i8o One Deer. 



supposing that he was well protected 

 by the branches, but there was where 

 he made a miscalculation, for at least a 

 square foot of red was in sight. Quickly 

 I levelled the rifle, and as the echoes rang 

 through the forest the buck made one 

 grand leap and stumbled as he struck the 

 ground, rolling clear over, with feet kick- 

 ing wildly in the air. In an instant he 

 was up again and had disappeared. A 

 few quick strokes with the paddle toward 

 shore, and Dick jumped out and started 

 in the direction that the deer had taken, 

 stopping long enough to motion to me 

 that he found blood. 



For several minutes I waited in sus- 

 pense. It was fast growing darker, and 

 the minutes were getting twice as long as 

 in a stopped watch, when I heard Dick 

 call from a point along the shore above 

 me. The paddle was no longer needed, 

 so I pulled out the oars and, getting them 

 into the locks, rowed as rapidly as pos- 

 sible toward Dick. He had tracked the 

 buck to the water's edge, and was just 

 saying that we would find him mortally 



