230 AMERICAN GAME. 



canoes along the margin of streams and brooks to which 

 the deer come down to feed, having a light elevated in 

 the bows upon a plank which partially conceals the 

 person of the shooter or by walking stealthily through 

 the woods with a fire-pan supported by a staff, and filled 

 with blazing light wood knots, carried before you by an 

 assistant, close in whose, wake you crawl along, with 

 ready gun, prepared for secret murder. Seeing the 

 mysterious lights through the glimmering twilight of the 

 woods, the timid deer stands at gaze half curious, half 

 fascinated, until the strong reflected light falling on the 

 balls of his distended eyes, makes them glare out like 

 balls of fire, and enables his dastardly associate to point 

 the deadly tube directly at the centre of his broad fair 

 brow between them, and so to slay him unsuspecting. 



Worse yet, indeed worst of all, where all are bad and 

 base, is the practice borrowed from the Indian, who 

 killing not for sport but for necessity, not to gratify the 

 hunter's gallant zeal, but to supply his wigwam with 

 food for its inmates, at all times killed from ambush, 

 and never discharging an arrow but when he was sure of 

 killing is the practice, I say, of lying in ambush by 

 some salt-lick, or spring to which the deer comes down 

 to drink, and, well concealed to the leeward of his path, 

 to shoot him down without difficulty, as without excite- 

 ment. 



The more legitimate modes the only modes to which 

 1 think the true sportsman will resort are deer-stalking, 



