64 JOCK'S LAKK. 



"Horace paddled as if lie was creeping up to a camp of 

 Comanches, slowly, and so still that at one time I almost 

 looked around to see if the fellow hadn't given me the slip, 

 and gone ashore again. I had enough on hand, though, 

 looking out under the jack in the space coxered liy tin- 

 light to see the first show of deer, and listening with hoth 

 ears and my mouth to hear a step or a splash. A little 

 rascal of a frog startled me, once, jumping otV a lily-pad 

 into the water. 'Gracious! ' thinks I, ihnv's a deer that's 

 got scent of us before I've got sight of him, and he'-, off 

 in a minute, if that's the style of >-tcp In taking!' But 

 that was a false alarm, of course, and one that Horace wasn't 

 fooled by, either. Then I had tin- dicken<' own time with 

 the punkies and mosquitoes. Something -like the million 

 of 'em settled down on me and kept otT five million more 

 that wanted to get on hut couldn't find room. I didn't dare 

 put on any tar-oil. Might a- w.-llve -taid in camp as to have 

 advertised in that way. a deer \\onld \c snielled me a 

 (inarter of a mil<- oil'. And 1 couldn't slap Yin. for a deer 

 fe keen to hear the Slightest sound, and he can tell a frog- 

 jump from a slap at a mosquito as quick as he can 

 wink. So, all I could do was to ruh mv hands together, as 

 well as I could and hold my gun. and get mad enough to 

 stand it." 



"But tell us about the deer, old fellow, and not be both- 

 ering about the frogs and mosquitoes, " interrupted Thomp- 

 son, who grudged the loquacious huntsman the time he 

 took, at that hour of the night, to relate all the marvi-N . .f 

 his deer-hunt. 



