AND OTHER HUNTING ADVENTURES. 283 



those deer would stop. If I could only get another 

 chance such as I had on that buck, wouldn't I down 

 him in fine style? I would plant a bullet in the 

 center of his shoulder next time sure. No dime- 

 novel scout was ever more unerring in his aim than 

 I would be if I could only get another aim. I 

 started on toward the top of a ridge, over which one 

 of the large bucks had disappeared, and on reaching 

 it I saw him, or some other one, just behind an oak 

 grub on the opposite side-hill. I raised my rifle and 

 took careful aim this time, but was so nervous that 

 I could not hold the bead on him, and when I pulled 

 he made another series of those daring leaps that 

 soon carried him out of sight. I fired a second shot 

 at him as he went, but with no better result than 

 the 'first. 



I now crossed over to the farther edge of the slash, 

 and, seeing no more game, started through a body of 

 large pines to an old burn that I had been told lay 

 a mile to the east. I was walking hurriedly through 

 this green timber, not expecting to see game, and 

 stepped upon a large log, when a doe and two fawns, 

 that had been lying down in the top of a fallen tree, 

 jumped and ran across in front of me, offering an 

 excellent opportunity for a good shot to have killed 

 all three of them. I slung lead after them at a lively 

 rate, firing five or six shots before they got out of 

 sight, but did no further harm than to accidentally 

 clip an ear off one of the fawns close down to its 

 head. 



After they were gone I went and picked up this 

 trophy and stopped to meditate on my ill-luck, or 

 want of skill. I then remembered that though I had 



