EARLY DAY STORIES. 211 



a shallow ravine. There were a few pine trees of quite large 

 size scattered along the borders of the open ground, and 

 just in front of where I was standing there was a clump of 

 pines, a dozen or more growing close together near the bot- 

 tom of the ravine. In general, however, the country was 

 open up and down the glade both ways, so that a good view 

 could be had for half a mile each way. Stopping for a few 

 minutes, I looked the country over each way, but there was 

 nothing in sight. Going on, I had just reached the clump 

 of pines in front when, half a mile off to the south, a black 

 tail buck was seen just coming into the open ground. He 

 stopped and looked for an instant, and then putting his nose 

 to the ground, walked along a few rods as if following a 

 track. No doubt he was tracking up another deer. He was 

 coming almost directly toward me, alternately sniffing at 

 the ground and then loping for a few rods. I kept perfect- 

 ly still, with the rifle at a ready, partly shielded from sight 

 by the trees. On he came until within about twenty rods, 

 when he turned slightly to the right, and began to gradually 

 climb the gentle east slope of the ravine. He passed within 

 sixty steps without noticing me at all, and while his head 

 was down smelling at the track I fired, the ball passing 

 through both shoulders. He fell after running a dozen rods. 

 He was a fair sized deer, but with a poor set of horns. Had 

 I been walking, instead of standing perfectly still, it is prob- 

 able that he would have seen me and would not have come 

 within easy gun shot. 



The next fall I took another hunt in the Hills in com- 

 pany with John Hunt, Jep Hopkins and Sam Coe. We 

 hunted well up in the mountains, the game being scarce 

 lower down. It was a fine company to be out with — Hunt 

 and Hopkins were old campaigners, both having done time 

 in the federal army during the war of the Rebellion, and 

 Sam. although a young man, was old in experience as a 



