A hunter's lifr. 323 



near lome, I discovered another in some laurel, and shot, 

 him dead on the spot, which made the number three. 



When William came home, he had two. We had each 

 killed ten deer, making twenty in one week ; and as the 

 snow was very deep, we hunted no more that fall. 



This winter was, as usual, very cold, with heavy snows ; 

 and in the spring, excepting some three or four bears, 

 caught in traps, I do not recollect of any being killed. 



In June, my wife, who was very partial to venison, 

 asked me to go and try to procure a deer. I started off 

 to our old residence, at Bear Creek Glades, and, after 

 hunting the whole morning, found nothing to shoot at. 



As I was returning home, I found that a haystack in 

 the glades, which had been strongly salted, and had stood 

 over winter, was resorted to by the deer for the sake of 

 the salt, and it seemed as if they were at it every evening 

 and morning. 



I went home without any venison, but told Mary that 

 I could secure a deer the first time I would go out and 

 watch that haystack, and that I had never seen more ser- 

 vice-berries in any one place than there were there. She 

 immediately proposed to ride out with me and gather ber- 

 ries, and after dinner we set oflf for the glades. 



We had a pleasant ride, and got there about four or five 

 o'clock. There was hay in the house, and we carried 

 blankets with us to keep us comfortable. I made a fire 

 for her, and told her to keep my dog there until she heard 

 my rifle crack, and then to send him out to me. 



When I reached the stack, I could see no place to hide 

 myself from the deer when they came ; so I climbed up on 

 the stack, rolled up a large bundle of hay, hid myself be- 

 hind it, with the exception of my head, and laid my gun 

 on the roll of hay, with the muzzle pointing in the direc- 

 tion I expected the deer to come. 



As I did not think they would come before sundown, I 



