110 WILD SPORTS m THE SOUTH. 



wood, an old buck— oh, goil j, Maussa ! look in at her ! 

 She guv one call and die, and de buck go away into de ■ 

 dark woods. I seed dat wid mine own eyes, an' it make 

 dis eer hair of mine stan' straight up 



On looking at the crisp, curlmg locks alluded to, no 

 surer proof of a miracle was required than the fact that 

 they could be made straight, for they were kinked into 

 little cocoons of yellow Avhite over the big, black face 

 and staring eyes. As this inspii-ed fact was related, the 

 negroes, with their credulous susceptibility, edged closer 

 in the open doorway to be fully within the circle of fire- 

 light, and even Lem had pulled in his legs from the out- 

 side of the open window, where he was sitting, and 

 turned his body fireward. 



As I looked at the bank of faces at the door, I saw a 

 feelino- of horror dash over their countenances that was 

 singular to behold ; following their dilated eyes, I saw 

 them all fixed on Jumping Lem as he sat in the window, 

 though from my position I could see nothing about him 

 to excite the feeling. Mike kicked my foot, and I sav>^ 

 his eye, with a laugh in the corner of it, turned to where 

 Lem was sitting. I leaned forward, and could see in the 

 darkness beyond, only partially lighted up by the fire, 

 the head and antlers of a large deer. 



Lem had not seen the apparition, but continued: 

 " Down on de Waccassasee dare's a deer-path made by 

 dat air same buck, and when de dogs cum dere, dey 

 down tail an' take de back track, howlin' all de time as 

 if dey" 



