GRAND CIRCULAR HUNT. 15 



proceeded, he wandered off ahead, keeping his guardian 

 negro, who was rather old, puffing, and blowing, and 

 ecolding at his temerity: " You young rascal," said the 

 privileged old man, " why you no keep along wid me 

 and de rest of the gemmen ? Shouldn't wonder if a big 

 'coon or somethin' or 'noder cocht hole ob you drucly." 

 The young gentleman turned up his nose at his monitor, 

 and shouldering his rifle proudly, shot off into a thicket, 

 while the old man started in full chase, venting his spleen 

 on the branches that impeded him. As the forest in 

 which we were stationed was very thickly covered with 

 brush and elm timber, our progress was very slow. Ma- 

 jor Wiley and myself kept as much together as possible. 

 From all parts of the forest we could hear the sharp 

 crack of the rifles, or. the louder reports of the shot- 

 guns, which were carried by the younger portions of the 

 community, to the great terror of squirrels and turkeys, 

 and other small game. 



Occasionally a deer, wounded by the shot of some of 

 the hunters, would appear flying swiftly among the trees, 

 and over logs, disregarding everything in its flight, and, 

 as it met the formidable line, would speed swiftly back 

 again towards the open place, until it fell from the loss of 

 blood. The howling of the dogs was heard continually 

 from every quarter, as, far in advance of their masters, in 

 the language of the country, they "treed " some animal, 

 and were giving notice of their success. Game was 

 plenty ; foxes and wolves were started from their caves 

 in every direction. The major, who was an excellent 

 shot, was very successful, frequently bringing clown hia 

 mark on the full run. For my part, I generally squat- 



