Justs 14. 1883.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



385 



%;m\e §;jq mjd 



■ ■ nr for pulh- 



1 in I I'mn .-,,'•'/, .' ; ' ■!, -u ,,< .'.■ , , '..rf.s ua urn;/ lr of hi-lji 



to the rcrnlrrs- of FOREST UJD Stream. !)'(// not our r.eve- 

 spondenfc; favor us with sue!) adeine? 



A DEER HUNT NEAR MONROE, LA. 



SEVEN miles above Monroe, qb the easl side of the 

 beautiful Ouachita River, is one of the most noted, 

 pleasant and successful places lor deer shooting in die State 

 of Louisiana. 1 mean in ante-bellum days— what it is at 



this lime I [tin nnalllt' to Say. In addition to deer, no better 

 ground coftld be found for indulging' in the delightful 

 amusement of hunting wild turkeys or chasing wildcats. 

 The lake and river abounded in ba'rrish- or striped bass- 

 troul. and every variety of perch usually found in Southern 

 waters, ft, is called 'the "Horseshoe. " being a peninsula 

 formed by a large lake in the form of a horse shoe, tin: 

 heels of I lie slioe reaching within fifty yards of the river. 

 and not over two hundred yards apart. The interior of the 

 Shoe was a long, nil her narrow body Of land, pretty high 

 in spots, aud covered with dense long fishing-pole eaue. 

 Parallel with the hanks of the kike were several sloughs 

 filled with water in winter, bur dry in summer. Many 

 water oaks aud persimmon trees grew in these sloughs, the 



a corns attracting Ibe ducks aud tie 



liieh are especially fond of thi 

 it ■! ■ as a long ami wide lake deep i 

 ii". i banks generally ou both sides 4.1 



this hunt, to which our article is dev 

 lake abounded in alligators in fact, the 



that the deey would nol ink.- i I, ! V v 



compelled in order to escape the dogs a 

 dog would cross it oflener than once or 

 by "the alligators. bcine so badly frighta 

 ventured (lie deadly passage a third limt 

 ide. across the Shoe, but there was t 



html to oiler a strong attraction for the 

 side of the river ou which the lake wa 

 during the day, and 



ipicnfing the pine flats that DOT 

 side. Those deer would sv 

 tweeu the heels of the .Toe 

 hunters thai pursued tf 

 swam back and fed on 111 



ipe pe 



mons the 

 The Shoe 

 and with 

 in which 



e Off. this 



Horse 



The p 



of sen 

 at the 



ln.e at a I 

 an of tin- 

 ants Willi 



mouth or 



III!, l 



the ( 



rutin 





f the whe 



le he 



unless absolutely 

 id hunters, and no 

 wipe if not caught 

 ]fid that he never 

 1 1 v. as not very 

 sufficient body of 

 deer, ou the saiuc 

 to go there and lie 

 stronger one to the deer fre- 

 lered the river on the west 

 the river at the point be- 

 1 thus were safe from the 

 i that side. At night thev 

 hills and pine Hats, 

 ity to fifty deer would lie in the 

 only afforded hunting for one day. 

 il 'Monroe was to send up a party 

 , in yawls, to go by wafer, and land 

 eel of the Shoe, while they rode by 

 ■d some time before night," so 



aud keep the deer inside until nest 

 day: 



Mr. Charles W. Phillips, of the old firm of Williams, 

 Phillips & Co.', had arrived from New Orleans on his way to 

 visit his plantation on tlic De Siard Island, on which island 



lends. 



J ami 

 MeEnerv, Tom 

 his half brother, 

 i l, n f Justice of the 

 I agreed to give Mr. 

 up one afternoon, 



was this trorseshoe. His fi 

 MeKneiw — the eldest brol hei of t 

 Scarborough, Joe Mason, Henry D 

 John l.udeliug, iub& queiilly' tin 

 State, and your humble servant, met 

 I : nl!i| B html at tin- Horseshoe; tc 

 camp that night: ami return the next 



A more lively, jolly set never went hunting, prepared to 

 enjoy themselves no matter what turned up. All were suc- 

 cessful hunters except Mr. Ludeliiig, who, I think, hud 

 never taken so long; a hunt before, and i am certain had 

 never killed a deer until ou this occasion. 



