VIRGINIAN DEER. 



139 



of one of our deimrtments in the time of Louis- 

 Philippe and during the Republic of 1848. He 

 accompanied his brother-in-law, a planter of Edisto. 



M. de L had married a ver}- pretty American 



Creole ; and his sight was so bad tliat, during the 

 hunt, he mistook a colt for a deer, and rolled it over 

 stone dead, with its hoofs in the air, at a distance of 

 fort}'. yards. 



The pai'ty numbered six, and we started, preceded 

 by the blacks, who held the dogs in leash. After 

 cantering for about six miles, we arrived at a place 

 in the forest where three roads met. There we 

 drew up, to wait for four other gentlemen from 

 Edisto whom we had appointed to meet. 



One of these was an old sportsman, and he had 

 brought no rifle with him ; for, said he, " Deer are 

 not properly in season, excepting between July and 

 December.* I shan't burn any powder on them, 

 but I can't resist the pleasure of seeing the fun, so 

 I've stretched a little the oath I have taken never 

 to hunt in the close season." About the middle of 

 the day, one of the deer grazed the boots of this old 

 sportsman with his horns, but he contented himself 

 with administering a shower of kicks to the poor 

 brute, which soon made it take refuge in the thicket. 

 Six of us had double-barrelled guns loaded with 

 buck-shot, and each carried his weapon on the 



* In certain provinces of the United States there are game laws, 

 which forbid the hunting of the deer during six months of the year. 



