203 NATURE STUDY IX SCHOOLS. 



at once by the tall, straight, nearly white, stems of the trees. At this mo- 

 ment Ponce, who followed at the heels of her master, stopped and sniffed the 

 air as if she scented game. This caused Harry, who was walking behind 

 her, to call Paul's attention to her ; he stopped, and after observing the dog 

 a moment, looked carefully around him, especially examining the open space 

 in front of the cypress swamp, for the wind was blowing directly from it, 

 and the slight odor of any animal concealed in it, or near it, would be per- 

 ceived by the dog. Paul examined this space with attention several times, 

 when suddenly a reddish object caught his eye, and this, upon more careful 

 examination, resolved itself into a deer with a fine pair of antlers. Then 

 two similar objects presented themselves, which a second look revealed as a 

 doe and fawn. 



k< Down ! " said Paul excitedly. " Deer over there ! " 



" Where, where ? " hurriedly whispered Harry, who at Paul's 'down' 

 had dropped on his knees, and partly rising, said, " Let's shoot them." 



11 Keep down out of sight ! " exclaimed Paul. " There are three of 

 them over by that cypress swamp/' 



The deer, of • which there were a buck, doe and fawn, had seen the 

 boys, and the buck was standing in advance of the doe, while the fawn 

 stood between them ; all were as motionless as the tree trunks behind 

 them ; hence the reason why Paul did not at first see them. 



'•Let's try and crawl onto them," said Paul. "They are too far off 

 now even for a shot with my rifle. We can keep behind that clump of 

 palmettoes, and from them we can- get to that prostrate log and then we 

 shall be about one hundred yards from them, and I can fire with my rifle, 

 while perhaps you can get a chance with your buck shot." 



All this conversation was carried on in a hurried whisper, then at 

 Paul's suggestion, the boys stopped to take off their cartridge belts in or- 

 der that they might not be incomoded by them. Paul retained only his 

 rifle, which he always carried suspended from his neck with a strap. Harry 

 quickly put two buck shot cartridges into his gun, and leaving Ponce to 

 guard the things left behind, both boys began the nervous task of crawl- 

 ing on all fours toward the deer Although the boys were out of sight 

 when on. their knees, as there was a slight rise between them and the 

 deer, the curiosity of the animals had been aroused, and as is their cus-r 

 torn, even when they know they are in danger, and cannot quite make 

 out what is going on, remain quiet, gazing at the object of their solici- 

 tude, thus in the present case, the boys' heads occasionally bobbing up in 

 sight, was enough to rivet their attention while they were incapable of un- 

 derstanding what it all meant. 



