POKE RECEIVES A CUR'OSITY AND TELLS A YARN. 253 



canoe so that, as the light moved against the woods, the motion 

 of the boat brought forth two or three more sneezes, and then we 

 heard a heavy crashing through the bushes as a deer dashed up 

 the hill, awakening the echoes with his nose, more terrifying than 

 Bardolph's fiery beak to all the bottom land: for immediately, 

 from the other side of the brook, another buck took up the cry, 

 and rushed up the hill to the summit, where he stood some minutes 

 stamping the ground and startling the darkness with that most 

 singular of alarums. 



" ' Two big bucks/ said Hank. ' There be'ent much good 

 huntin' here any longer ; we've got ter get back to the lakes agin, 

 fur them bucks has called off all the others.' 



'•' ' But it won't do to give it up so, Hank ; we must have a deer, 

 or we won't go home till morning. Think of the hungry mouths 

 in camp.' 



" ' Wall, I suppose we can try them sand-beaches round on the 

 south shore. I kinder think the bucks fodder on the sand-beaches 

 more'n on lily pads this time o' year.' 



" So around we went, glaring our Cyclopean eye over the open 

 lake, and causing the loons to laugh like monkeys. One or two 

 islands stand out in the open water where the brook makes in, and 

 we passed around their jutting rocks to the southern shore. The 

 water began to shoal, and I could see the white sand on the bottom, 

 from which here and there the osiers reared their taper wands, and, 

 as the air came wafting from the land, it brought the odour of the 

 white water-lilies, the queen of all the water flora. Skirting the 

 osiers we could see the sword-grass growing rank beyond, and 

 presently we heard a splash in the water. A moment more of 

 slow drifting motion and we heard the tramp, tramp, of some 

 animal wading in the water. A little nearer we floated, the rifle 

 in hand and the senses concentrating on the grassy marsh. A 

 little nearer, and the eye caught a motion. Brighter grew the 

 light as the canoe floated up and reddened the grass and reeds, 

 and we caught, in the darkness ahead, a bright blue light, and then 

 another, the reflection from the deer's eyes. Then we heard a 

 suppressed snort. Another push of the paddle, and a deer stood 

 out in the grass, his head thrown up, and his eyes shedding pale 



