THE LAST DAY AT CHEE-HA. 239 



until he readied Tar Bluff on the Combahee. At 

 this spot (moistened by the last blood spilt in the 

 revolutionary contest that of the gallant John 

 Laurens, of South Carolina), he lost all trace of the 

 deer. Whether he swam the Combahee, as he had 

 before swam the Chee-ha ; whether he here escaped 

 from the hounds, or was devoured by them ; whe- 

 ther he was a deer of flesh and blood, or the phan- 

 tom buck of the legend we cannot decide. The 

 data are before our readers ; and each one can set- 

 tle these questions for himself, according to his 

 peculiar taste. As for the hounds, they were found 

 (like veterans, as they were) quartered in couples, 

 on the plantations that bordered on their line of 

 march. They were recovered, and returned to their 

 anxious master, who, we fancy, will think twice, 

 before he halloos them off a second time, in chase 

 of a phantom buck, or any buck whose blood is 



marrow ! 



VENATOR. 



Come, now, before we part for we confess to 

 having a kindly feeling for you after keeping com- 

 pany with you so long come, now, Venator, and 

 tell whether or no you were accounted a successful 

 shot ? We are curious to know what you could do 



