100 WILD 8P0KTS IK THE SOUTH. 



At this instant I. saw rise up from the very edge of the 

 bushes, a buck, that from his stately size I at once 

 recognized to be the big buck. He had evidently been 

 watching the preparations for the hunt, and selecting the 

 very time our guns were discharged, he rushed out 

 between me and one of the negroes, and without 

 regarding either, flew down the open pine woods at a 

 flying gallop. Hardly had he cleared the valley, when I 

 heard Jackson shouting, and saw him riding hard toward 

 my stand ; but the dogs coming out and taking the deer's 

 track with loud clamor, prevented my hearing. I sprang 

 into my saddle, and went flying alongside of the hounds, 

 with the air soughing through my hair, and the deer in 

 view a hundred yards ahead. In a moment or two Lou 

 Jackson and the Doctor were in sight, their horses skim- 

 ming the open woods like birds. Then came the sorrel 

 mare, and next Scipio on the pony, and then in the dis- 

 tance Jackson and Mike, with all the negroes that were 

 mounted. Faster, still faster, heart and sense fixed on 

 that flying buck, and the trees merged together in a 

 mass as we swept among them. Whoop ! why cannot 

 a man cheer louder ; why cannot a horse fly faster when 

 a deer is in view. There is a crash and a flash of dirt and 

 sticks ; the sorrel has gone down, and her rider rolled 

 over and over, and far ahead of his steed. There is no 

 time to see if he can get up again. Hurrah ! there is a 

 hummock ! See Tiger and Bess turn to the left ! They 

 know the buck will not run through it, and they turn 

 aside to cut the radius of the arc he is about to make. 



