A FLORIDA KID ON A CAMP HUNT. 



CHARLEY APOPKA. 



XII. 



The nex' mornin' we was all up an' 

 eatin' breakfast by 3 o'clock, fer we wanted 

 ter be 5 miles from camp by sunup. It was 

 shore cold walkin' through the frosty grass 

 an' my teeth got ter poppin' like a wood- 

 peck a peckin'. Pa said he was goin' where 

 we seen so many turkeys yisterdd'y, an' 

 he took off one way an' Mr. Sam went off 

 another way with 'is rifle. He said he was 

 goin ter still hunt, an Uncle Dick an' me 

 could take old Ring which is the best slow 

 trail dog in the world. We was all ter 

 meet about noon at a big bunch grass per- 

 airer, where we'd seen lots of sign an' sevul 

 deer the day before. Uncle Dick an' me 

 made fer a pond we seen the openin' of 

 through the woods. It was all cut up 

 around it with sign of all kinds. We put 

 old Ring on some fresh deer sign, an' he 

 snuffed at em, an' sorter switched 'is tail 

 like he understood, and took off at a slow 

 trot, an' us clost behind. They was 4 deer 

 in the bunch, 'cordin' ter the tracks, an' one 

 of 'em was a big one. I never seen the 

 like of whoopin' cranes. They made sich a 

 fuss I was afeared they'd scare everything 

 outen the country, but old Ring kep' right 

 on, an' led us around ponds an' sloughs, an' 

 after awhile we come to a low place in the 

 woods where the palmetter growed high, 

 as they was lots of gall berry bushes. 



"If they ain't in there a layin' down, you 

 kin have my hat," Uncle Dick said, an' 

 shore 'nuff, ol' Ring began ter pick 'is way 

 mighty keerful, an' switch 'is tail, an' we 

 done the same. Direckly ol' Ring stopped 

 an' looked at us, an' went on again, careful- 

 ler than ever, an Uncle Dick whispered ter 

 me ter be ready, for we'd jump 'em in a 

 minnit, an' bout that time up jumped 3 

 big old deer out of a bunch of gall berries 

 in 20 yards of us. I fergot ter shoot fer 

 lookin' at their white tails a wavin' look 

 like they was a yard long, but Uncle Dick 

 turned loose 'is old long torn, an shot one 

 down with each barl. When he fired, the 

 fourth deer, which were a tremendous big 

 old buck, jumped out an run past me, an' 

 I throwed my gun on 'is neck an' scored 

 into 'im, an' he turned the purtiest somer- 

 set I ever seen, but he jumped up again, 

 an' run into a little scrub, 'bout 300 yards 

 off. One of Uncle Dick's deer never got 

 up, but the other'n started off on 3 legs. 

 She didn't git far, though, till old Ring 

 pulled 'er down, an' Uncle Dick put 'er 

 out of 'er misery with 'is big knife. 



They was both big, fat does,. We loaded 

 up again, an' hung 'em up, an put old Ring 

 on the trail of my big buck. He took out 



fer the scrub, straight's an arrer, an' where 

 he come ter the edge of it, he stopped, like 

 he done before, an' looked back, an r 

 switched 'is tail. We could hear the deer 

 a-breathin' then. He made a sorter rattlin' 

 noise, an' Uncle Dick said I'd shot 'im in 

 the goozle. He tole me ter slip up easy an' 

 finish 'im, soze't I could say I killed 'im by 

 myself, an' he'd be ready with his gun if it 

 were needed. I slipped upon 'im easy, an'' 

 seen the ole buck a-layin' on 'is side, a- 

 gaspin' fer breath. Every minnit er 2 he'd 

 throw 'is head, an' I waited till he done it 

 again, an' let 'im have it jest back of 'is 

 head, an' unjointed 'is neck. He jest laid 

 over an' never kicked. 



I hollered an' run to 'im ter cut 'is throat, 

 an' 'is eyes looked so sorrowful I hated ter 

 do it, but he was done dead an' it couldn't 

 hurt 'im, so I bled 'im, an' Uncle Dick an' 

 me drug 'im outen the bushes, an' hung 'im 

 up, an' cleaned 'im an' then the 2 of us toted 

 'im to where the does was, an' he was shore 

 heavy. We cleaned the does an' hung 'em 

 all up in the shade, an' sat down to rest a 

 minnit. Uncle Dick said my buck was as 

 fine as he ever seen, an' that I had beat 'em 

 all. an' he had a mind ter git me 2 rifles, 

 but I told 'im I'd be mighty well satisfied 

 with one. 



Uncle Dick said as near as he could make 

 out, we was 'bout 3 miles ter the West of 

 the perairer where we was ter meet, an' 

 if I didn't mind stayin' by myself a few 

 hours, an' mindin' the deer, he'd go an 

 meet pa 'n Mr. Sam, an' then go on ter 

 camp an yoke up the steers an' come on 

 back, an' if you hear a gun fire answer it 

 with yourn. I told 'im all right, an' he lit 

 out. It was sorter lonesome, an tolerable 

 cold, too, so I gethered up some light u'dl 

 an' made me a fire, an' laid down by it an'' 

 eat my lunch. Every little while I'd hafter 

 git up an look over my buck, an' feel of 

 'is horns an' count the shot holes. Purty 

 soon an' old buzzard come a sailin' round 

 an' lit over head, an' went ter eyin' the deer 

 mighty longin. Direckly 'is pardner come 

 along an' jined 'im, an' in a half hour they 

 was a dozen of 'em a' settin' round, a 

 hopein' every minnit I'd leave. I drug a lot 

 of the inards away from the deer apiece, an' 

 come back an set down, an direckly one old 

 feller spread 'is wings an' sailed down, an' 

 purty soon they was all down, an' sich a 

 battlin' of wings, an' fightin' I never seen. 

 They was what some folks calls a Mexican 

 buzzard amongst 'em, an he made the others 

 look wild an' step scatterin'. I got int'rest- 

 ed a watchin' 'em, an 'fore I knowed it, it 



193 



