116 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



a two-year-old or so, keeping a respectful distance in 

 the rear. But sometimes they come together, and 

 then there is a clattering of horns, flashing of greenish- 

 blue eyes, and an elevation of hair that is decidedly 

 entertaining to one who can keep his finger from 

 the trigger long enough to "see it out." 



If at the time when a doe is pursued by one or 

 more of these ardents a hunter happens to be upon 

 her course, either before or after she passes, he may 

 be overwhelmed with a perfect avalanche of success 

 before he knows it. A deer running on a gallop is 

 always blind enough to anything ahead of him that 

 does not move. But when thus inflamed with passion 

 the buck is so much so that he often does not care 

 even for a thing that does move a little, and will 

 sometimes charge past or nearly upon the hunter in 

 spite of all bleating, whistling, or any other noise 

 with which the hunter may try to stop him. The 

 havoc wrought in a novice's nervous organization by 

 such an onset may well be imagined; and fortunate is 

 he if he has any nerve left by the time the others ar- 

 rive, which is generally in a very few minutes, or even 

 seconds. 



I have myself never seen more than three bucks 

 after one doe, and that but once; but I know several 

 well-authenticated cases of four and five, and one case 

 of seven being killed behind one doe in less than 

 fifteen minutes, so well attested that I feel obliged to 

 believe it. 



But all such cases as even four or five are now the 

 rare exception, and one might spend the whole run- 

 ning-time without ever getting on the course of a 

 buck following a doe either in company or alone. 



