CHAPTER XXIX. 



The witching hour of twilight had conic, when the 

 timid deer descend the mountains and emerge from (lie for 

 est to slake their thirst and feed upon Hie succulent lily- 

 pads and tender grasses growing in tin- coves and liavs 1.1 

 the river. VVhile I was seated in (lie io\v of Hie lioat. my 

 guide silently |>addled in the stern; and \ve lloated on. 

 winding our \\ ay \\itli the tortuous stream, with every 

 >ense keenly alive and watchful for the first sign of the 

 presence of a deer. Darkness stealthily descended, and the 

 ritle was laid aside for the long, doultle barreled, mu/./le- 

 loading. ten I tore shot uun !>eloii;jiiej' to one of our guides. 

 A gentle tremor of the l>oat at length ai-rested my atteiilion. 

 and my guide whispered. " I think there's a deer in the 

 river, down there: do you see anything?" 



"No," 1 responded, after an eager and prolonged gaze 

 in the direction indicated. 



" If you see niiiitli tiif/, lire at it." said he. lint to save 

 my life I couldn't see "anything" Imt dark shades on the 

 obscured water. Suddenly, as we advanced, there was a 

 splashing and dashing in the river, four or five rods ahead 

 of us. and I saw. apparently, a small, dirty, white hand- 

 kerchief jerked and switched rapidly about from one side 

 of the shallow river to the other ;Tnd hack again toward 

 the shore where it first appeared, and the dim Hashing of 



