COL. TAURUS. 



9i 



quent unexpected appearance of the buck, 

 always at inopportune times, had at last 

 converted Taurus to the belief that the 

 animal was a phantom. Moore and I ex- 

 changed a knowing smile, and I think each 

 of us registered a silent vow that our mute 

 friend should yet assist at the funeral ser- 

 vices of Slewfoot. 



Three hours later we coaxed Taurus jto 

 take up the trail for us, hoping we would 

 catch the buck napping some miles away, 

 but several hours' weary marching brought 

 us to a dense swamp several miles wide, 

 where we gave it up. Although we were 

 successful in bagging less desirable game 

 we saw no more of Slewfoot on that trip 



The desire to kill that particular buck 

 now became a passion with Moore and me. 

 And so fearful was each that the other 

 would get him we used to run away from 

 each other to hunt him alone. 



I felt that I had the advantage in hav- 

 ing Taurus. He would « not have gone 

 with Moore without me. 



Toward the close of one season Moore 

 slipped out alone for 1 days in the vain 

 hope of catching the charmed buck off his 

 guard. When he came in he gave me an 

 account of the trip in the presence of 

 Taurus. He said that twice while gliding 

 about with eyes alert he had turned to find 

 Slewfoot gazing at him from the top of a 

 hill in the rear. Another time he had a 

 point blank aim, when the gun snapped and 

 the noise betrayed him. 



Taurus looked wise, but whether in the 

 belief that the deer was a phantom and 

 therefore protected, or from something 

 else, he could not tell us. 



But when Moore was gone a thought 

 came to me. In all probability the buck 

 saw more of Moore than the hunter had 

 seen of him, and had perhaps seen him 

 drive off for home. Now he would ex- 

 pect a season of rest and would be less 

 guarded in his rambles. Therefore it was 

 a good time to kill him. So Taurus and I 

 went, secretly, as Moore had done. We- 

 found Slewfoot's trail without difficulty. 

 What was more, we found Slewfoot him- 

 self. He was walking up the side of an 

 open hill among the pines, apparently un- 

 concerned. Taurus trembled perceptibly. 

 'I opened up- at 75 yards with a 38-55 and 

 felt sure he was my meat. Long before he 

 was out of range I had emptied the mag- 

 azine. At the last shot the buck stopped, 

 whirled around, gazed down the hillside at 

 us a few seconds and then galloped off. 



Taurus threw himself on the ground 

 without the least manifestation of surprise 

 or annoyance. I was angry and said 

 things. 



The next season when we went out we 

 did not search for Slewfoot's trail. When 

 Taurus would pass it over and give pref- 



erence to another both Moore arid I would 

 pretend not to notice. One time Moore 

 was coming into camp by moonlight from 

 a turkey roost and surprised Slewfoot on 

 a knoll within 100 yards of the camp fire. 

 On that occasion Moore carried a shot gun, 

 and although he pulled both triggers and 

 his buck shot tore the foliage in line, the 

 buck galloped off. That clear miss at 40 

 yards fixed Moore; he went over to the 

 "phantom" party. 



Taurus and I had many happy days and 

 nights together around Crooked lake that 

 season, but did not waste any more time 

 looking after Slewfoot. Sometimes we saw 

 his track alone, sometimes with a herd. 

 Occasionally we heard that some other 

 hunter had emptied a magazine at Slew- 

 foot without effect, and that always made 

 us feel better. 



In the fourth season Moore and I ha^l 

 great sport. Emboldened by the posses- 

 sion of several pairs of fine antlers we be- 

 gan hankering again after Slewfoot. It 

 seemed Taurus was similarly affected. He 

 began to follow up the trail with avidky, 

 and we got the phantom in 2 or 3 close 

 places. One time he made so muchi noise 

 in getting into a swamp his materiality-was 

 abundantly apparent ; but his usual luck 

 attended him and we came out without 

 him. 



One evening while the ful.l moon was 

 rising Taurus and I sat on the piazza. 

 There were but 2 more days before the 

 close season would stop our fun. Taurus 

 was watching the smoke curl from my pipe. 



"Taurus," I said, "let's drive out to 

 Crooked lake to-night and kill Slewfoot 

 to-morrow." He sprang off the veranda 

 far out toward the gate in glee at the prop- 

 osition. 



In 10 minutes, with Steve Tatum driv- 

 ing, we were on the way ; at midnight we 

 were in camp. Next morning Taurus and 

 I found the trail. We followed it with the 

 dogged persistency of Indians. It went 

 everywhere, sometimes in swamp, some- 

 times in oak hummocks, but mostly in the 

 high, open pine hills amid the small deep 

 lakes. At noon we were still tramping; 

 at 2 we were tired ; at 4 nearly worn out 

 with the long strain ; at 5 we found him. 

 Taurus was staggering and his eyes were 

 watery with fatigue ; the strain had been 

 terrific. We followed the cunning old buck 

 all day only to find him back at the big 

 lake, lying in a patch of palmetto on a 

 narrow point of land near our camp. 



The lake was miles wide, and we had 

 him cornered. I was sure he was there, 

 for the trail led in and had not come out. 

 We had approached quietly and Slewfoot 

 was probably asleep. I motioned Taurus 

 to go around and enter the^palmetto from 

 the opposite side. 



