— - ■ - ' -' — -• ■ ' ' ~ 
BOS AMERICANUS. 
Erstwhile, where Wyomingfs unclouded Sun 
Athwart her arid plains imperious rode. 
Of an innumerable phalanx one. 
Uncouth, with lowering front, I stalwart strode. 
Still gflarcs the Sun upon the herbage pale, 
Where looms the miragfe o'er her desert agones; 
But fled the Herdj beside th' untrodden trail 
Behold, unsepulturcd, my bleaching bones! 
Theo. F. C* Demarest. 
In Old Virginia. 
X.— On and OH a Deer Stand. 
When a boy a friend of mine wrote what we both be- 
lieved to be a very beautiful poem, the first two lines of 
which were as follows : 
"All things are transient and must pass 
Coats, hats, shoes and pants won't last" 
I have long since recognized the error of our judgment in 
poetry, but the sentiment has become even more firmly 
fixed as time passes on as one of truth and verity. 
It was the last day but one before that set for my depar- 
ture from the delightful home that had afforded so many 
pleasures and furnished such ideal hospitality. My 
hostess came out on the front porch as I sat enjoying my 
after-breakfast cigar, holding in either hand a missive^ and 
said, "I have here two invitations for you, and you_ may 
take your choice, as the messages were delivered simul- 
taneously, and both invitations come to you at one and 
the same time. Cousin Tom, my fox hunting cousin, in- 
vites you to a fox hunt, and Cousin Rand invites you to 
come on a deer hunt. The two boys, bearers of these 
invitations, await your reply, but there is no hurry, as I 
have sent them to the kitchen for their breakfast. I 
suppose, of course, you will go on the deer hunt, as the 
fox hunt will not be according to the style that you. have 
innovated, and perhaps you may be persuaded to hunt 
deer on horseback. Seriously, however, I would advise 
you to accept Cousin Rand's invitation and go after deer, 
as he is a famous deer hunter, has a fine pack of dogs and 
will probably succeed in giving you a shot, as I know 
he will make every effort to do. ' 
I took her advice and accepted the invitation to hunt 
deen 
The next morning, a beautiful, bright, frosty day, after 
an early breakfast, the cousin made his appearance, accom- 
panied by two friends, and bringing with him three of 
his justly celebrated deer hounds. He had selected for our 
hunt a piece of timber a few miles distant that had been 
culled many years before and had grown up in under- 
brush, making a dense and in some places almost im- 
penetrable thicket It was his intention to hunt out this 
cover with his dogs with the expectation of starting a 
deer, which he hoped some of us on our several stands 
would have an opportunity of killing. A road led down 
about midway through the hunting ground, and this road 
we followed until well into the woods ; then with his 
dogs the master of the hunt turned off at right angles 
to work through the north half of the cover and back 
again, provided nothing was started, while we rode leisure- 
ly along toward the positions assigned us, which were 
stands known to my two companions at the further end 
of the south side of the strip of timber. We had only 
gone a short distance when the dogs gave tongue, and in 
a moment all was excitement. It sounded as though the 
trail was fresh, and it took but a moment for us to dis- 
cover that they were heading back our way. Thinking it 
possible that they had jumped a deer, which had not yet 
crossed the road back into the cover on the south side, we 
immediately rode a short distance, when one of my com- 
panions dismounted, led his horse back into the brush and 
took a position on the edge of the road; my other com- 
panion and I rode on a little further, and following in- 
structions. I concealed my horse and took a stand, while' 
the third member of our party rode on to a like distance 
from where I was posted and took his stand. The dogs, as 
well as I could tell, were working through very thick cover 
and steadily in my direction. And as it was still, sound 
carried well, and those three eager hounds with their 
deep-toned voices, multiplied their yelpings until it 
sounded like a pack of at least twenty. 
