186 THe Aroostook Woops. 


> 
only see ‘‘deer! deer! at ’em boys!” Out of the yard they 
must jump, the old buck or strong doe taking the lead; the 
baby deer the last, jumps in the larger one’s tracks as well as 
he can, but he is weak and the first one to be sacrificed. His 
little legs have found the bottom, made loose by the others 
before him; he is soon: fast and cannot make another jump. 
His strength was soon used up, as his breakfast was simply 
sucking the stubbs of sprouts the older ones left. He looks 
pleadingly toward his relentless pursuers, and surely they 
will let this little baby deer live. But no; they are now deaf 
to its pitiful cry, and he counts, and they want to brag of 
the number they sacrifice. So on hurries a fat, oily-faced, 
red-cheeked fellow, that weighs one hundred and sixty-five, 
age about twenty, with broad shoulders and fat, short legs; 
in fact his whole exterior speaks of a good appetite and 
plenty of pork and beansat home. ‘‘ Hurrah!” he cries, and 
plants his snow-shoe shod feet plump upon his back, crushing 
him still deeper in the snow. The poor lamb gives two or 
three plaintive bleats, but he whips out a long, murderous 
looking bowie knife, seizes him by the nostrils, bends his head 
back between his knees and cuts his throat, murderer fashion, 
from ear to ear, then leaves him lying there, to hasten on after 
the other fellows, who are overpowering the lamb’s mother 
that they met coming back to the bleating lamb. She too is 
soon no more, with the same ghastly gash across her throat. 
On they go until every one shares the same fate. They save 
a few almost worthless skins (for at this time they are very 
thin indeed, though the hair is very thick upon them) too 
thin for anything but a lining, bringing perhaps thirty or 
forty cents apiece. 
The boys are a long ways from home, and can only carry 