Three yawls were sent up the river with the hounds, and 

 supplied with all the tine liquors, wines, cards and good 

 things that the eating and drinking saloon of Charlie Aus- 

 tin ( who was then living, but a short time afterward was 

 basely murdered.) could supply. 



The hunters look (heir guns and rode on horseback 

 to the appointed place. Strict orders had been given to the 

 servants that rowed the yawls, to make no noise until they 

 leal gotten into die he'd, and to be Certain to chain every 

 hound, should tiny reach the rendezvous before its. yfy 

 shotgun had been sent on the yawl, and I bore my rifle, in- 

 le.ml'iug to hftVC a lui'kcy hunt, 'era still-hunt the next morn- 

 ing at daylight. 



There were seven of us. four have been gathered to their 

 fathers, and Hirer survive. Iu those days, fine wines, 

 liquors :ind card plaving, (whist and euchre), were the fash- 

 ion, but f must not omit mentioning the good old Havana 

 cigars, that one could pret then in perfection, i never drank, 

 no? did I play cards, bul e . ,■;'.-., one could always .gel 

 on my good .side-, if I had one. by offering me a genuine old 

 black' Cuba-Principe. 



We reached Hie ground in advance of the negroes, kindled 

 tiies along the -200 yards between the heels of the Shoe, and 

 had a merry time before ihe arrival of the yawls. After 

 they Came, tenia were stretched, eatables and drinkables set 



out anil each sealed himself to hav 



\\ o congratulated ourselves on beta 

 of the season, ah tve eouldfinj no 



one had been in to disturb at di BI 



friend. Henry Dinki.o. - f ve me 



•ally 

 raping party 



ate that any 

 liar hunting 



stroll outsid 

 the woods, 

 took my ii 

 a part of It 

 my abseuci 



base (in 



of 1 



l-huiil the 



the beau 



•y out his directions, while 

 ged their fishing poles, and during 

 ed iu catching more bar, or striped, 

 at. f returned by sundown, having 

 learned all I desired about ihe surroundings and the game. 

 1 found a long piece of ground on the lake, from which the 

 cane had been burned, luuviug it clear of undergrowth, and 



on this 

 ground in 

 the deer f 



made h\ 



the I 



; ..I i 'ov. of deer and turkeys. The 

 was covered with acorns ou which 

 saw several fresh and large "sciapes" 

 I J was confident of finding one there 



mug. 



It bad beer, a l .•,■,! that no one should fire a gun before 



morning, for fear ol frightening the deer inside of "the Horse 

 Shoe, Mr. Dinkrave had taken a walk along the high bank 

 bet vecn the heels, and leported finding a great deal of sign 

 of deer. Sanguine was every one of having one of the most 

 Successful hunts that had been witnessed on this noted spot. 

 After the heartiest supper 1 ever ale. and one [ really 

 enjoyed. 1 laid down in my blaukel to watch the party ear- 

 nestly engaged iu playing euchre. "Ill bet a hundred dol- 

 lars,' said Phillips, putling a small trump on Scarborough's 



ace of diamonds, 'That I kill the first and biggest buck 

 to-morrow." 



"Take thai lief," icplied each, "that you dou't." 



"Bring that basket of champagne here," said McEnery. 

 speaking to his servant ; "I'm getting awful dry." 



They had already drank up one basket, and bow much 

 gooil old Bourbon whisky 1 do not know, 



"I'll bet fifty dollars that Ludeling kills a deer." said 

 Scarborough. 



"I'll take it," said Dinkrave, "for be never shot at one in 

 his life." 



"Don't you bet, Tom. for I really never shot at one," said 

 Ludeling." 



Before lying down 1 had got Mr. Dinicrave lo promise to 

 wake me up before light in the morning. 1 knew they wen- 

 going to play aud drink all night, So, after watching them 

 for some tiine, I turned over to go to sleep, but I heard, 

 before 1 went off into the land of Nod. Mr. Mason offer to 

 bet a large sum "that if a deerwas killed that Col. A. would 

 be the one to kill it," and another sum that 1 "would kill 

 one on my still-hunt in the morning,'' both of which bets 

 Mr. Phillips took, aud then called for the fish and oysters 

 and coffee 



1 heard no more, until nearly daylight. I felt someone 

 pulling and shaking, and recognized the heavy speech of 

 Henry Dinkrave, "Get up (bicfCol. A. (hid. if' you want to 

 go still-hunting (hie), here's a cup of hoi coffee." In a mo- 

 ment 1 was up, drank the coffee and started, telling Henry 

 if 1 shot and blew my horn, to come to me, with a horse. 

