102 WILD SPORTS IK THE FAR WEST. 



grow rather tedious, for my rambles in the north were 

 still fresh in my memory. I passed the night very 

 pleasantly by a fire, while my hunger took the second 

 duek into consideration. 



Towards noon I came to the little river Sulphur- 

 fork, which I was obliged to wade through, after many 

 vain attempts to find a shallow place, the water coming 

 up to my chest. I began to despair of getting any 

 thing to tat, and, being thoroughly wet, I resolved to 

 come soon to a halt, and diy myself by a fire, when all 

 at once I saw about fifty deer, within shot, all quietly 

 feeding, and taking no notice of me. For an instant I 

 stood petrified ; then every fibre in my body beat and 

 trembled with delight. The suddenness of the sight 

 had so excited me that I could not take aim, and I was 

 obliged to wait to collect myself. It was a glorious 

 sight, such a number of these noble animals together; 

 I counted fifty-seven, and derived particular pleasure 

 from the antics of two fawns, which made the mo t 

 comical bounds, and came very near me without any 

 suspicion. Keg ret to kill such a beautiful innocent 

 creature withheld my hand for some time, but hunger 

 was not to be cajoled, I fired, and one of them fell 

 without a cry. The effect of the report upon the herd 

 was quite ludicrous, each of the hitherto unsuspicious 

 animals became an image of attention, then fled with 

 immense bounds towards the. thicket. As I did not. 

 move they stopped again, and began to feed, but not 

 without frequently raiding their head> to li.-ten. The 

 impression which the fall of his playfellow had produced 

 on the other fawn was very dilferent. Far from living, 

 he came nearer, smelt the poor animal as if he thought 



