178 MEN I HAVE FISHED WITH. 



when the first shot must disable a grizzly or a panther, 

 for it took time to measure powder and reload. 



I had to go to the village for something, and left the 

 rifle loaded, also the powder horn and box of caps. The 

 bullets and patches were in a leather box in my belt, 

 which I wore. On returning I heard several shots some 

 distance from our shaft. Guyon and the rifle were gone. 

 The shots kept up, and I started at a lively gait until I 

 came in view of the shooting match. There was Guyon 

 in among the branches of a fallen tree; crack went the 

 rifle, and a big buck charged into the branches, but could 

 not reach him. His back was toward me, and I hailed: 

 "Hello, Charley! What are you doin' to that deer?" 



He turned and said: "You are a great fellow to go 

 off with all the bullets. Got any with you? If you have, 

 throw me one. Don't come in here too close or that 

 deer will kill you; he's fightin' mad now." 



I did go in on a run and got into the tree top just in 

 time to avoid the charge of the buck, and handed Guyon 

 a bullet, which he rammed down without a patch, and 

 planted it in the deer's frontal bone and dropped him. 



Such a looking deer I never did see. Guyon's only 

 bullet had broken one antler close to the head and 

 angered him. The tree top was fortunately at hand 

 and made a natural abattis, behind which the man could 

 carry on the offensive and shift to avoid the enemy as 

 occasion required. But the deer! His head was liter- 

 ally skinned all around his eyes, and from his forehead 

 to his nose. 



Charles said: "When he came for me and I was safe 

 in this treetop I whittled green plugs for bullets, and 

 thought if one took him in the eye it would drop him. 

 Every time a plug hit him he would snort, shake his 

 head and come at me. See how he has wet me. I think 



