26 F O R T Y - F O IJ R Y P: A R R C) F 



clothes, aud aunt got still more and more cross. She had 

 long been in the habit of flogging me very severely, and 

 finding no preparation for my clothes, I hunted coons and 

 wild cats, and sold the fur, which was then in brisk de- 

 mand. I took it into my head to try the deer, and I pro- 

 cured an old rifle that carried an ounce ball. I had been 

 out with other hunters, but they would always do all the 

 shooting. 



This time I loaded up my old gun, and set out in great 

 earnest. I travelled about two miles, and found the tracks 

 of a lot of deer. After them I went, and in came another 

 hunter before me, and took the tracks from me. I turned 

 another way, and presently I heard him shoot. " There," 

 said I to myself, " if that rascal had staid at home, that deer 

 would have been mine." But on I went, looking for more 

 deer. By and by, I saw two standing looking at me. I 

 immediately placed my gun against a tree, took aim, and 

 l)aiig went my old gun with deafening sound, till my ears 

 rang ; the cause of which was, that having no charger 

 to measure the powder, I had put in enough for at least 

 two loads. As soon as I recovered from the shock, I looked 

 for the deer ; and there stood one, looking at the other 

 down and kicking. With the best si)eed I could make, 

 up I came, with the empty gun in my right hand, and on to 

 the deer I sprang like a panther. But no sooner was I on 

 than I was oS" again, and sprawled, heels and head, gun and 

 all, in the snow. I drew my knife, left ray gun, and sprana 

 at my game a second time, and succeeded in giving her a 

 fatal cut across the neck, which severed the two large 

 veins, and left her my meat ; then looking for the other 

 deer, there it stood, looking at me as if nothing had been 

 going on. I an for my gun, and found the heat of the 

 barrel had raeited the snow all over it ; loading was out 

 of the question, until it was well dried, and in the mean- 

 time the deer trotted off. 



