A hunter's life. 325 



place in it I took my stand ; knowing that if they still 

 harbored there I would see them before sundown. 



I stood, perhaps, twenty minutes, when I discovered 

 something which looked like the point of a buck's horn. 

 I gazed at it for some time without being able to decide 

 what it was, but still could not take my eyes from it. Pre- 

 sently, down it went, and I could see nothing more of it. 

 There was a fallen tree within one step of me, upon which 

 I mounted, and thus was able to see over the bushes, when 

 there stood a buck, within close range. 



I took a good aim at him, although he was fully half 

 covered by bushes ; but fearing the wind should turn 

 toward him, I made the best I could of it, fired at, and 

 shot him ; when as quick as possible I jumped on him, 

 and had his throat cut in a twinkling. Looking up, J 

 saw two more running slowly, whereupon I rammed down 

 a naked ball, and by the time they had reached the other 

 side of a little stream, I was ready. As they stopped to 

 look back, I let fly again, and popped over another. The 

 dog, seeing that one kicking, started after, and ran the 

 other one clear off. I dressed their carcasses, hung them 

 up, and reached my uncle's by dark. When I took the 

 venison to market, one saddle weighed eighty-six pounds, 

 and the other eighty-four pounds. 



A week or two subsequently I went into the same woods 

 to hunt, on a very rainy day. When a hard shower fell, 

 I sought the shelter of a hollow tree, or of some project- 

 ing rock ; or else I would take three pieces of bark, lay 

 them on poles, and sit under them until the showers passed 

 over, when I would move on again. So I continued to 

 do until evening, in the meantime seeing nothing to shoot; 

 but as I was hunting with the greatest care, looking and 

 listening intently, I heard a stick break. I remained 

 quietly in my place until I heard a second crack, when J 

 ob.«<} Ted the highest limbs of a chestnut tree, and, looking 

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