A JOLLY TIME FOE THE DEEE. 139 



wheel gracefully, and return with equal speed to his com- 

 panions, when they all commenced jumping and bounding, 

 and running up and down along the shore, as if they were 

 out on a jregular spree, and were determined to be jolly. 

 After half an hour of exceedingly active play, they hoisted 

 their white flags, and went bounding over the meadow into 

 the woods. 



The deer that was feeding paid no further attention to 

 them than to raise his head and look quietly, and perhaps 

 contemptuously at them occasionally, while he chewed his 

 breakfast, that he was picking up in the shape of lily pads 

 upon the surface of the water. Spalding and a boatman 

 paddled across the lake to make him a morning call. It is 

 a curious fact that one skilled in the art will paddle or scull 

 one of these light boats to within a few rods of a deer while 

 feeding, in plain open sight, provided always th^t the wind 

 blows from the direction of the animal, and no noise is made 

 by the boatman. The deer will feed on, and the time for 

 paddling is while his head is down. When he raises it to 

 look about him, in whatever position the boatman is, he 

 must remain immovable. If his paddle is up, it must 

 remain so ; not a motion must be made, or the game will be 

 off, with a snort and a rush, for the shore and the woods. 

 The deer may, and probably will look, with a vacant stare, 

 directly at the approaching boat without its curiosity being 

 in the least excited, and then go to feeding again. The 

 marksman must take his aim while the game is feeding ; 

 when it raises its head high in the air, throws forward its 



