A hunter's life. 249 



Beared. On went Riley, but, forgetting wliere they stood, 

 when he looked for them he could not see them ; so he 

 turned back. "When I saw hira coming, and the two deer 

 still standing in the same place, I ran up and asked him 

 what he came back for ? — to which he replied that the 

 fawns had gone off. I then took his gun, went to the 

 fallen tree, looked over, and seeing the two little fellows 

 still standing side by side, I put the gun over the log, and 

 took a good aim ; but the gun, being a flint lock, burnt her 

 priming, and missed Ore, or I would have killed eight deer 

 that day. 



We returned to Mr. Drane's that evening ; and as the 

 snow continued falling all night, in the morning it was 

 nearly knee-deep, but the weather was soft and thawing. 

 While breakfast was being prepared, I went out to try my 

 luck once more ; and traveled until I thought it was time 

 to return, as Riley and I had agreed to go home that day. 

 Coming to a road that led to the house, I took it, and was 

 walking lightly along, when on my left I discovered a large 

 buck quite near me, and lying down. Pointing my gun 

 at him, I shot him dead in his bed ; when, as the gun 

 cracked, up jumped a fine doe, which bounded off a few 

 steps, and then stopped. I put in a load as quickly as 

 possible, shot her dead, and went in to breakfast. 



Thus, in less than two days (for we left my house after 

 dinner, lodged at Drane's the same evening, hunted during 

 the following day, and on the third morning until break- 

 fast time), we killed twelve deer, all full grown except one, 

 which was a fawn. Riley has informed me, that, after 

 that hunt with me, he killed many a fine deer, and consi- 

 dered himself a hunter. 



After Riley (who lived twelve miles from me) had gone 

 home, I went out to the woods with two horses and a boy, 

 and gathered all the venison, which made a good sled-load 

 for th< 'wo he -ses. 



