CRUST AND LAKE HUNTING, 519 
well. He had not time to load his gun or see what became 
of the young buck, for the other dog had brought down an 
enormous old buck, which took water at the same time near 
him. He lay still and let it swim out some distance, and 
then gave chase. He was soon up with him in wide water, 
and attempted to throw the noose over its horns. The buck 
showed fight, and striking up, suddenly knocked the stick 
from his grasp. Then, with stiffened bristles, and a hoarse 
low of wrath, it raised itself in the water, and planted its 
fore-feet on the side of the boat. 
The man was too old a hunter to be mach alarmed, though 
the deer seemed determined to turn the boat over or get in. 
The gun was empty, as we have said, but these men always 
throw a stout club of heavy green wood into the bottom of 
the boat to provide against contingencies such as these: 
ingeed, they frequently take nothing else with them, as this 
is usually sufficient to kill any deer. A rapping blow across 
the head with this club caused the buck to drop back into 
the water, with his courage considerably cooled. 
However, it soon renewed the fight, and as it caught most 
of the blows aimed at its head upon its immense horns, the 
man found he had both a tough and a dangerous job before 
him. The deer, in the meantime, was making gradually for 
the shore, and the hunter saw that it would effect its escape 
at last, if he continued to fight—so he directed all his efforts 
to turning it off from shore, shouting at the same time to his 
comrade for help. He was nearly worn out with fatigue, 
and had received several severe blows from the horns c’ 
the deer, when his friend came to his assistance and ek it 
it through the head. 
It was now nearly dark, and with four deer as the result 
of one day’s sport, they returned perfectly satisfied, as well 
as worn out, to their shantee for the night. This day’s 
work, though an unusually successful one, will stand in its 
modes and incidents, for a pretty fair epitome of the sport 
