THE DEEE HUNT. 91 



the scene. No cheering shout announced the death of 

 the deer, though the dogs stopped yelj)ing. 



At this moment I heard in the bushes the rapid bound 

 of some animal ; it came nearer and nearer. From the 

 higher ground where I stood I could see over the bushes 

 a pair of antlers, and I supposed it to be the same deer 

 that had been fired at down the swamp. I dismounted 

 to take surer aim. How my heart beat in unison with 

 the bounding of his feet, while every sense converged 

 into the coming of his presence ! But, alas ! he did 

 not come out by me, but between me and the Doctor, 

 and very near to him. Bang ! bang ! I heard his gun 

 explode, and immediately the deer turned in again, just 

 keeping the edge of the bushes, and showing his back at 

 every jump. As he passed me, I took deliberate aim, 

 and when his flag showed over the grass, I fired. A bet- 

 ter aim never was taken, but the deer only seemed to 

 move with an accelerated speed down past the next 

 stand,' and receiving a shot there, and two from 

 Miss Jackson, then rushed back into the swamp from 

 whence he came. The dogs, with the firing, broke out 

 into a louder chorus ; the negro drivers were coming 

 on, thrashing the bushes and shouting away. I heard 

 Jackson's horn winding its clear notes nearer and nearer ; 

 he was following up the dogs, keeping in the open woods, 

 while Mike was doing the same on the other side. All 

 at once the hounds broke out with a louder yell, and at 

 the same moment the buck broke cover again in front of 

 me, accompanied by two does, one on cither side. I had 



