248 FORTY-FOUR YEAES OF 



and I carried his carcass to the house before they had 

 supper ready. 



We stayed with Drane all night ; and in the morning 

 there being a nice snow on the ground, as soon as break- 

 fast was over, Riley and I went to the woods ; but the 

 wind being unfavorable for us, we scared several deer, 

 without obtaining any shots ; so 1 told Riley that we had 

 better travel to the eastern side of the hunting ground, 

 and then hunt up against the wind. "We traveled at least 

 three miles, until we got the wind in our faces, when we 

 went into the ground which I knew the deer frequented, 

 and commenced looking for them. We had hunted but a 

 short time, when I saw four deer lying down, though Riley 

 could not see them, nor dare I call to him to tell him where 

 they were. I fired at them, and killed one in its bed ; when 

 the others rose up, and not knowing from what direction 

 the shot came, stood till I fired a second time, and killed 

 another ; when, seeing the others run off, we went to 

 the two dead ones, and commenced dressing them. As I 

 rose to look for a limb on which to hang them up, I 

 saw one of the others, which had returned in search of 

 its company. I shot that one also, hung it up alongside 

 the other two, and then turned out to hunt for more. 



I suppose we hunted over a mile of ground, and found 

 the tracks of two deer, which we followed, and soon over- 

 took. I shot both of them, without moving from my 

 position ; though Riley never saw them until they were 

 down and kicking their last. After they were dressed, we 

 started to return to Drane's again ; and while on the way, 

 I saw three deer quietly feeding in the deep snow, which 

 had been falling nearly all the day, and was then half-leg 

 deep. I crept up close, and shot the doe, when the fawns 

 ran until they got beyond a fallen tree, where they stood 

 huddled close togethe " I seat Riley to kill one of them, 

 for I knew they would stand there until they were again 