On they came steadily toward my stand, and from 
moderate excitement I rapidly progressed, first to great 
excitement and then to greater excitement, and then to 
suffocation. I had dropped on one knee behind a low 
bush, through which I could watch the directipn of the 
dogs' approach, and by the time they had gotten almost in 
sight and still coming toward me, my heart was beating 
with throbs that I could distinctly hear, and I found it 
necessary to stand up in order to get my breath. I ex- 
pected every moment that the deer would break cover, as 
the dogs were on a hot trail, and showing evidences of 
being close on. I think I should have fainted, although 
no amateur, had those dogs been thirty seconds later com- 
ing in sight, but fortunately just as I seemed to have 
reached the limit of human endurance the dogs broke 
cover, came dashing through a h"ttle open space and 
crossed the road within thirty steps of me, disappearing in 
the woods beyond, showing conclusively that the game 
they were trailing had already passed by. I was just won- 
dering what would be the liext move, when hearing a 
thunder of hoofs, I turned to see my first companion, who 
had been stationed below me, a great long-legged fellow, 
coming up the road with his horse on a dead run, which 
he was trying to increase the speed of by pounding him 
with his heels_. He motioned to me as soon as he dis- 
covered that I observed him, and I, understanding his 
sign, ran back, moimted my horse as speedily as possible 
and' came out Into the road just as he swept past with the 
^%on% "Come on as qni?k as ym can; we phall hav? to 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
run if we get to our stands by the time that deer crosses." 
Settling myself in the saddle and putting my knees well 
under my horse's shoulders, I leaned forward and gave 
him a rake with the spur, realizing the fact that if I was 
expected, on an ordinary horse, to go around by the road 
and head off a deer running straight through, I needed to 
get all the speed out of my mount that was in him. The 
road was crooked, and I had but an occasional glimpse of 
my companion whom I was following; but every time I 
did see him he was pounding away at a tremendous rate 
of speed, making his long legs work like a pair of flails as 
he rattled his heels on his horse's sides. I finally turned 
into a straight stretch and found that I was gaining on 
him, which surprised me until I got a fair view and found 
that he was pulling his horse up. He allowed me to over- 
take him and hurriedly pointed out my stand, which had 
before been described to me as the "rail pile and leaning 
tree stand." 
As soon as he saw that I understood, he redoubled his 
efforts to get more speed out of his horse, and in a mo- 
ment was out of sight around a bend of road. Checking 
my horse at the spot indicated, I dashed into the woods 
by the side of a tree and throwing my bridle over a limb 
ran back to the edge of the road. Crowding a couple of 
shells into my gun, I scanned the road carefully for tracks 
that would indicate that the deer had passed. 
I found nothing in the way of tracks that looked at all 
fresh, although there was one track, evidently made by a 
tremendous buck, two or three days old. Listening a 
moment, I discovered that the dogs had turned and gone 
to the far side of the woods from where my stand was 
situated, the tract of timber being very wide at this point. 
They now seemed to be at least a mile and a half or two 
miles away, and as the sound of the chase was growing 
gradually fainter, I soon made up my mind that the deer 
was running directly from my stand and that my chance 
for a shot was very slim, unless the dogs succeeded in 
turning him. I thereupon left my cover, went out and 
carefully inspected the" road at a distance of a hundred 
yards up and down each way, to make sure that he had 
not already passed, and satisfied myself that no new track 
was to be found. 
I then went back to the position which had been as- 
signed me, which was at a point half-way between a 
small rail pile on one side and the famous old leaning tree 
on the other side of the road. The cousin who had ar- 
ranged the hunt had on the way out told me the history of 
the leaning tree, and I now inspected that curiosity with a 
great deal of interest. 
It was a large white oak fully as thick as a man's body, 
growing out of a bank on one side of the road and curving 
over almost in a half-circle until its top pointed toward 
the ground on the outer side. The history of the tree 
was given me as follows: 
"My father told me that his grandfather told him that 
coming to this country as a young man and settling near 
here on a plantation, which lies on the Meherrin River, he 
and a companion camped one night by this tree, which 
was then a sapling, and when about to pitch their camp 
they discovered and killed a fine buck, which they 
butchered and hung on this tree, which by uniting their 
strength they bent to the ground. And from that day 
to the present time the tree has grown in the shape that 
the heavy deer, weighing it down, pulled it in. Another 
illustration, as father told me, and his father told him, of 
'As the twig is inclined, the tree is bent.' " 
The sound of the chase had grown fainter and fainter, 
until I could only hear an occasional distant bugle-like 
tone of one of the dogs, and had about resigned myself to 
a long, tedious wait, without any anticipation of sport. 
