W.UtWU.K \M>UI)L.\M).S. 75 



antlered head above the spray ! with how magnificent and 

 brave a stroke he breasts the curling billows !" 



"Give way ! my men, give way I" 



How the frail bark creaks and groans as we ply the long 

 oars in the rullocks — how the ash bends in our sturdy 

 grasp — how the boat springs beneath their impulse. 



"Together, boys I together! now — now we gain — now, 

 Garry, lay your oar aside — up with your musket — now 

 you are near enough — give it to him, in heaven's name! a 

 good shot, too! the bullet ricocheetted from the lake 

 scarcely six inches from his nose! Give way again — it's 

 my shot now!" 



And lifting my Joe Manton, each barrel loaded with a 

 bullet carefully wadded with greased buckskin. I took a 

 careful aim and fired. 



"That's it," cried Garry; "well done, Forester — right 

 through the head, by George!" 



And, as he spoke, I fancied for a moment he was right. 

 The noble buck plunged half his height out of the bright 

 blue water, shaking his head as if in the death agony, but 

 the next instant he stretched out again with vigor unim- 

 paired, and I could see that my ball had only knocked a 

 tine off his left antler. 



My second barrel still remained, and without lowering 

 the gun, I drew my second trigger. Again a fierce plunge 

 told that the ball had not erred widely; and this time, 

 when he again sank into his wonted posture, the deep 

 crimson dye that tinged the foam which curled about his 

 graceful neck, as he still struggled, feebly fleet, before his 

 unrelenting foes, gave token of a deadly woimd. 



Six more strokes of the bending oars — we shot alongside 

 — a noose of rope was cast across his branching tines, the 

 keen knife flashed across his throat, and all was over! 

 We towed him to the shore, where Harry and his com- 

 rades were awaiting us with another victim to his un- 

 erring aim. We took both bucks and all hands on board, 

 pulled stoutly homeward, and found Tom lamenting. 



Two deer, a buck of the first head, and a doe, had taken 

 water close beside him — he had missed his first shot, and 

 in toilinff over-hard to recover lost ground, had broken his 

 oar, and been compelled inactively to witness their escape. 



Three fat bucks made the total of the day's sport — not 

 one of which had fallen to Tom's boristed musket. 



