322 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



pered the entire herd. When I reached the place where 

 the deer I shot had stood, I found plenty of blood and 

 hair in its tracks, and followed it until I was satisfied I 

 could not get another shot at it, I then sent my dog 

 after it again, which soon drove it into a creek ; but 

 when I drew near, and looked closely at the deer, I was 

 astonished at its size, and thought it was the largest doe 

 in the woods. I shot it, and got it out of the water, when 

 it proved to be an enormous buck, without horns ; which 

 is a very uncommon thing. Being close to my camp, I 

 carried him in ; and William returned, according to pro- 

 mise, without having hunted at all. 



We continued the hunt for six days, having good wea- 

 ther all the time, and as good a tracking snow as ever 

 laid on the ground. But I never got another shot during 

 the whole week, while William was killing deer almost 

 every day. 



As the season for hunting was nearly closed, William 

 and I agreed to make a trial of our skill in that way ; and 

 for this purpose we went to Bear Creek Glades — ^the place 

 where little Mary and I first settled in the woods. 



We set out on Monday morning, and hunted from our 

 home to the house where we intended to stop ; there being 

 no one living in it at the time. When we got there, in 

 the evening, I had killed one deer, and William two. 



On Tuesday we were out again, and in the evening I 

 had two deer, while William had but one. 



Wednesday we went out again. In the evening he had 

 two, and I one. 



On Thursday, I killed two and William one. On 

 Friday, he killed two and I one. 



On Saturday, as a snow which was knee-deep had fallen 

 the previous night, we agreed to hunt as we returned 

 home ; and during the day I killed two. When T got 



