The Deer of the River Bottoms 121 



picture as she bounded lightly off among the rose- 

 red flowers, passing without heed through the ranks 

 of the long-horned and savage-looking steers. 



Doubtless she had a little spotted fawn not far 

 away. These wee fellows soon after birth grow 

 very cunning and able to take care of themselves, 

 keeping in the densest part of the brush, through 

 which they run and dodge like a rabbit. If taken 

 young they grow very tame and are most dainty 

 pets. One which we had round the house answered 

 well to its name. It was at first fed with milk, 

 which it lapped eagerly from a saucer, sharing the 

 meal with the two cats, who rather resented its pres- 

 ence and cuffed it heartily when they thought it was 

 greedy and was taking more than its share. As it 

 grew older it would eat bread or potatoes from our 

 hands, and was perfectly fearless. At night it was 

 let go or put in the cow-shed, whichever was hand- 

 iest, but it was generally round in time for break- 

 fast next morning. A blue ribbon with a bell at- 

 tached was hung round its neck, so as to prevent its 

 being shot; but in the end it shared the fate of all 

 pets, for one night it went off and never came back 

 again. Perhaps it strayed away of its own accord, 

 but more probably some raw hand at hunting saw 

 it, and slaughtered it without noticing the bell hang- 

 ing from its neck. 



The best way to kill white-tail is to still-hunt care- 

 fully through their haunts at dusk, when the deer 

 leave the deep recesses in which their day-beds lie, 

 and come out to feed in the more open parts. For 



F VOL. IV. 



