A hunter's coolness. 83 



ing his gun, and laying it in the bottom of the 

 boat, he pulled after the deer, which was swimming 

 boldly for his life. In the eagerness of pursuit, he 

 hit his rifle either with his paddle or foot, when it 

 went off, sending the ball directly through one of his 

 ankles. He stopped, and looking at his benumbed 

 limb, saw where the bullet had come out of his boot. 

 The first thought was, to return to the shore ; " the 

 next was," said he, "I may need that venison before I 

 get out of these woods ;" so, without waiting to ex- 

 amine the wound, he pulled on after the deer. 

 Coming up with him, he beat him to death with his 

 paddles, and pulling him into the boat, rowed ashore. 

 Cutting off his boot, he found his leg was badly man- 

 gled and useless. Bandaging it up, however, as well 

 as he could, he cut a couple of crotched sticks for 

 crutches, and with these walked fourteen miles to the 

 nearest clearing. There he got help, and was carried 

 slowly out of the woods. How a border-life sharpens 

 a man's wits. Especially in an emergency does he 

 show to what strict discipline he has subjected his 

 mind. His resources are almost exhaustless, and his 

 presence of mind equal to that of one who has been 

 in a hundred battles. Wounded, perhaps mortally, it 



