AND HOW TO REACH THEM. 9 



his father to allow him to go hunting on his own 

 account. The arm was too heavy to hold off-hand, 

 so he would rest the gun over a stump. In this 

 way he killed his first deer. It was not killed 

 outright, but one of the hind legs of the deer was 

 shot off, and the dog which accompanied the young 

 hunter caught the deer. Although young Darling 

 was obliged to work hard on a New England farm, 

 he improved every chance he could to get away 

 into the woods hunting, and as the years rolled on 

 he acquired a knowledge of wood craft which 

 enabled him to surpass any of the other boys in 

 his neighborhood. He made a study of the habits 

 of game, and being of a remarkably cool temper- 

 ament, never getting excited, he generally succeeded 

 in capturing game where others failed. 



Young Darling was also very fond of a canoe, 

 and acquired a great reputation not only in handling 

 canoes but in building them. He also became 

 famous for the snow shoes and moccasins which he 

 made. 



As he grew to manhood he still followed hunting, 

 and probably there is no one in the State of Maine 

 who has killed more big game than Jonathan 

 Darling. He has hunted it in all ways, by night, 

 by day, by water on dark nights with jacks, without 

 any light, by getting close to his game, shooting by 



