ANOTHER DAY AT CHEE-HA. 187 



tracks, let us make across the old field a blast of 

 the horn will bring us together when we reach the 

 marsh.' 



By separate tracks then we moved, and had not 

 advanced two hundred yards, when crack! went 

 Geordy ? s gun. I looked in the direction of the 

 report and his head only was visible above the sea 

 of marsh mallows. The direction of his face I 

 could see, and that was pointed toward me. 

 Toward me then, thought I, runs the deer. I 

 reined in my horse, and turned his head in that 

 direction. It was such a thickly woven mass of 

 mallows and myrtle high as my shoulders as I sat 

 in the saddle that there was little hope of being 

 able to see the game. I trusted to my ear to warn 

 me of his approach, and soon heard the rustling of 

 the leaves and the sharp quick leap, which mark 

 the movement of a deer at speed. I saw him not, 

 until he appeared directly under my horse's nose, in 

 act to leap ; he vaulted, and would have dropped 

 upon my saddle, had he not seen the horse while 

 yet poised in air, and (by an effort like that of the 

 tumbler who throws a somerset) twisted himself 

 suddenly to my right. He grazed my knee in his 

 descent ; and as he touched the earth I brought my 

 gun down, pistol-fashion, with a rapid twitch, and 

 sent the whole charge through his backbone. It 



