THE STILL HUNT. 89 



" I 've lain by this spring right often, but I s'pose we may as 

 well go now ; you go ketch the ponies, and I '11 get their pelter 

 ready." 



I accordingly went after the ponies, which were found near 

 where we had hoppled them. As I rode back I saw a single buck 

 feeding in the open woods, but stopping to attempt a shot, he ran 

 off in the direction that we had come in the morning. On return- 

 ing to the spring, Mike had the game already bound, and balanced 

 so as to hang over the ponies. The hog balanced two saddles of 

 venison, and the panther's skin another saddle. After loading the 

 ponies we started toward home, Mike promising to get the buck I 

 had seen when I went for the ponies. I showed him the place 

 where the deer had been feeding when I first saw him, and the 

 direction he had taken. 



" Wall, that '11 do," he said ; " he 's so much nigher home," 



In a few minutes after, as we mounted a hill, we saw the deer 

 in the distance again, and as we came in view he looked at us for 

 a moment, and then gently trotted on, and some small galls or 

 swamp holes intervening, was soon lost to sight. 



" Thar, he '11 do now. Take your pony by the bridle, and 

 follow fast right for that gall." 



We came within a hundred yards of the brake, and then hop- 

 pling the ponies, ran on to the edge of the bushes, that afforded a 

 good cover. Having reached this, we passed carefully through, 

 looking out toward the open land beyond in hopes to see the buck 

 within shot, but, alas ! he was too wise for that, and had only 

 stopped when fully beyond the reach of harm from the thicket 

 close behind. Near by, a turkey-hen was leading a large brood 

 of young ones, nearly full grown, clucking and hopping along, and 

 running hither and thither in the pursuit of spiders and lizards, 

 that showed she was utterly unconscious of her dangerous 

 neighbours. 



" Now we '11 have to crawl for it," said Mike. 



" Then the sooner we begin, the sooner we get within shot," 

 said I, moving forward. 



" Stop," whispered Mike ; " wait till those turkeys get away. 

 If the deer sees them run away in a hurry he '11 make tracks too, 



