A hunter's life. 357 



borhood a deer-lick which was much used by a large 

 buck. 



I went to see him, according to promise ; and when the 

 proper time in the evening arrived, we started forth;^ deer- 

 lick. As we were proceeding thither, we encountered a 

 huge rattlesnake, with which we soon settled accounts. 

 After fulfilling the prediction made in the Scriptures, that 

 "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head," 

 we then went to the lick, and took our seats on a high 

 rock, where we remained until dark without seeing any 

 deer. Withdrawing to a short distance, we made a fire, 

 and slept until the birds began to sing their sweet notes 

 among the trees. 



Rousing up ray son, we walked lightly to the high rock, 

 took our seats, and kept a close look-out for our buck, even 

 after the sun was shining and drying up the dew ; when I 

 proposed that we should eat our breakfast and go home. 

 At the base of the rock ran a fine spring of water, on the 

 border of which I suggested that we should take our meal. 

 As my son, however, objected to us leaving our seats, say- 

 ing that it was possible a deer would yet come, we conti- 

 nued in our places, and had nearly finished our breakfast, 

 when he saw two bucks at a distance, coming toward 

 us in a great hurry. They were sometimes galloping, and 

 sometimes trotting ; which paces they held until they were 

 nearly within rifle-shot. 



My son rose to his feet too soon, and was preparing to 

 shoot at too great a distance, when I took him by the arm, 

 and begged him to hold his fire until the bucks came quite 

 near, as they could not smell us, for we were on the leeward 

 side. 



But I could not prevail on him to sit down until, seeing 

 that he was trembling with the buck fever, I told him that 

 he vould miss, and we should lose a fine buck 



