100 yORTY-FOUR YEARS OP 



river they went, where I found them fighting desperately, 

 and the dog almost drowned. 



I shot the buck in the head, and he floated down the 

 river ; but after going several rods, he lodged on a rock, 

 when I waded into the water nearly to my belt, against a 

 very strong current, and succeeded in bringing him to the 

 shore. He was very large ; but he had fought so much 

 with other bucks, that his meat was not fit for use ; so I 

 took only what I could conveniently carry, as food for my 

 dogs, and went home. 



Everything seemed to progress to the satisfaction and 

 happiness of myself and my beloved Mary. There hav- 

 ing come on another snow, I started out before day, and 

 was on the hunting-ground by the time there was sufficient 

 light to take aim. Discovering the trail of many bucks, 

 I took a stand, and watched for others to come the same 

 way. In two or three minutes I saw a buck, with a fine 

 pair of horns, coming directly toward me : he was so beau- 

 tiful to look at, that I became excited, and trembled so 

 much that I thought I would let him come so near that I 

 could not miss him. On he came till he was within twenty 

 steps of me, when I fired ; and he started off, with the dog 

 after him. But the buck had one leg broken, the ball not 

 striking within two feet of the place where I wished it to 

 lodge. After I shot the buck the second time, when he 

 and the dog were in close contest, and saw what a wild 

 shot I had made the first time, I was really ashamed of it, 

 although I was away out in the woods. The same day, 

 while on my way home, I saw a fine buck rise up, he hav- 

 ing got some hint that he was in danger. As he popped 

 up to look where the danger lay, I was within short gun- 

 shot, and let him have a full charge, whicli brought him 

 down, with his back broken. 



By this time our cabin was supplied with as much meat 

 afl would last us all the winter; whei», although there was 



