A BE EH LICK. 301 



tracks indicated. It is one of the ways of taking the 

 deer, near the settlements, where they are scarce and 

 hard to come at, to watch one of these " licks" at 

 night, and shoot them as they come in to taste the 

 waters. The hunter makes a "blind" of boughs, 

 placed in a natural kind of way, thick enough to con- 

 ceal him, and yet so arranged as not to attract the 

 notice of, or alarm the deer. Behind these he places 

 himself, with his rifle protruded through an opening 

 among the boughs, large enough to admit of his 

 taking aim along the barrel, but not so large as to ex- 

 pose his face to the view of the game. He is provided 

 with a little torch of fatwood shavings, which will 

 readily ignite from a match, and blaze up so as to 

 make a flame of the size of a gas-light. This is so 

 arranged, that the light will fall upon the deer as he 

 stands in the " lick." The hunter takes his position 

 behind his blind about sundown, arranges his rifle, and 

 his little torch ready for ignition, and sits quietly wait- 

 ing for the deer to " come in." In the early part of 

 the evening a deer will be heard treading softly among 

 the leaves, and walking carefully towards " the lick." 

 Sometimes he scents the hunter, and stops and listens. 

 If he suspects danger, he will stand whistling and 



