THE BATTUE ON BONDA KEY. 125 



accustomed haunts in the thickets. As some great seine that has 

 enclosed a broad bay, at last contracts its semicircle toward the 

 beach, exposing to the light the flashing fishes that in vain attempt 

 to leap its cords, while the gulls and fish-hawks wait above, so our 

 line closed up, the prey rushed hither and thither, the black heads 

 of the negroes above the grass, like the floats on the net, bobbed up 

 and down, and with shout and cry, the terrified animals made their 

 last leaps and tricks for their lives. 



The first thing that broke our line was a doe, with a fawn 

 nearly grown. The doe was let past, but one of the negroes caught 

 the fawn as it attempted to run by, and with a blow of his knife 

 across the back of its neck felled it to the ground, before a voice 

 could be raised to stop him. Then a doe was pulled down by the 

 hounds, and a dozen dogs piled up over it, very brave when its 

 resistance was overcome. 



"There go two deer to the water; see the boats pull after 

 them — the Doctor, and Lou, and Scipio in his canoe." 



" Whoop ! see the turkeys — I '11 have a gobbler ! " I said, firing 

 at their leader, who spread out his wings and settled down into 

 the grass, while the hens scattered in every direction, some taking 

 wing and flying off to the mainland. 



" Thar 's a bear!" 



"Where?" 



" In those thorn-bushes." 



" I don't see him." 



At this moment, Scipio, who had been paddling after the deer, 

 turned his canoe landward, shouting, " A bear ! A bear ! " and the 

 dogs, that had been scattered about in the underbrush, made a 

 fresh clamour, and rushed into the thorn-trees, from whence they 

 came howling back, some of them with blood running from their 

 shoulders. 



• Who saw it ? " 



" I saw it," said the Doctor, hurrying in from his canoe at the 

 first intimation of a bear, as did both of the other boats, letting the 

 deer escape ; " I know it was a bear." 



" Fire your gun at him." 



Lem was lying down flat on his face, trying to peep under the 



