76 MEN I HAVE FISHED WITH. 



is one of the hardest things to resist, and I have not always 

 been equal to the task; but this day I simply took good 

 aim at them and thought. It had been impressed upon 

 me that I must not shoot except at a deer that a shot 

 from me would testify that a deer had come my way and 

 would confuse others. Hounds were tonguing in sev- 

 eral directions. I had about lost interest in this stupid 

 work when, "flecked with leafy light and shadow," a buck 

 walked down the opposite slope into the river! It must 

 be a dream! There were no hounds after him that could 

 be seen, and it seemed as if I was choking. He drank, 

 looked around and drank again. I must shoot him ! That 

 fact came slowly to me, but I was all a-tremble. He 

 walked diagonally across the river. I aimed and fired. 

 He floundered in the water. Surely he was hit, but might 

 escape! Never thinking to load and shoot again, I left 

 the rifle, and with bare hands started for the buck to take 

 him by the horns and drown him. I slipped on the slimy 

 stones and fell twice, but the buck was slipping and falling 

 also. I was within twenty feet of him when a rifle shot 

 dropped him. It was Simpkins, who had hurried forward 

 at the sound of my shot, and just in time to save the day. 

 Unless a scratch on top of his neck was made by my bul- 

 let, I missed him. The slippery stones threw the buck 

 when he tried to run, and to my statement that I intended 

 to take him by the horns and drown him Simpkins said: 

 "You durned fool, he'd 'a' ripped all the clothes offen you 

 with his forefeet, and might 'a' taken your bowels out at 

 the same time. Don't you ever go to foolin' with a deer 

 that has g*ot fight left in him, or you won't have any left 

 in you." The shots brought Dickinson and Tripp, and 

 the buck was soon skinned and cut up for transportation. 

 Although the horns were in the velvet and said to be of 

 no use, I insisted on saving them as a trophy of my "first 