 Unfortunately I omitted to take with me any matches. 1 

 had lighted a cigar when I started, and hail a pocket full 

 with me. It was the dark of the moon in October, 

 and it would only be visible a short time before day- 

 break. A more favorable time for finding the deer 

 could not be chosen, besides, the ground was damp, it bay- 

 ing rained the day before we left Monroe. 



It was about ;i half a mile to the "burn" 1 had found 

 the evening before. There was good walking along the 

 edge of the water of the lake, and all I had to do, after get- 

 ting to the burn, was to softly creep up the high bank aud 

 peep over to see if a deer was in sight. The first andsecond 

 lime I did so nothing was seen, but the third (by the way. is 

 not the number three a lucky one?) I was rewarded by see- 

 ing a massive head with a wide pair of antlers appearing 

 above a large prostrate Cottonwood tree. Thebuck neither 

 saw nor smelt me. 1 had discovered the omission of bavin? 

 no matches, and 1 could not afford to lose my lighted cigar. 

 Creeping back, I laid the cigar in a place where 1 would 

 have rjo difficulty iti finding it. cocked my rifle and sprung 

 the triggers, and' then peeped over the bank. The deer had 

 not moved his position. Never did 1 take more deliberate 

 aim. It was true, if wasliarelv light enough to see the sights; 

 but then the deer was not over forty yards from me. and I 

 could make allowance for that distance. Not the least ex- 

 citement about me, the heart beat all right, the nerves were 

 steady Erom the cup of strong coffee, and the stock aud bar- 

 rel of the rifle were held as steady as if in a vise. I thought 

 the eye was too small a target for the dim light, and I had 

 better unjoint the neck bone, just back of the head, as he 

 was presenting a side shot to me, the high log covering all 

 the body from sight. 



The shot was made, and when the smoke blew to one side 

 I saw a deer bounding off, making high jumps and whist- 

 ling as he went. He did not go fast, and before tie got a 

 hundred yards he turned around, stamped the ground as if 

 in rage, and acted very strangely for a deer that had been 

 shot at. 1 quietly stepped down, and, getting my cigar, 

 whie.li was alive, loaded my rifle and cautiously went up the 

 bank and peeped over again. There was that huge buck 

 still in sight and whistling aud snorting, hut further off. 

 not less than 150 yards. Putting down the cigar on the top 

 of the bank, I raised the rifle and tired with a rising aim as 

 if came to the shoulder. The deer presented a beautiful 

 broadside shot. I aimed for the heart, and, oh! how glad 1 

 was when 1 saw him spring from the ground and then pitch 

 over on his head. My esteemed young friend, Joe Mason, 

 had won his bet. First giving the cigar a few long whiffs, 

 I seized my horn and blew three long blasts as heartily as 1 

 ever did on any occasion. 1 had to blow a good many times 

 before Dinkrave, with Tom Scarborough and James Mi 



two horse: 



n taking two. 



wo deer, pred: 



I had a fair si 

 l certain three 



was seated upon his 

 i my friends came up. 

 f size and his being so 

 id six points 

 ,'ide set and re- 

 lied that "Joe 

 ■m to Charlie 

 j cut the deer's 

 render it easy 

 ugh and Dink- 



antlers ha 



Enery, came to my assistance with two horses. Hei 

 two shots, Henry Dinkrave insisted oi 

 sertr-d he was confident I had killed t 

 the premises dial 1 did not miss when 



When the three arrived I am veri 

 kneed hunters never assembled around a big deer with the 

 intention of putting him on a horse's back. They were not 

 drunk, but in the most agreeable state of "tightness," in the 

 best of humors with themselves and everybody else, and so 

 now, out of the whole, night's carousal, they did not collec- 

 tively possess Ihe power of hah a man. 



