WAKWKK WOODLANDS. (Ill 



scrambled out of the wagon on the first alarm, aud stood 

 eye, ear, and heart erect, by the off side of the horses, 

 which were very restless, pawing, and plunging violently, 

 and almost defying Timothy's best skill to hold them; 

 while Harry, having cast off his box-eoat, stood firm and 

 upright on the foot board as a carved statue, with his 

 rifle cocked and ready ; when, headed back upon us by the 

 yell of Lyn and the loud clamor of his fresh foes, the first 

 buck I had seen in America, and the largest I had seen 

 any where, dashed at a single plunge into the round, clear- 

 ing the green head of a fallen hemlock, apparently with- 

 out an effort, his splendid antlers laid back on his neck, 

 and his white flag lashing his fair round haunch as the 

 fleet bitches Bonny Belle and Blossom yelled with their 

 shrill fierce trebles close behind him. 



Seeing that it was useless to persist in my endeavor to 

 extricate my gun, and satisfied that the matter was in 

 good hands, I was content to look on. an inactive but 

 most eager witness. 



Tom, who from his position at the head of the off 

 horse, commanded the first view of the splendid creature, 

 pitched his gun to his shoulder hastily and fired ; the 

 smoke drifted across my face, but through its vapory 

 folds I could distinguish the dim figure of the noble hart 

 still bounding unhurt onward; but, before the first echo 

 of the round ringing report of Tom's shot-gun reached 

 my ear, the sharp flat crack of Harry's rifle followed it, 

 and at the self-same instant the buck sprang six feet into 

 the air, and pitched head foremost on the ground; it was 

 but for a moment, however, for with the speed of light 

 he struggled to his feet, and though sore wounded, was 

 yet toiling onward when the two English foxhounds 

 dashed at his throat and pulled him down again. 



''Run in, Tom, run in! quick," shouted Harry, "he's 

 not clean killed, and may gore the dogs sadly!" 



''I've got no knife," responded Tom, but dauntlessly he 

 do shed in. all the same, to the rescue of the bitches — 

 which I believe he loved almost as well as his own children 

 — and though, encumbered by his ponderous white top- 

 coat, not to say by his two hundred and fifty weight of 

 solid flesh, seized the fierce animal by the brow-antlers, 

 and bore him to the ground, before Harrj', who had leaped 

 out of the wagon, with his first words, could reach him. 



