A hunter's life. 169 



myself agreed to go to the glades to hunt deer. We all 

 started for what was called the piney cabin, and met at the 

 place ; but it was too late to hunt that evening, and there 

 was no snow on the ground. 



A light snow having fallen during the night, I said in 

 the morning that I would bet any man a gallon of whiskey 

 I would kill two deer that day. 



" I'll take that bet," said a man by the name of James 



It was agreed on ; and I told them to pick their course, 

 and I would take the ground that was left. So they all 

 made choice of a locality for that day, leaving me the very 

 ground I wished for. 



Every one sat out in great spirits ; but while going to 

 the place assigned me, I heard a buck bleat ; which they 

 will do in mating-time when they smell other deer. I 

 walked quickly to the leeward side of him, in order that 

 he should not smell me ; in doing which, I crossed a num- 

 ber of deer-tracks. Knowing that the buck was after 

 them, I stood close to the tracks, where I could still hear 

 him bleating, and every time the sound was nearer. In a 

 short time I saw him following the tracks, sure enough. 

 I let him come within eight steps, and then stopped him 

 by bleating as he did ; when I shot him in his tracks. I 

 skinned him very rapidly, and went on ; but I had pro- 

 ceeded only a short distance, when I saw a small buck 

 trot along the top of a steep hill, and disappear down the 

 opposite side. 



I ran to the top, and looking down, saw him going lei- 

 feurely along ; whereupon I snorted like a deer, which I 

 could do very naturally. As soon as he heard the snort, 

 thinking it came from the other deer, which he expected 

 to see, he stopped to look round for them. 



I had with me a deer's tail, which I showed him from 

 behind a tree, s.vd then exposed a small portion of my 

 clothes, which were about the color of a deer. Uncertain 

 15 