1 had cut the throat of the deer and 

 head cpiietly enjoying my smoke whei 

 They were much 'surprised at his grea 

 fat, and so dark a blue in color. II: 

 ou one horn, and live on the other, being very v 

 remarkably keen pointed, Mr. McEnery rema] 

 Mason (his brother-in-law) should take thi 

 Austin, as Joe had won the bet." 1 wanted t 

 bead off and take out; the entrails in order to 

 to put him on the horse. This Tom Scarboro 

 rave objected to, as they wanted lo take him just as h 

 to Charlie's for a show, and to win a champagne supper ou 

 his weight. It was Ihe most, awkward squad t ever saw 

 undertake to get a big buck on a horse. When not under 

 the influence of such a night's frolic. I have seen Henry 

 Dinkrave take up such a deer and put him behind a rider a's 

 easily as I w T ould a small doe. Now, all three failed to do 

 it, until after many an effort, my part being that of holding 

 the horse and keeping him steady. Finally thev succeeded 

 and we started hack. When 'we got opposite to where 1 

 lii si. shot at Ihe deer, looking over the big log. 1 asked Tom 

 Scarborough to ride lo it. and look to sec if there was not a 

 dead deer there, telling them what a pretty shot I had and 

 how steady I was to have missed that deer" 



"Hold, Scarborough," said Henry, ' 'I'll wager an oyster 

 supper to-night for the crowd there is a dead deer belli. id 

 Ihal. log." 



"til take a half interest in it." said McEnery. 



"And I won't risk a cent," said Tom. 



"Well, I'll give the supper if there is one," said I. 



Mr. Scarborough rode nut to it, aud then shouted for us 

 to come aud sec the largest and fattest buck he evei saw. 

 Sure enough. 1 had made a center shot, and struck him 

 precisely where I aimed. The second deer must have been 

 either lying down, or, if standing by the side of this one, 

 was concealed by his greater size. The sudden death of his 



companion, and not seeing any one, caused him to act as 

 he did. and lead to his own death. 



"Now we are in a fix," said Mr. Henry Dinkrave. "Let 

 us all blow our horns and get the others" to come. H we 

 had as much trouble to get that buck on the horse, what 

 will it be to put this one on that is so much larger?" 



ihe proposition was agreed to, tin; horns blown, and not 

 being answered at the camp, 1 proposed to ride to it, and 

 get the rest, for if either of the others should go, they would 

 consider it only a. ruse to get them to come. This was 

 agreed to. I had not gone fifty yards before Dinkrave 

 shouted, "Be sure to bring the negroes and the demi- 

 john. " 



The camp was reached. The rest informed of the sue 

 cess aud wants, ami taking one negro man, we all starts 

 back. 



1 shall never forget. Charlie Phillips' hearty oath of a. 

 miration, (and he could swear with more emphasis than ur 

 one I ever heard) when he examined that buck. 



Dinkrave proposed that I should drive for them, as I ' 

 had my share of the sport, and it. was unanimously resol- 

 that I should not be allowed to take my Greener lamina i 

 double-barrel shotgun. Henry remarked "it would be t 

 merest aceideiil to get a shot with a rifle, and he did i 

 prop,,-: [ should have another chance that day. With, 

 aid of the negro man, who was quite sober, the buck w 

 lashed on the saddle and we went back. Mr. Joe Masc 

 telling Mr. Phillips be would have enough champague no 

 to drinlc at his expense for a couple of months. Break fa. 

 was ready when we got back to camp. I had a vigorous 

 appetite and laid in a goodly supply of eatables, and had a 

 lunch put up, as I expected to make repeated drives in the 

 Horseshoe until all the deer were driven out, and it would 

 be time to return to Monroe. 



Mounting my horse, and securing my rifle, with partin 

 instructions from Dinkrave how to drive, 1 blew my bo 

 aud dashed into the drive. The hounds struck a trail' wit' 

 sixty yards of camp, where the deer had been as far a' 

 drop of the second bottom, and seeing our camp-fires 

 afraid lo venture down. The trail led to nearly the re 

 the bend of the Horseshoe before the dogs jumped 

 deer. In ten minutes began the skirmish firing. 

 Standers had been posted about forty yards apart from 

 north end of the heel to the south, a distance, as befo.. 

 mentioned, of some two hundred yards. The one at the 

 outer stand being Phillips, aud at' the lowest stand was 

 placed Ludeling, the other four gentlemen respectively fil- 

 ling the intermediate distances. It had been agreed upon 

 to shoot at the deer as soon as it bounded down the bank, 

 and if possible not suffer oue to escape across the river, 

 which ran some ten or fifteen yards behind their hacks. 



