Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-01-26

ing towards US. Presently it appeared, q fips
buck, at an opening between two copsesn nab9ui
} 400 PAGES from the spot where we lay .ofIt had
halted, thrown back upon its fianks, until itc
launches almost touched the ground, while is
full large eye glanced over the opening, as, il
searching for some iobject.o AT this momeni
Dick, applied the reed TO his lips, at the same
time moving the horns backward appd1 forward, forlwy
in imitation of a buck moving his head in "a
threatening manner Theh stranger nowper-
ceiyed what appeared to him the branching
horns Of a rival, hearing, at the same time, the
well known. challenge. This was not to be
borne, rising erect on all fours, with his brow
antlers set forward, he accepted the challenge,
and came bounding forward. At the distance
oftwenty PAGES or SO, he halted as if still .un-
certain of the character ofhis enemy; but that
halttwas fatal to him. forby Dicks direction
| had made ready my rife, and taking sight at
his breasts | pulled trigger, The result was
as my companion had predicted, and the buck
was rubbed out. b9I4hHs1 yil1Alnqo4 yaiHcTg
After ski6ning our game, and hanging the
meat out o., reach of the barking wolves, we
proceededi-as before, !; and soon after another
buck was siaini in manner very similar to
that described This ended our days hunt,
as it was late before Dick had bethought him
of the decoy. and taking the best part of both
the long-tails upon our shoulders, we trudged
homeward to the post. 'aN '5'if'H af'-"
Part OF our way, as we returned, lay along
the stream and we saw several deer approach
ing the water, but, encumbered as we were,
we failed in getting shot. An idea, howev-
or, was suggested to my companion that prom
ised US plenty OF both sport and venson for the
next hunt, (which was to take place by night
This idea he communicated to me for my ap-
prevail readily gave my consent, as | saw
in the proposalthe chances of enjoying very
rare sport. That sport was to be fre-hmt;
but not as usually practised among backwoods-
men, by carrying a torch, through the woods.
Our torch was to float upon thedwater while
we were snugly seated beside it in other
words we would carry our torch in a canoe
and, floating down stream, would shoot the
deer that happened tQicbe upon the banks Y
drinking, or cooling their hoofs in the water.
| had heard of the plan, but had never. prac-
tised it, although was desirous Of 50 doing. :,
Dick had often killed deer in this way, and
therefore knew all about,it lit was agreed,
then, that upon the following night We should
try the experiment. a1HlHsH aHiTeiDoJ " .87i
During the next day, Dick and proceeded
in our preparations without saying anything TO
any one ii was our design TO keep our night
hunt a secret lest we might be iunsuccessful,' )
and get laughed at for our pains On. the 9TH
er hand, should we succeed in killing a goodly
number of long-tails, it would be time enough
to let it be known how we had managed mat
ters1 We had little difficulty in keeping our
designs to ourselves. Every one was busy
with his,own affairs, and. took no heed of our
maneuvers. Our chief difficulty pro-
curing boat, but for the consideration of "a
few loads Of powder, we,at length borrowed
an old canoe that belonged to one Of The Flat
head Indians sort of hanger-on of the post.
This craft was simply a log of the cotton wood, /,
rudely followed out by,means of the axe, and
slightly rounded atrthe ends to produce the
canoe shape. 1t was that species of water
craft popularity known throughout Western
America as a. dug out a phrase which ex=
plains itself. 1t was both old and rckety i but
after a short inspection, Blue Dick declared it
would do, = fust4ratePus l1sIo4 srrEF ,snde
Our next move was to prepare our torcha.
For this We had 10 make an excursion to the
neighboring hills, where We found the very
material we wanted--the dry knots Of the pitch
pine tree. A long segment Of birch bark was
then sought for and, obtained, and our imple-
ments were complete. AT twilight all was,
ready, and stepping into our dng-oat, we pad.
died silently down streamo AS soon as we
had got out of the neighborhood Of tihe post,
we lighted our torch. This was placed ina
large frying pan out upon The bow, and was
in reality rather a fire Of pine knots than
torch. Il bIazed pP brightly throwing glare
over the surface Of the stream, and rejecting
in red. light every object upon both banks
We, On the other hand, were completely hid
den from view by means Of The birch bark
screen, which stood up between US and The
torch. b7r s1sala lo aajisam ss1n ~ =FD
AS soon as we were fairly under iway,sI
yielded5uP the paddle TO Dick, who nov sas-
signed 10 himself the double office cf guiding
the dug-out and keeping the torch trimmed.
| was 70 look 10 the shooting so placing my.
trusiy rife across my thighs, | sat alternately
scanning both banks as We ghded along. I
shall never forget the romantic effect which
was produced upon my mind during that wild
excursion. a5The seeneryl of lheorWer ,apout
which ave had launched our craft was at all
tinas Of a',picturesque character , under the
blaze of .lhe pine wood--iis trees, and rocks
tiRted1 with "a yermillion hue, while the rip
plihg flood below rams like Tmnlten gold 1.-The.
effect was heishtenedrte aadegree oon snblim-
ity which could not have failed to impress the
duHest imaginations 1t " as ahe. autumn sea-
son, too, and the foliage, which hadsno vet
commenced falling had assumed thosa rich,s
varied tints, SO characteristic Of the Ameticaw
! sylud-yarious hues of green and golden, and
yellow and deep red, " were exhibited bpon the.
luXuriaht frohdaagge that lined The banks Of the
stream, and here and thers dro9pst IKE en-
-hSlJ r1M dc i, ItfU esp edl OstB, ei s.dl