138 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



" It will be dark soon." 



" I reckon," said Mike, in his usual manner. 



" But we can't stay out here all night." 



" I've lain by this spring right often, but I s'pose we 

 may as well go now ; you go ketch the ponies, and I'll 

 get their pelter ready." 



I accordingly went after the ponies, which were 

 found near where we had hoppled them. As I rode 

 ba#k I saw a single buck feeding in the open woods, 

 but stopping to attempt a shot, he ran off in the 

 direction that we had come in the morning. On return- 

 ing > the spring, Mike had the game already bound, 

 and balanced so as to hang over the ponies. The hog 

 balanced two saddles of venison, and the panther's skin 

 another saddie. After loading the ponies we started 

 toward home, Mike promising to get the buck I had 

 seen when I went for the ponies. I showed him the 

 place where the deer had been feeding when I first saw 

 him, and the direction he had taken. 



" Wall, that'll do," he said ; " he's so much nigher 

 home." 



In a few minutes after, as we mounted a hill, we saw 

 the deer in the distance again, and as we came in view 

 he looked at us for a moment, and then gently trotted 

 on, and some small galls or swamp holes intervening, was 

 soon lost to sight. 



" Thar, he'll do now. Take your pony by the bridle, 

 and follow fast right for that gall." 



We came within a hundred yards of the brake, and 