Filling my pipe and shouldering my gun, I began to 
pace up and down the side of the road, enjoying the 
beauties of nature and grumbling at my luck. In a few 
moments it became apparent that I was hearing the dogs 
more distinctly, and listening carefully I soon discovered 
they had turned and were coming back in my direction. 
Whether they would run my stand or not was an open 
question, but in any event I was in the line of possibilities. 
Laying aside my pipe and carefully selecting a position, I 
waited, listening to the now rapidly approaching musical 
chorus, the three dogs running a hot trail. Nearer and 
nearer they came, apparently directly toward me, until I 
began to feel the assurance that mine was to be the lucky 
stand. 
Determined not to repeat the foolish flurry of excite- 
ment gone through in the morning, I braced every nerve 
and succeeded fairly well in exercising self-control. Just 
as I was congratulating myself on the fact that my nerves 
were steady, I heard a distinct crash in the direction the 
dogs were approaching, indicating that the deer had 
dashed through a very thick bit of brush, and immediately 
my heart set up a vicious pounding, causing me to gasp 
for breath. The stages were short then from excitement 
to more excitement, and then, hastened by another crash 
in the brush, much closer, to another attack of suffocation. 
A deer was close upon me, coming fast, and I could dis- 
tinctly hear his leaps through the brush, although the 
thick growth, and young timber prevented my seeing him. 
My excitement was something terrible, in spite of the 
determined efforts to control myself. It is more than 
probable that I would have missed had I gotten a shot, but 
I was unquestionably very eager to try^ — even with the 
possibility of the humiliation of missing a deer at short 
range with a shotgun loaded with buckshot. Just as I was 
expecting every moment to see him burst through the 
remaining short distance of thicket and brush and bound 
into the road, a yellow streak dashed by me and took the 
fence immediately in front in the line of where the deer 
was approaching, giving me a faint glimpse of a long, 
lank, yellow dog, and a moment later I heard the deer 
— checked and turned back' — dash off at a right angle to 
the course he had been pursuing, followed by the yellow 
cur in full and eager cry. 
One of the great metropolitan dailies has for its motto, 
'■'All the news that is fit to print" ; that is good morals and 
good logic, and shall be the principle governing this narra- 
tion. The low, subdued, earnest and intense soliloquy 
which followed the appearance and disappearance of that 
miserable yellow cur can be left to the imagination of the 
reader. It sufficeth to say had that dog run the deer by 
me a moment later, I should have shot the dog first, if I 
got no shot at all at the deer. The chase had continued 
but a few moments back through the timber when I heard 
the report 9f a gun, followed by » shout from fie waster 
[May II, igoi. 
of the hunt which announced game to bag, and I knew 
that although I had been disappointed, some one else havi 
scored. My two companions occupying the stands beyond 
me on the road soon rode up, and mounting my horse we 
made our way through the thicket to the successful 
hunter, and found him with his dogs seated by a fine deer 
which he had just killed. The deer turned back by the 
stray cur had run directly by our friend as he sat on his 
horse, giving him the opportunity for a fair shot, which he 
improved as related. 
Loading the game on a horse, we made our way out to 
the road, where we were fortunate enough to meet an old 
darky going toward the house with his wagon, who 
agreed to take the deer in for us. 
"I sho will try to git him dah fo' you, Mas' Randolph," 
he said. "But he is such a fine fat deah dat hit mos' mak' 
a pusson furgit de way to de hous', at least wid paht of 
him ; say des a ham or so." 
"Well," said one of my companions, "you may forget 
the way with that deer. Uncle Zeke, or a part of him, as 
you suggest, but if you do, just bear in mind we won't 
have forgotten how to shoot, and Aunt Mandy will make 
a very gay widow," 
"Nem-min', sah ; nem-mia' ; ef I daz furgit de way, de ol' 
mule she ain't, and wc all will git it dah safe, sho." 
A consultation was now held as to the advisability of 
continuing the hunt, as it was not later than lo o'clock and 
the day perfect. The main argument urged against con- 
tinuing was the fact that we had no lunch with us. and 
had eaten a very early breakfast. Not expecting to be out 
later than noon, we had not encumbered ourselves with the 
now very much desired accompaniment — a substantial 
luncheon. After a short discussion we conchided to go 
to another excellent cover near by and try that, at least for 
a short time, before going home. 
