32 
-A^pril lO 
WOODS FRO.II DEERS’ AXTLERS. 
BY JUDGE I. D. CATOX. 
I have perused with interest an article in the Amehi- 
CAX Spoetsuax clipped from Lund and Water-, in which 
the question is considered whether poisonous matter is 
imparted to a wound when inflicted bj' the deer’s antler. 
I quite agree with Land and Watefm its negative 
conclusion. The deer’s antler is simple bone, con- 
taining about one-third wholesome animal matter, 
and two-thirds earth salts, mostly lime. This 
animal matter ma}' be boiled out, and makes as good a 
soup as Delmonico ever ’served, or to continue the pro- 
cess further, as good a glue as one could wish. There 
is nothing poisonous about the deer’s antlers. From 
the character of the instrument, wounds inflicted by 
them so bruise and lacerate that the ruptured tissues 
are destroyed to a greater extent than where a wound is 
inflicted by a sharp instrument, and necessarily the tis- 
sues thus destroyed must slough off before a healthy 
growth can commence, and hence such wounds may be 
expected to be more tedious, and indeed more danger- 
ous when neglected or when the system of the patient 
is in an unhealthy condition. 
I have had some opportunities of observing the effect 
of such wounds upon dogs and upon man. More than 
thirty years ago I was in the habit of following a pack 
of greyhounds, owned by Mr. Buchanan at Ottawa, 
111., in coursing the deer over the prairies which at that 
time were broad, unbroken fields, affording the finest 
coursing grounds ^the world, unless one has a pen- 
chant for broad ditches, high fences and broken necks, 
for then the two former could not be found on the prai- 
ries, and the latter were not common, except among 
stupid riders. I admit that these get thinned out occa- 
sionally. Old Speed was the father of this pack, and if 
you will allow me to wander a few slips from my sub- 
ject, I would like to say a few words about Speed, for I 
love his memory yet. He was the fastest, the smartest, 
and the most knowing greyhound I ever saw. I never 
saw him chase a deer that he could not go right up to' 
at the rate of four yards to three, and I never saw him 
touch a deer that he could not throw heels over head 
the first time. Let me give one instance to illustrate 
the way he did it. 
We were riding up a broad slough covered with very 
high grass, east of Covel creek, on the Grand Prairie, 
south of Ottawa about eight miles. The ground was 
frozen, but there was no snow. The tall grass was 
standing in the slough as high as the pommels of the 
saddles, but was burned off on all outside the sloughs. 
Our pack consisted of Speed and two of his sons. One 
was a very powerful black dog and the other a tawny 
yellow like the sire, but stronger. These pups were 
now in their second season of work. They had been' 
educated by a most judicious and intelligent master, 
and the excellent example of their father, and were ac- 
cording to our appreciation, as near perfectly broke as 
it is possible to conceive for our ground and mode of 
work. At last we rode up a buck and a doe; boih were 
large deer. The do6 turned to the left which was my side 
and struck out for Hickori' Point, about six miles dis- 
tant. The buck took to the right. The young dogs 
went with me for the doe. The race began, the deer 
about a quarter of a mile ahead of the dogs, when they 
emerged from the high grass and first saw the game. I 
was about forty rods to the left of the chase, ahead of 
the dogs but behind the deer. The race seemed as 
nearly even as possible all round, as neither seemed to 
gain on either. Presently Speed put in an appearance 
from the slough having quit the buck at the bidding 
of his master, when he saw the 3 ’oung dogs were not 
with them. The old hound laid down to it beautifully', 
almost seeming to skim the prairie as he flew over the 
^ound. Every leap brought him nearer to the other 
dogs, and by the time they had run half a mile further, 
he passed them, but only for a few yards, when he 
abated his speed to their pace, and so he continued for 
perhaps half a mile more, looking over his shoulder at 
everj' other stride. Evidently he wanted assistance 
when he should reach the deer. At last, seeing it was 
an even race with the young dogs, he left them and 
again settled down to his own work in earnest Then 1 
could plainly see that every stride sensiblj' diminished 
the distance to the deer, and I think I never partici- 
pated in a more exciting and exhilarating chase than 
while he was closing that gap. AVe were rapidly ap- 
proaching Hickory Point and all seemed to appreciate 
that that once reached the deer was safe. But 
S^eed determined that that should not be done. It was 
nsing ground and my heavy weight was telling on the 
horse, so I was now behind the dogs, still I was near 
enough to sec every movement distinctly. When Speed 
overtook the deer, as was his universal habit he seized 
it on the inside the ham, gave a hard side yank and let 
go. The deer fell upon its side with a crash carried 
some distance along the ground by the momentum. 
