802 FOETT-POUR YEARS OP 



miles to travel, to a place where I knew deer were pleuty 

 — the woods on which had been burned in the spring, and 

 the deer loves to feed on this burned ground. I trudged 

 on until I came to the outskirts of the burned ground, 

 when, seeing a small deer feeding, I said, " little end fore- 

 most," and creeping up as near as I wished to be, I shot 

 at and killed it. I then discovered the tracks of a very 

 large buck ; but as my dog could not follow him, I was 

 so anxious to see him that I undertook to follow him by 

 myself, and succeeded in trailing him to a thicket. I took 

 one course through the thicket, but could not find the 

 buck, when I took another course, with like success ; and 

 I had started on a third round, when, scenting my tracks 

 below him, he came galloping directly toward me. Close 

 to me laid a large tree, up to which the buck came, and 

 made a full stop ; when, without thinking about little end 

 or big end, I fired at the distance of eight steps, and laid 

 him dead. 



When I viewed him after he was kjlled, I really thought 

 him the most beautiful creature with four legs that I had 

 ever seen. I took care of his carcass, and, proceeding on 

 my course, did not hunt far before I saw another deer 

 crossing my track. I fired again, and shot a doe, which, 

 having never raised any fawns, was fine and fat. I took 

 care of her, and again started off; when, within half a 

 mile of the last deer, observing another one feeding, I 

 crept near to it, and fired again, with the same result as 

 before. I hung up this one also, and started again; 

 when, taking a i)aih made by the herd cattle, aid which 

 led to my camp, as I walked rapidly along (for it was 

 almost dark), there stood another deer. My gun again 

 sent forth its unerring leaden messenger, by which time it 

 was so dark that I could scarcely see to dress the carcass 

 of my prize. After I had cleaned it, I cut off some good 

 pieces, and stumbled on to my camp through the dark, 



