall, aud darkness following soon after 

 Sabattis made camp near the summit of the divide which separates the 

 Androscoggin from the Kennebec. The hooting of owls and the howling 

 of hungry wolves were his only companionship during the night. The 

 morning broke clear and intensely cold and plenty of dry, fluffy snow 

 upon the ground made ideal conditions for successful still hunting. 



Sabattis would now surely get fresh meat for Christmas. With brave 

 heart he started out early following along the highlands which skirt the 

 southern shore of the principal tributary stream as it journeys along in its 

 course to join with its fellows to swell the waters of the Kennebec. 



He soon came to the tracks of a large buck which led up the sloping hill- 

 side towards the heavy growth at its summit. These he stealthily followed 

 for some time until he camt- to a place where a Loup Cervier had pounced 

 down from a tree upon the unsuspecting deer and dragging him to earth 

 had killed him, tearing to pieces and destroying in his blind rage what he 

 could not devour. 



He was soon upon a new trail which he followed for miles only to find 

 where a pack of wolves had taken it up and cut him out; — and so it was 

 throughout the day, — trail after trail taken up and followed only to end in 

 disappointment. 



The night^of the third day found him making camp in a ravine which 

 lies between the range of hills which divide the Wabaquasset, now the 

 Sandy River, from the Sebasticook. He was tired. Every arrow was 

 still in his quiver. But he was not dispirited. He was going to have fresh 

 meat to furnish good cheer for the Christmas dinner. 



The night was intensely cold, but in a hastily constructed and comfort- 

 able lean-to before a roaring fire on the leeward side of a great boulder in 

 the ravine, and wrapped in his blanket and caribou skin and fatigued with 

 the exertions of the previous days, but entirely confident of ultimate suc- 

 cess, Sabattis was soon lost in deep and restful sleep. 



With the earliest dawn he was again upon the trail when his keen eyes 

 soon discovered a magnificent buck above him on the hillside within easy 

 range. He had just arisen from the bed wherein he slept and was in the 

 act of stretching himself as is their wont. 



With the seeming speed and stillness of a flash of lightning sped the 

 flint-tipped arrow of Sabattis, and soon the snow was crimsoned with 

 the spurting heart's blood of the noble buck. A fev\' wild hounds and to 

 earth he fell never to rise again, — a few convulsive twitchings of muscles 

 and soon all was over. 