The deer that came out proved to lie a solitary fine buck. 

 He Game direct to Mr. Phillips's stand, who emptied both 

 barrels and did no damage. The buck turned parallel with 

 the standers, giving each a double shot. After running the 

 gauntlet of Phillips, next Scarborough let him have both bar- 

 rels, then Dinkrave, who occupied the best stand; next the 

 double report from McEnery 's gun followed, and still uo 

 flagging of the terror-stricken animal. Then boomed the 

 barrels of Joe Mason without a halt, when the last shot had 

 to be made by Mr. Ludeling. Adjusting his gold "lasses lo 

 take a better sight, as the deer passed broadside about 

 twenty-five yards, mechanically he shut both eyes after see- 

 ing which way the animal was running, pressed both trig- 

 gers at once, and then came a tremendous report, a double 

 shot before aud behind, for Joe Mason had withdrawn the 

 loads from Ludeling's gun and replaced thern with double 

 charges of powder and shot. Down went that unfortunate 

 deer as dead a shot as ever was made, onlv one shot striking, 

 and dowu went Mr. Ludeliug on his back. 



The dogs ceased running after the last shot, and I came 

 out as fast as possible to ascertain the luck, fully expecting 

 to find not less than a half tlozen dead deer after twelve 

 successive heavy guns. 



All were in a merry glee and bent upon giving Ludeling a 

 good bloodying, according to hunters' usages, as this was 

 his first deer; while he was contending most strenuously in 

 arguing he had gotten enough by that joke of Mason's, 

 asiiis face and shoulders would not get over it for a month 

 of Sundays. 



Toddies and cigars were distributed, and I went back into 

 the drive, as I bad seen several other deer besides this one. 

 In a very little while the dogs started again. The deer were 

 rather afraid to go out at the same place, and doubled 

 around the whole drive a time or two before they made the 

 leap down the fatal bank. Five double shots'were fired, 

 and when I came out again 1 found four more had been 

 killed. Phillips, Scarborough, McEnery and Mason each 

 bagging a deer — three pretty good-sized bucks and one stout 

 doe. Dinkrave did not get a shot. 



As I came out this time 1 saw quite a number of deer 

 dashing back, with no dogs after them. This 1 told the 

 hunters, and advised them to keep a sharp lookout, as I felt 

 sanguine of running out quite a herd of deer the next time. 

 Taking the dogs back under the bank of the lake until 1 

 peached ihe center of the Shoe, i rode up the bank and the 

 pack burst into full cry. 1 had been very quiet, in driving, 

 not hallooing to the dogs, aud endeavoring to get a shot my- 

 self. The cane was so thick that, though often the deer 

 came within twenty or thirty steps, yet 1 could not get a 

 shot with a rifle, the herd of deer made a straight run for 

 Ihe standers, not doubling any. Again came the booms of 

 all the guns, everyone getting in both barrel-. Dinkrave 

 killed two fine bucks. Phillips "killed a doe, McEnery bagged 

 one, aud the other gentlemen all had a baud in killing a fawn 

 of one summer. 



To my great, joy I heard the whole pack coming back, 

 and straight to me. I was riihng up a persimmon slough 

 that was open sufficient to get a shot. Quickly I discovered 

 the horns of two bucks 1 ounding over the bushes, aud just 

 about to get into the head of the slough, where I had stopped 

 my horse. I was waiting for them to come as near as pos- 

 sible before shooting. The bounds being so close upon them 

 1 knew 1 would have no opportunity to get a standing shot, 

 aud if I got one at all. it would be running by in the bushes 

 or among the persimmon saplings. Just when they had 

 gotten to the place I wanted to fire, a breeze blew from me 

 to the deer, aud instantly the foremost sprang into the high 

 cane, and as the other' attempted the same movement I 

 pulled dowu on him, and was so fortunate as to break his 

 back. This was the smaller of the two. The dogs bit it 

 for a while, until I succeeded in culling its lliroat, when all 

 my efforts were unavailing to keep them from following the 

 other. I had heard him plunge into the lake to swim across, 

 and 1 did not wish the dogs to follow for fear of the alliga- 

 tors. Deer and dogs all "crossed without being attacked, 

 aud I seated myself on the bank to blow my horn, with a 