However in a single instant it was on its feet and off, 
but before it had made three leaps, it went down again 
in the same way, and again a third time, but it never 
rose again, for it hardly fell before the young dogs 
fastened upon the throat, while the ola dog now earn- 
estly tugged at the rear, leaving the pups to do the hard 
fighting, and well they did it. By the time I had dis- 
mounted and drawn my sheath knife, there was little for 
if to do. Not a dog was scratched, and those who 
know how sharp is a deer’s hoof and how handily he 
can use it, will believe that those dogs were well up to 
the work. 
Speed was now a much wiser dog than he once had been. 
In the earlj' part of his career, and before he had sons 
to help him, he would recklessly attack the largest buck 
alone, and was several times severely gored with the 
antlers as I was told by his master. Whether the re- 
covery was slow and tedious I do not lemember that he 
ever experienced, but certainly he had no idea that the 
wounds had ever been poisoned bj' the antlers, as he 
would certainly have mentioned it and it would have 
become a subject of discussion. What 1 have already 
told of the chase will show certainlj' that the dog was 
never permanently injured by the antler wounds and he 
could show an abundance of veteran scars, and this is 
all that the long episode has to do with the real ques- 
tion I promised to consider, and so I suggest that you 
strikf out that part of it. 
The only opportunity I have had of observing the 
effect of such wounds on human flesh occurred in mj' 
own grounds. In the spring I purchased a fully adult 
and very tame buck and turned him in the park. 
Through the summer he was veiy friendly and willing 
to be fed b}' any hand. He grew a fine pair of antlers, 
with man}’ points. So soon as the velvet was off, I 
observed signs of viciousncss and immediately forbade 
my little son, seven years old, to go into the park where 
he was alone. Keeping the letter and forgetting the 
spirit of the orJci. he took another boy about his own 
age and went in to drive up the cows. Very soon he 
met the old buck who curbed down his head in a 
threatening way, when the boy to teach him manners, 
hit him a crack with his whip. Instantly the deer 
dashed upon him in front. The boy fell on his back 
and fought him with his feet and at the same time 
made the best out cry he could. Three hundred feet 
from the gate his favorite dog lay on ^the door step, 
heard the cry and rushed to the rescue. When he 
reached the gate he could not gel in, but barked fero- 
ciou-ly. -h i this time the deer had been thrusting at 
the boy, who met his charges with his feet as best as he 
could. When the dog barked the deer raised his head 
a moment and when he returned to the charge the hoy 
fortunately seized an antler in each hand and held on 
for dear life and by great good fortune so guarded the 
tines that not one struck a vital place. One of the men 
twenty rods away heard the outcry and ran to the gate 
as soon as possible, but had yet to wait till he could 
take his key from his pock.t and unlock it, when that 
were done the dog made for the deer and the boy was 
rclU ved. Let me stop to say that the promptings to this 
pugnacity were removed the nextday, and that deer was 
never known to offer to attack persons or any thing else. 
He lived in seeming self-contempt, for,about a year, 
and then died apparently of broken heart. 
An examination sh -wed seven holes punched in the 
back part of the thighs, into either of which a little 
finger could be passed for an inch or more. The only 
wound in front was an abrasion of the skin along the 
right groin about three inches long, but it did not break 
through the skin. Now these wounds all healed with 
astonishing rapidit}^ and sooner than we could have ex- 
pected, hath they been inflicted with any other instru- 
ment. There was no unusual inflammation, no apprecia- 
ble sloughing off as of destroyed tissue. All com- 
menced healing at the bottom, discharging moderately 
of healthy pus, till the cure was complete Certainly, 
in this case there was no indication that a virulent 
virus had been left in the wound from the antlers of the 
deer, but on the contrary the eviJeuee is most conclu- 
sive that such was not the case. AVe must not forget, 
however, tiat here was youth and perfect health with 
an unusually vigorous constitution for nature to work 
upon. 
