172 SOMETHING LEARNED. 



went in ! He didn't stop to ask any qnestions, but as if 

 possessed by all the furies of creation he lit upon that buck, 

 and the fight was up. He with his teeth, and I with my 

 knife, settled the matter in less than a minute. But, Judge, 

 let me tell you, that buck was dangerous ; and if Crop 

 hadn't been around, may be ther'd have been the bones 

 of man and beast bleachin' on the sandy beach of Mud 

 Lake ! I bound up my wounds as well as I could but 

 it was tough work backin' my bark canoe over the carryin' 

 places on Bog River, and across the Ingen carryin' place, 

 and from the Tipper Saranac to Round Lake, with them 

 holes in my leg and arm, and the other bruises I received. 

 When I got out to the settlements I was mighty glad to 

 lay still for six weeks, and when I got around again I was 

 a good deal leaner than I am now. 



"My gun hangin' fire made my bullet go wide of the 

 spot I aimed at. It had grazed his skull and stunned him 

 for a little time, and crazed him into the bargain. I learned 

 more fully a fact that I'd an idea of before, by my fight 

 with that deer, and it is this that it's best to keep out 

 of the way of a furious buck with tall, sharp horns oil his 

 head. He's a dangerous animal to handle. 



" That's one of the adventures that I went out into the 

 wilderness arter, and found without lookin' for it ; aud 

 I've found a good many others that put me and Crop in 

 a tight place more than once. I backed him over all the 

 carryin' places between Little Tapper's and the Saranacs 



