THE DEER HUNT. 59 



while Mike was doing the same on the other side. All at once 

 the hounds broke out with a louder yell, and at the same moment 

 a buck broke cover again in front of me, accompanied by two 

 does, one on either side. I had just loaded, and had my foot in 

 the stirrup, when, without changing position, I fired at the stag's 

 shoulder. I missed my mark, but shot one of the does, that 

 tumbled down in the grass. The buck and the other doe once 

 more turned back, and, coursed down the edge of the hummock 

 toward Poke, who fired his barrel again, and this time, with some 

 correctness, for the buck dropped his tail for an instant with an 

 uneasy motion, when, raising it again, he turned back, followed by 

 Poke, on horseback, directly past my stand. I fired my second 

 barrel without effect, and then, not able to resist the contagion of 

 the chase, spurred my horse after the flying animals. Away they 

 went down the little swale that led toward Lou Jackson's stand. 

 One hound after another, as he came out of the rushes, caught 

 sight of the deer, and joined in the chase with a double note. 

 Pang ! came a shot from my left, missed clear, and the hunter, 

 not stopping to load, joined the chase. Now for it, Miss Jackson ! 

 I saw her raise her gun, her father was close behind, riding hard 

 to get to her, and away down the woods I could see Mike trying 

 to head off the chase, his long hair streaming behind him like a 

 woman's. A puff of smoke, and a report — the buck staggered, but 

 still ran, drawing in behind him, in one yelling, shouting, crashing 

 train, every man, horse, and dog in the woods. 



" You hit him, Lou. Tally-ho ! Hi on ! hi ! Hurrah ! Faster ! 

 There '■ Tip, and there 's Slasher ! Go it, Music ! Golly ! maussa, 

 gib him fits !" were the cries that were intelligible in the medley 

 of sound, until the yelling of the dogs and the trampling of the 

 horses drowned all words. The horses, as wild in their ardour as 

 their riders, needed no rein. The buck led the way directly for 

 another hummock about three miles away, and which was now 

 within sight ; his flight was straight and well sustained, though 

 now and then a spot of blood on the leaves showed he was wounded. 

 The dogs were toiling on behind, not two yards away, and close 

 behind the dogs came all the hunters, the Doctor, riding the fastest 

 horse, taking the lead. As we approached the hummock, the pine 