_We were soon well located on our respective stands, 
mine being just over the brow of a ridge near the road 
again, with the top of the ridge on my left hand, and a 
piece of low ground gradually sloping down on the right. 
Nothing was heard from Rand and the dogs for nearly an 
hour after we reached our stands. It had become verv 
monotonous waiting on the stand, and every moment the 
regret grew that no lunch had been provided. I felt 
sure that I was a long way from any farmhouse, and yet 
imagined that I could smell a good dinner cooking in two 
or three directions, and a farm bell ringing for the noon 
repast so far off I could barely hear its faint tinkle, made 
me positively long for an opportunity to get something 
to eat. 
A diversion offered, however, to take my thoughts from 
the .severe arraignment being made by my department of 
the interior, as the dogs were again heard opening upon 
a trail. They were a good way off, and it was impossible 
for me to tell which way they were running; all I could 
do was to get in the exact position ordered to stand and 
hope for the best. I shortly discovered, however, that the 
dogs were not coming my way, but, on the contrary, judg- 
ing by the sound, were working off in the opposite direc- 
tion. Fainter and fainter their voices sounded, until they 
finally died out in the distance, and all was again silence. 
The temporary excitement had been just sufficient to whet 
my already very sharp appetite, and just then looking 
down the road I spied a large persimmon tree, loaded 
with lucious fruit. I made up my mind at once that I 
would have to go down and get some persimmons or sure- 
ly starve to death. As I was about to yield to this 
temptation I remembered how my companions had en- 
joined upon me that under no circumstances was I to 
leaVe my stand, telling me that in every case when a deer 
ran a man's stand it sought the opportunity when he had 
wandered off. And I also remembered how I had 
promised my friends that nothing could tempt me to so far 
forget myself as to desert my post of duty and not at 
least make an honest effort to stop any deer that came niy 
way. Sitting down on a log I turned resolutelv away 
from the tempting persimmon tree and tried to forget how 
hungry I was, but it was no use ; I could see the tree in 
spite of turning my back to it and almost taste the fruit. 
Fifteen, twenty, thirty minutes I sat resisting the awful 
temptation, and then, hearing nothing of the dogs and feel- 
ing sure there would be no danger of missing a shot in the 
few minutes that it would take me to run down to the 
persimmon tree and fill my hat, I sprang into the road and 
made for the tree at my best speed, feeling like the guilty 
deserter that I was. Leaning my gun against the fence. I 
shook the tree, bringing down a plentiful supply of the 
sweet, frost-cured fruit, and pulling off my hat I gathered 
as fast as I could, while keeping my mouth well filled. 
With my hat two-thirds full of persimmons, I was work- 
ing around the outer edge of the circle of fruit, when I 
heard a piercing yell some distance up the road, and a mo- 
ment later a magnificent buck sailed over the bank and 
into the road and out on the other side, so close to my 
stand that had I remained where I should have been I 
could have touched him with tiie muzzle of my gun as he 
passed by. Dropping the hat, I dashed for my gun with 
feverish energy, and running as hard as I could— in a sort 
of foolish desperation — made haste back to my st-and, ar- 
riving there only to realize that the deer was probably two 
or three miles away. I had not collected my thoughts 
nor recovered my breath fully when Rand rode out from 
the woods in the track of the deer, and catching sight of 
me, asked excitedly, "Didn't you see that deer that I just 
jumped and ran this way?" 
I should have liked very much to talk about something 
else about that time, but hardly knew what subject, other 
than the one he had mentioned, would interest him. I felt 
perfectly willing to have him get down oft" his horse and 
kick me to his heart's content, and thought of inviting him 
to do so, but to face the ordeal of explaining to him my 
very foolish conduct I certainly did not relish. Hesitat- 
ingly and very much embarrassed, I answered his question, 
telling him frankly that I had seen the deer, 
"Why didn't you shoot?" was his next question. 
"I wasn't within gun shot," I answered, 
"Why," said he, "that's strange ; I rode up and jumped 
him in a thick place, not 500 yards back in the woods, and 
he came like a shot from a gun for this stand, and 1 
shouted that you might be put on notice." He then turned 
his horse back into the road, and a moment later was 
looking down on the track of the deer left in the loose 
dirt of the road. Scanning it closely and attentively for 
a moment, he then turqe4 and looked at me in the most 
puzzled mamier, 
I 
