270 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



found he had a small bear up a tree. We shot it, and 

 hung it up, when the other dog returned to us, and we set 

 out in search of deer. 



We had hunted but a short time, when, seeing a fine buck 

 feeding, Enlow agreed to keep the dogs quiet, and leave 

 me to kill him. Before I approached near enough to 

 shoot — for he was then moving off — I lost sight of him. 

 Going to the spot where I had last seen him, I found that 

 he had passed down through a narrow opening between 

 two large rocks, and was then below the high ledge. I 

 crept softly to the top of the ledge and looked down the 

 hill, but could not see the buck, when, accidentally turning 

 my eyes toward the base of the rock, there he stood, ga- 

 zing up at me, and not more than twenty feet below the 

 position I occupied ; where he stood until I sent a ball 

 through his back, when down he fell. 



Enlow and the dogs at once came running to my assist- 

 ance. My dog ran to the place where I still stood on the 

 high cliff; and as soon as he saw the buck struggling at 

 the foot of the rock, he jumped down, but in his fall 

 lodged in the fork of a tall, slim sapling, and there stuck 

 fast enough. He kicked and bawled to no purpose, and 

 the longer he struggled the tighter he was pressed into 

 the fork, until at last it split, and he dropped on the 

 ground. Though he had fallen some eight or ten feet 

 before he struck the fork, he was not in the least injured. 



We skinned our buck, and, having split him, each 

 took half; after which we set out for our respective homes. 

 Having about four miles to go, and the river to cross, I 

 traveled by short marches, until at length I came to the 

 river, which, being high and muddy, looked dangerous. I 

 sat down, and considered what I had better do. I must 

 either wade through the river at this place, or travel a mile 

 and a half, over a steep, rough road, to a canoe. As my 

 load was heavy, and I was already tired, and as the worst 