Here again I see I have got too much of incident for 
the kind of paper which I nroposed to write. The 
Rod asd Gun must have many correspondents who 
may have had much more experience on this subject 
than I have had and I hope they will have the kindness 
to favor us with their observations 
A HISTORY OF MY PETS. 
BY W. W. ABXOLD. 
AVhat one among us “children of larger growth” is 
there but can vividly recall the possession of some cher- 
ished pet that was a joy and a sorrow to our childhood 
days? It is just as natural for children to have pets, 
upon which to lavish their affections, as it is to romp 
and play, and the instinct that prompts their young af- 
fections to go out in compassion and tender love for an- 
imals, is but the embrj otic germ that in adult life de- 
velops into philoprogenitiveness, or love for pets of the 
genus homo of their own raising. Those much perse- 
cuted members of the human family — old maids — are 
notorious for their affection for the felines, or long, 
sleek-haired canines; and this singular affection towards 
the animal creation simply shows they would have made 
loving mothers. Girls must have their dolls, and boys 
solace the longings of their hearts with some living 
specimen of the animal kingdom. And some of us, 
though grown to man’s estate, and surrounded by a bevy 
of smaller editions of self, still retain a powerful incli- 
nation for surrounding ourselves with pets of all kinds ; 
at least for one I must confess to this peculiar weak- 
ness. The first pet I ever possessed was so far back in 
my childhood days, that the memory of it seems more 
like a dream than a reality. It was a pigeon, with 
white and blue plumage, and so docile and tame that it 
was almost a nuisance about the premises. The most 
vivid recollections I have concerning this pel was its 
tragic death at the hands of a cruel-hearted boy, who in 
an evil moment threw a stone which striking the poor 
pigeon’s head qu ckl)' ended its enrthl} career. Of 
course my childish heart bled in sorrow over its loss, 
and bitter tears were shed, but the sorrows of youth are 
soon forgotten, anef bruises quickly healed; and so it 
was not long before I became oblivious of my loss. 
My next pet was a sparrow, which by a great acci- 
dent was rendered helpless and doomed to an early 
death if I had not so opportunely discovered it. It was 
just fledged, aud with its companions had but recenlly 
left the protecting nest. By some strange fatality a 
horse hair had become wound tightly around both legs, 
and had nearly amputated both those members. How 
I sympathized with the victim and tenderly unwound the „ 
torturing hair, and as gently bound up its wounds ! To 
reward me for my act of kindness it became perfectly 
tame, and devotedly attached to me ; and its cheery 
voice and merry ways made glad many a yoiyhful day. 
A.s its life brought gladness, so its sudden taking-off 
broug’ut sorrow. It died in an apopleptic fit. Time 
rolls on and I found myself the pioud possessor of a 
crow, captured in early crowhood, and raised by hand. 
I gave him the euphonious appellation of Alonzo, with 
Lon for short. He was the very embodiment of mis- 
chief and deviltry, and what rascality he couldn't de- 
vise it wasn’t worth the while of any other individual to 
ait^pt. He had free range among the chickens and 
dut^, and for a while was an object of grave suspicion, 
but his innocent conduct soon made him an unmolested 
member of the poultry >ard. It was not long before 
he could imitate the cackling of the hens and quacking 
of the ducks to jierfection, and many a false alarm did 
he sound from the hen-house, causing me a fruitless 
search after eggs, when there were none : and then how 
the cunning rascal would laugh and ha! 'ha ! at my dis- 
comfiture. 
He could laugh in perfect imitation of a human being, 
and I fondly hoped he would learn to talk also, but that 
accomplishment he never acquired. He w as fully do- 
mesticated, and would answer whenever called byname 
and would come racing up to me, cackling, quacking 
and laughing like mad. He was a knoxing scamp, 
jolly and jovial, without a care, to render existence 
gloomy. But alas, poor Lon! a day’ of woe did finally 
overtake him. A villainous boy, out of pure cussed- 
ness, threw a stone at him and broke a leg. Father 
neatlv adjusted the hr ken bones, aud bound them up-* 
in splints an-l l.andages as carefully as though it was 
a human patient- but Lon could not leave the dressings 
alone, and kept picking at them continually, and get- 
