CRUST AND LAKE HUNTING*. 523 



"Why, Clark! what in the name of wonder has been 

 keeping you all the morning ?" 



" I got myself into business, and had it to attend to ; I've 

 been killing deer !" 



" Killing deer ? What, did you gouge their eyes out ? 

 you'r got nothing about you to kill deer with." 



" But I found a spruce knot that answered !" 



The boy then went on to relate how he had found the 

 tracks of four deer that had come into the sugar camp. 

 The dog pursued them. It should be explained that the 

 spring thaw had commenced, and the snow was nearly melted 

 down, except under the shade of the deep woods, where it 

 was as deep as ever, and the crust so thin that the deer went 

 through easily. So soon as they came to the deep snow the 

 dog stopped one. The boy followed along, and where the 

 snow had thawed he found an old spruce log of great size, 

 which had fallen into decay and left the knots of the limbs, 

 which run back clear into the heart, round as ever and heavy 

 almost as iron. Clark snatched up one of these, and when 

 he came in sight the dog immediately seized the deer and 

 dragged it down on the snow. Clark came up with his knot- 

 club and knocked it on the head. They then followed on 

 again, and in a short time came up with another, which was 

 served in the same way, and a third also. 



The fourth got to the Cungamunck river, and plunged into 

 a small hole through the ice. The dog would follow on the 

 ice as it swam round and round, and watching an opportunity, 

 seize the deer by the nose, and pulling back with all his 

 might, endeavor to drag it out. The deer would place its 

 fore feet against the ice and resist this proceeding, until 

 Clark came up at last, and for fear his dog might be dragged 

 in and get under the ice, he ended the pulling match by 

 knocking the deer on the head. 



This was a pretty fair morning's work for a youth without 

 arms of any kind, but those nature had given him. This 



