THE FIRST SHOT AT A DEER. 107 



it, will often turn the fortune of the day against you 

 even if you are the very best of hunters. 



It is now about time to visit the old " slash" again. 

 Here is a long low creek-bottom covered with black- 

 haw, thorn-apple, wild-plum, and other bushes and 

 scrubby trees amid the heavier timber. And this is 

 the very kind of ground on which a deer will often 

 lounge about an hour or so on his way to the "slash," 

 windfall, or brushy ridges where he will lie down. 

 And often, especially in stormy weather, he will spend 

 the whole day in such a bottom, standing around most 

 of the time in the thickets or openings between or in 

 them and often lying down in them. And when they 

 are not hunted much you will be quite apt to find 

 some deer in such a place at any time of day. 



And now stop. There is a dark, dim spot in yonder 

 brush a hundred and fifty yards away. It may be a 

 bit of stump or log, but it is worth investigation. 

 But you cannot go ahead and do so. If it is a deer, it 

 is one at rest; and on ground so level as this you have 

 no chance of getting close enough. But here is a 

 ridge on your left that runs within fifty yards of the 

 suspicious spot. Stoop low and retrace your steps 

 until you can get around behind that ridge without 

 being seen, go about a hundred and fifty yards on the 

 back side of it, then cautiously ascend and stop the 

 instant you catch sight of the flat where the spot is. 

 And remember not to show too much of your head. 



All this you do quite well. But when you come to 

 look over the ridge there is nothing to be seen but 

 trees and brush, through which you can see quite dis- 

 tinctly. You have learned, however, that here is a 

 critical point, and that there is great danger in decid- 

 ing too quickly that there is nothing in sight. You stand 



