I 



Deer-Hunting, 237 



" As he proceeds he looks to the dead foliage under 

 his feet, in search of the well-known traces of a buck's 

 hoof Now he bends toward the ground, on which some- 

 thing has attracted his attention. See, he alters his 

 course, increases his speed, and will soon reach the op- 

 posite hill. Now he moves with caution, stops at almost 

 every tree, and peeps forward, as if already within shoot- 

 ing distance of his game. He advances again ; but now 

 very slowly. He has reached the declivity, upon which 

 the sun shines in all its glowing splendor; but mark him, 

 he takes the gun from his shoulder, has already thrown 

 aside the leather covering of the lock, and is wiping the 

 edge of his flint with his tongue. Now he stands like a 

 monumental figure, perhaps measuring the distance that 

 lies between him and the game which he has in view. 

 His rifle is slowly raised, the report follows, and he runs. 

 Let us run also. Shall I speak to him, and ask him the 

 result of his first essay ? ' Pray, friend, what have you 

 killed ? ' for to say, * What have you shot at ? ' might im- 

 ply the possibility of his having missed, and so might 

 hurt his feehngs. * Nothing but a buck.' *And where 

 is it ? ' * Oh, it has taken a jump or so, but I settled it, 

 and will soon be with it. My ball struck, and must have 

 gone through his heart' We arrived at the spot where 

 the animal had laid itself down on the grass, in a thicket 

 of grape-vines, sumachs, and spruce-bushes, where it in- 

 tended to repose during the middle of the day. The 

 place is covered with blood, the hoofs of the deer have 

 left deep prints in the ground, as it bounded in the ago- 

 nies produced by its wound; but the blood that has 

 gushed from its side discloses the course which it has 

 taken. We soon reach the spot. There lies the buck, 

 its tongue out, its eye dim, its breath exhausted ; it is 

 dead. The hunter draws his knife, cuts the buck's throat 

 almost asunder, and prepares to skin it. For this pur- 



