XXI. 



FLOATING DEER A NIGHT EXCURSION MORNING IN THE 



WOODS. 



Forked Lake, Aug. 

 Dear H : 



As I stated in my last, Mitchell looked up to the 

 sky, and out upon the lake a moment, and then, in 

 that quiet way so characteristic of his race, said, " If 

 you want to go after a deer it is time we started." It 

 took but five minutes to load my rifle, put on my 

 overcoat, and announce myself ready. Lifting our 

 bark canoe softly from the rocks, we launched it on 

 the still water, and stepping carefully in, pushed off. 

 Previously, however, Mitchell requested me to try 

 one of my matches, to see if the damp had affected 

 them. 



You know that deer-floating amid backwoodsmen 

 is very different from deer-stalking in Scotland. In 



