23*7 
VIRGINIAN DEER. 
near our friend. He is obliged to be ready in a moment, before the 
Deer comes in the line with another hunter. At the report of his gun -we 
perceive that the buck is wounded. “Mind,” cries out friend Wilson, 
“ your shot have whistled past me.” Friend H. grows pale at the thought 
of having endangered the life of another, but we comfort him by stating, 
that his shot had not reached within fifty yards of the nervous hunter, 
and moreover, that the old buck was wounded and would soon be his. 
We observed where he had laid down in the grass, and was started up 
again by the dogs. Now for a chase of a wounded buck. He takes 
through an old field once planted with cotton, now full of ruts and ditches, 
and grown up with tall broom-grass. We agree to let the boys have the 
pleasure of the chase whilst we are the silent spectators. They bound 
over ditches and old corn-fields, firing as they run. Suddenly the hounds 
become silent, and then the loud sounding of the horn is heard ming- 
led with the whoops of the hunters, which inform us, that the game 
is secured ; it proves to be a majestic buck. The successful hunter is 
now obliged to submit to the ordeal of all who have fieshed their maid- 
en sword, and killed their first Deer. “ I submit,” he said good na- 
turedly, “ but spare my spectacles and whiskers.” So his forehead and 
cheeks were crossed with the red blood of the buck, and the tail was 
stuck in his cap. The hunt proceeded merrily and successfully. Young 
Audubon, however, had not yet obtained a shot. At length a Deer was start- 
ed near our host. He would not shoot it, but strove to drive it to his neigh- 
bour. He ran after it, and shouted, stumbled over a root, and in the fall 
threw off his spectacles ; but as he was groping for them among the 
leaves, he ascertained that his generous efforts had been successful ; 
the Deer had been turned to Mr. Audubon. One barrel snapped — then 
came a sharp report from the other — a loud whoop succeeded, and we 
soon ascertained that another Deer had fallen. now conceived that 
we had our wishes for a successful hunt fully gratified ; the dinner 
hour had arrived. Five noble Deer were strung upon the old pecan- 
nut tree in sight of our festive hall. ' The evening passed off in plea- 
sant conversation — some of those present displayed their wit and poet- 
ical talents by giving the details of the hunt in an amusing ballad, which 
however has not yet found its way into print. Thus ended a Carolina 
Deer hunt. 
We regret to be obliged to state, that the Deer are rapidly disappearing 
from causes that ought not to exist. There are at present not one- 
fifth of the number of Deer in Carolina that existed twenty years ago. 
In the Northern and Middle States, where the farms have been sub- 
divided, and the forests necessarily cleared, the Deer have disappeared 
