208 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



doe, stumble and partly fall, then hobble on in the direction that the 

 other had gone. 



It was nearly sundown and I only followed the trail a short 

 distance when I could plainly see that the deer had a foreleg broken, 

 and she soon, left the trail of the others, and went down the hill 

 all alone. Knowing that the wounded deer would soon lay down 

 if not disturbed, I left the trail, went back, got my pack, blanket 

 and went on down the creek to Mr. Dingman's camp. I found Mr. 

 Dingman about to sit down to a supper of roast potatoes, venison 

 and other good things to be found in abundance in the woods in 

 those days. 



The next morning we were out at daybreak after the wounded 

 doe. Mr. Dingman said that when the doe was started up that 

 she would come to water, and that she would stop on the creek 

 below where I had left the trail, which led down the hill until in 

 sight of the creek, when it turned to the right, then went back 

 up the hill only a few yards to the right of her trail where she had 

 gone down. 



When I saw what the doe had done, I thought to myself, old 

 lady, you are well onto the game, and we will have lots of sport 

 before we get you. I was well aware that she had seen me when 

 I passed by on her trail where she had gone down the hill, and 

 thinking that she would go to the creek below where Mr. Dingman 

 was and told him the game the doe was playing. He said that she 

 would come to water at the point just below the camp, and that 

 he would go down there and watch, while I should follow the 

 track through. I told Mr. Dingman that I was afraid that we were 

 too late, and that the doe had already gone out, that she had made 

 her bed so that she could watch her trail where she went down 

 the hill, and had slipped out after I had gone down the hill on her 

 trail. 



Mr. Dingman thought that he could get the runway before she 

 would get through, even if she hnd gone out when I came through 

 on her trail down the hill. In hopes that the deer had not taken 

 the trail and lit out when I came through the hill, I worked my 

 way cautiously back up the hill, only occasionally going in sight of 

 the trail so as to keep her course, but as I feared, when I was 



