16 



RECREATION, 



peach tree was too small to satisfy me 

 that it would shield me from their sight 

 and attack; but they passed me at an in- 

 creased speed, with noses to the ground, 

 until entering the brush, when again one 

 of them gave 3 peculiar sounds and all 

 were again lost to sight. Then the hunt- 

 ers came riding into the pen and sur- 

 rounded me. 



"Where is your deer?" asked the Squire 

 as he rode up. 



"Gone off into the woods," I answered. 



"Didn't you fire " 



"I did." 



"Where did the deer come out of the 

 thicket?" 



I pointed out the place, and I noticed 

 that most of the men, especially the 

 younger ones, had all they could do to 

 keep from an outbreak of laughter. I then 

 explained the failure of the cap to explode 

 and where the deer were when I did 

 fire, adding that my hurried aim was too 

 high. 



"Go and see w T hat Trail found," said the 

 Squire to one of the men, and again turned 

 to me. 



"Where are the dogs?" he asked, and 

 there was a suspicious twinkle in his eyes. 



"Gone after the deer." 



"Why did you not stop them?" 



Just then I caught sight of H., who, 

 like the other young fellows, was doing his 

 best to keep his face straight, and I re- 

 plied : 



"Well, Squire, I had no instructions to 

 do so, and I don't mind saying that I know 

 so little about bloodhounds I am not sure 

 I should have tried it if I had been told 

 to." 



"So you let them go by and probably 

 have ended our hunt for to-day," said he. 

 Just then the man he had sent forward 

 returned and reported, "Two or 3 flecks 

 of red, but the tracks beyond are long and 

 regular." 



The Squire's horn was at his lips in an 

 instant and I learned for the first time 

 the tremendous capabilities of a well pre- 

 pared ox horn when blown with vigorous 

 blasts; but the Squire's utmost efforts 

 failed to change the cries of the dogs, 

 which were constantly becoming more and 

 more faint, so the drive was at an end for 

 that day. 



T. commenced expressing my regrets when 

 the Squire interrupted: 



"The fault is not alone with you. I 

 promised to give you instructions but for- 

 got to do it, so my older neighbors must 

 blame me for the disappointment ; but you 

 will have to hoe your own row when the 

 young people get yon to themselves, and I 

 don't envy you the experience." 



When we entered the house most of 

 the young ladies of the entire region had 



gathered there, and all were curious to 

 know why we had returned so early. On 

 our way there H. had told me the young 

 fellows had agreed that as I was a stranger 

 they would let me down easy. That did 

 not suit me, so when the young ladies 

 asked the cause of our early return I told 

 the story and I did not spare myself. 



The Christmas dinner defied description 

 and I shall not attempt to say more than 

 that it seemed to me every known edible 

 formed a part of it. There for the first 

 time 1 had a taste of Kentucky crab cider, 

 which is made by freezing and thawing 

 crab apples twice before grinding them 

 and pressing out the juice. It is delicious. 



After an early breakfast the next morn- 

 ing I was placed in charge of one of the 

 young hunters, a son of Mr. E., my sta- 

 tions for the day being next to him, but 1 

 had improved the time to get posted as 

 well as I could. We took our places on 

 the edge of a big road for the first drive 

 of the day, but the dogs found nothing in 

 it ; so mounting our horses we rode leis- 

 urel; toward our second stations. Soon 

 my companion, who had been listening to 

 the dogs, said excitedly : 



"There they go, with us a mile from our 

 stands ! We must ride for it," at the 

 same time dashing ahead. He had the 

 best traveler, and called back to me, "Two 

 adjoining stands empty and the dogs on a 

 hot trail won't do. Follow this track," and 

 he turned into a little used wagon track 

 leading off to the right of the road. Find- 

 ing that I was losing ground I soon left 

 the track, which had many curves, and 

 headed c traight for him, jumping my horse 

 over logs, brush piles, etc., which lay be- 

 tween us ; and when our stations were 

 reached I was with him. We had just 

 takei- our positions when a large buck 

 srrang across the wagon track close beyond 

 me, but Mr. E. was at that stand. The 

 buckshot from his gun cut the throat of 

 thvi deer neatly and it fell dead. 



We hurriedly dressed the deer, hung it 

 tc the limb of a tree and soon all were on 

 their way to their stations for the third 

 drive. At my earnest request Squire C. 

 reluctantly consented to let me follow the 

 hounds with him in that one, saying he 

 would be glad of my company but feared 

 I would find the experience worse than 

 freezing my feet on a stand. He rode a 

 large gray hunting mare that for a time 

 seemed to me to take things remarkably 

 easy, the Squire not touching the bridle 

 which lay loose on the pommel, the mare 

 taking her course by the sound of the 

 voice of the hound Trail, while the horn 

 directed the course of the dogs. The 

 first half hour, as we rode along engaged 

 in pleasant conversation, I thought follow- 

 ing the hounds a great improvement Oft 



