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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by George Shiras, 3d 



the: first flash, followed a second later by another, shown on opposite 



PAGE 



caliber. He asked if he could borrow a 

 headlight we had in camp, having been 

 told by his companions that the only 

 chance of getting a deer depended upon 

 the use of such a light at night. 



For nearly two miles along the rail- 

 road were deep ditches on either side, 

 resulting from the removal of the earth 

 for the road-bed when laid through the 

 swamp. Throughout the summer these 

 ditches were rilled with many water plants 

 liked by the deer. Both the local deer and 

 those traveling south often came to the 

 ditches after dark, where they could 

 easily be shot by any one walking up and 

 down the track with a headlight. 



Having shot several deer before the 

 wind changed and not caring for this 

 method of hunting, except as a last resort, 

 the light was prepared and the am- 

 bitious night hunter was instructed as to 

 its use and told just how the shining eyes 

 of a deer would look when reflecting the 

 rays of the lantern. 



Shortly after dark he started down the 

 track. In the course of half an hour 

 came a particularly heavy report, vindi- 

 cating the aspirant's remark "that the gun 

 was loaded with a handful of powder and 

 another of slugs," and he "rather guessed 

 it would lay out anything that came in 

 the way." 



After waiting several hours, we went 

 to bed, wondering just what had hap- 

 pened. 



A PET SEAIN IN THE SECTION-HOUSE 



At daybreak the fly of the tent was 

 jerked open, disclosing the bulky form 

 of the section boss, who lived half a mile 

 down the track. Thereupon he grimly 

 asked, "Were you boys out under the 

 light last night?" A unanimous and 

 spontaneous response in the negative 

 seemed to reassure him, for he remarked 

 it was a fortunate thing, since the time 

 had come when a graveyard should be 

 started for fool hunters in this neighbor- 

 hood. 



Pressed for an explanation, he said that 

 after his men had gone to bed, there came 

 an explosion, sounding as if "Mogul No. 

 9 had busted her boilers." Investigation 

 showed the entire lower sash of a win- 

 dow of the section-house had been blown 

 to pieces, while in the middle of the floor 

 lay Black Tom, their cat, in a mutilated 

 condition, the slugs continuing their course 

 into logs between the upper and lower 

 bunks containing several peaceful sleepers. 



On opening the door and looking out, 

 they saw a headlight and some fellow 

 hastily reloading his gun. Thereupon 

 each had seized an axe or a crowbar and 



