532 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



after him as lie went into the bush. It was the presuming 

 guide who put out the dogs. He did not see us as we lay 

 concealed in the grass, and had fired at the deer. The dogs 

 came up, we put them on the track, and thej went off 

 splendidly. 



It was not more than a minute, and we all three stood in 

 open view upon a log, upon which we had run the boat, when 

 the deer came in again at precisely the same place. We 

 stood still as if suddenly congealed — I with my rod half- 

 driven home ; it came cautiously into the water at first, but 

 did not seem to have noticed us, as is always the case if you 

 are perfectly motionless. At last it struck across the lake ; we 

 waited until it was too far from shore to turn back. — " Now !" 

 I sprang into the boat, which George pushed off at the same 

 moment, and we darted through the water. We soon closed 

 upon the deer, which commenced bleating as we approached, 

 and it saw that capture was sure — but yonder came the dogs 

 swimming out to us. We must make quick work of it. 



" Shoot !" 



I fired a ball into its head, and as it was going down, 

 George seized it by its hind legs, and drew it into the boat. 

 The weather now becoming unfavorable for the continuation 

 of our sport, we concluded to break up our shantee the next 

 day, and dismissing our worthless guide, we pushed on some 

 six miles further, through the mountains to the north, to 

 Louis Lake, where we purposed spending a week in hunting 

 and fishing at the shantee of " Old Sturge." His two boys, 

 who were fifteen and sixteen years old, officiating as our 

 guides. 



This is the most picturesque and loveliest of all the lakes ; 

 and here we had abundant sport. The boys were extraordi- 

 nary specimens of the Wild Turkey breed of natural-born 

 hunters, and proved to be admirable guides. These youths 

 had been in the habit of walking since their early childhood 

 the most incredible distances, in these wild mountains, and 



