102 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



grow rather tedious, for my rambles in the north were 

 still fresh in my memory. I passed the night very 

 pleasantly by a fire, while my hunger took the second 

 duck into consideration. 



Towards noon I came to the little river Sulphur- 

 fork, which I was obliged to wade through, after many 

 vain attempts to find a shallow place, the water coming 

 up to my chest. I began to despair of getting any 

 thing to eat, and, being thoroughly wet, I resolved to 

 come soon to a halt, and dry myself by a fire, when all 

 at once I saw about fifty deer, within shot, all quietly 

 feeding, and taking no notice of me. For an instant I 

 stood petrified ; then every fibre in my body beat and 

 trembled with delight. The suddenness of the sight 

 had so excited me that I could not take aim, and I was 

 obliged to wait to collect myself. It was a glorious 

 sight, such a number of these noble animals together ; 

 I counted fifty-seven, and derived particular pleasure 

 from the antics of two fawns, which made the mo.-t 

 comical bounds, and came very near me without any 

 suspicion. Regret to kill such a beautiful innocent 

 creature witliheld my hand for some time, but hunger 

 was not to be cajoled, — I fired, and one of them fell 

 without a cry. The effect of the report upon the herd 

 was Cjuite ludicrous, — each of the hitherto unsuspicious 

 animals became an image of attention, then fled with 

 immense bounds towards the thicket. As I did not 

 move they stopped again, and began to feed, but not 

 without frequently raising their heads to listen. The 

 impression which the fall of his playfellov/ had produced 

 on the other fawn was very different. Far from flying, 

 he came nearer, smelt the poor animal as if he thought 



