The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-08-23

from my horse, and placing one knee upon
his shoulder, and hand upon his antlers,
drew my hunting knife-but scarcely had its
keen point touched his neck, when with a
sudden bound, he threw me from his body,
and my knife was hurled from my hand. In
hunters parlance, l had only creased him.
l at once saw my danger, but it was too late.
With one bound he was upon me, wounding
and almost disabling me, with his sharp feet
and horns. seized him by his wide spread
antlers, and sought to regain possession of
my knife, but in vain-each new struggle
drew us farther from it. Cherokee, frighten.
ed at the unusual scene, had madly fled to
the top of the ridge, where he stood looking
down upon the combat, trembling and quiv-
ering in every limb.
The ridge road had taken placed us far
in advance of the hound, whose bay / could
not now hear. The struggles of the furious
animal had become dreadful, and every mo-
ment l could feel his sharp hoofs cutting deep
into my fesh-my grasp upon his antlerS
was growing less and less firm, and yet | re-
linquished not my hold. The struggle had
brought us near a deep ditch, washed by the
heavy fall rains, and into this l endeavorcd
to force my adversary-but my strength was
unequal to the effort-when we approached
to the very brink, he leaped over the drain.
relnquished my hold, and rolled in, hoping
thus to escape him. But he returned to the
attack, and throwing himself upon me, in.
tlicted numerous severe cuts upon my face
and breast, before l could again seize him.
Locking my arms around his antlers, l drew
his head close to my breast, and was thus, by
great effort, enabled to prevent his doing me
any serious injury. But l felt that this could
not last long; every muscle and fibre of my
frame was called into action, and human ma
ture could not long bear up under such ex-
ertion. Faltering silent prayer to heaven,
prepared to meet my fate.
At this moment of despair, heard the
faint bayings of the hound. The stag, too,
heard the sound, and springing from the
ditch, drew me with him. His efforts were
now redoubled, and l could scarcely cling to
him. Yet that blessed sound came nearer
and nearer! o how wildly beat my heart,
as saw the hound emerge from the ravine,
and spring forward, with short, quick bark,
as his eye rested on his game ] released
my hold of the stag, who turned upon the
new enemy. Exhausted and unable to rise,
I still chcered the dog, that bastard like, fled
before the infatuated animal, who, seemingly
despising such an enemy, again threw himself
upon me. Again did succeed in throwing
my arms around his antlers, but not until he
had inflicted several deep and dangerous
wounds upon my head and face, cutting to
the very bone.
Blinded by the flowing blood, exhausted
and despairing, | cursed the coward dog, who
stood near, baying turiously, yet refusing to
seize his game. o how | prayed for Bravo
The thoughts of death were bitter. To die
thus, in the wild forest, alone, with none to
help Thoughts of home and friends coursed
like lightning through my brain. At that
moment, when Hope herself had fled, deep
and clear over the neighboring hill came the
baying of my gallant Bravo should have
known his voice among a thousand. Ipealed
forth, in one faint shout, On, Bravo, on =
The next moment, with tiger-like bounds, the
noble dog came leaping down the declivity,
scattering the dried autumnal leaves like a
whirlwind in his path. "No pause he knew, 81
but fixing bis fangs in the stays throat, he at
once commenced the struggle,
| fell back, completely exhausted. Blind
ed with blood, | only knew that a terrific
struggle was going on. In a few moments all
was still, and felt the warm breath of my
faithful dog as he licked my wounds. Clear
ing my eyes from gore, / saw my late adver
sary dead at my teet-and Bravo standing
over me. He yet bore around his neck a
fragment of the rope with which l had tied
him. He had gnawed it in two and follow
ing his master through all his windings, ar
rived in time to rescue him from q horrid
death.
have recovered from my wounds. Bravo
is lying at my feet. Who does not love Bra
yo? am sure do, and the rascal knows it !;