182 ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS. 



forward, and, seizing the tall grass, while he forced 

 the boat in against the bank with his paddle, I 

 clambered up. Being curious to ascertain what 

 had deceived rne, I strode ofi into the marsh 

 some forty feet, and, turning up the jack, lo and 

 behold a dead deer lay at my feet 1 "Martin," 

 shouted I, " here the deer is, dead as a tick ! " 



"The d — 1!" exclaimed the guide from the fog. 



" What did you say ? " again I shouted. 



" I said I did n't believe it," returned Martin, 

 soberly. 



" Paddle your canoe up here, then, you old scep- 

 tic, and see for yourself," I rejoined, taking the 

 deer by the ear and dragging him to the bank. 

 " Here he is, and a monster too." Martin did as 

 directed. " Well," exclaimed he, as he unbent his 

 gaunt form from the curve into which two hours 

 of paddling had cramped it, and straightened him- 

 self to his full height, until his eyes rested upon the 

 buck, — " well, Mr. Murray, you are the first man 

 I ever saw draw a fine bead in a night like this, 

 standing in the bow of a Saranac boat, at the twin- 

 kle of a deer's eye, and Idll. That jack of yours is 

 a big thing, and no mistake." By the time he had 

 finished, the boat had drifted off into the river, — 

 for the current was quite strong at that point, — 

 and I was alone. I was just fitting a cap to the 

 tube of the recharged barrel, when I felt a move- 

 ment at my feet, and, casting my eyes downward. 



