90 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



We are now nearing the old pine-chopping or 

 "slash," but before going into it let us inspect that 

 mass of wind-fallen timber on the right. Swing 

 around to the leeward side, mount a high log and go 

 on through the windfall, moving as far as possible 

 upon tree-trunks and logs. 



One third of it is thus passed when there is a sud- 

 den crack of brush and over a distant log whirls a curv- 

 ing mass of gray. As you raise your rifle with con- 

 vulsive jerk, down goes the gray over the log with an 

 upward flirt of a snowy tail. Up it comes again, and 

 curving over the next huge trunk goes plunging out 

 of sight behind it, just as you try to catch a sight with 

 the rifle. Away it goes over log after log, with the 

 white banner flaunting high as the curving gray goes 

 down; in an instant it clears the last log; glimmers 

 for a second on the open ground beyond, and fades in 

 a twinkling over a little rise. 



No occasion for desponding now either. You did 

 just right. No one could have seen that deer stand- 

 ing still or lying down in there. The only chance was 

 to "jump" him and take a running shot. And such a 

 hurdle-leaper is one of the hardest things in the world 

 to hit. You actually did better to stand and watch it 

 without shooting at all than you would have done had 

 you fired without seeing your rifle-sight or making 

 any calculations for the deer's up-and-down motion. 



And here we are at the slash. Now remember the 

 points about hunting it that you learned the last time. 



For nearly an hour you thread the open places, 

 picking your way with care. But this gets tiresome, 

 and you conclude to go to yonder point and sit down 

 a while. A harmless idea enough; but be just as care- 

 ful in going to it as you have been at any time yet. 



