The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1857-08-12
Srlrttrh st0lu.
From Portcv'S Spirit of the Times.
Il II E w Q L v E S.
DY ,. wUITEllEAD.

"Mlke, what kind Of night would this
be for iire'shooting I? said the Doctor TO
that med:iatiye Nimrod, who was busy
sewing up a moccasin 10y the light cf our
camp fire, in the Suwanee woods.
SO, so, replied Nike, without looking
up.
Il am going, think
No answer. Mike put on the mended
moccasin, and drew off the other.
DO you think we can kill ANYTHING q
''S?os",' replied Mike.
'Co:"c, Charley, let us try it for little
Wilde
lhls was all rnse on the part OF Poke.
IN order to make Mike think, our great
h~nt was an unprecedented atf,ir, and
thereby increase the glory Of kiilu" so
much game, 1t had been arranged bo
iwee" MS daring the day, that we would
N5 tire hn0ti'g tEat nigh,. 1t promised
to be cloudy night, which was or great
adr%atage,it prevented the game from sec.
mg anything OF the hunters, and, The sane
nme rendered Their eyes more reflective
VIXEN exposed 10 the torch light. We
had even gone :" iar as TO make our pitch
pine torches. and the whole preparation
WAS complete. 1t WAS u party Of two
the Doctor and myself. There would
lie rather more interests in getting the
game alone aud beside that. Mikes
op'a'on on tire shooting was well known,
and we knew he would hot 90 with us--
so constant huntcr scorned so primitive
n snare as the one We proposed. The
negroes We III! not want, for tire fewer in
party tIie .citer. s., one OF Us taking
gun, &"l the other carrying n torch, we
left The camp.
The boys were chucklinr together rs
they watched us 90, tke dogs howlel be
cause they could uot @a with Us, and
Mike gave one of h.s expressive coughs,
that SAID plainly as words, Now for it,
We wcrI soon outside Of the glare OF
Tie ramp tiGc, the little creek was crossed
and our torch dashed brightly on The *
per trunks O! the piue trees, lie climhuo
'Ines- "nd the broad lcalcd plants thai
gcsw 10y the little pools OF watcr. There
WAS oG wind, and walking in the cine
~""aS. there WAS no SQUAD. Once III
'o0g while, 4 ssna ;.ill c,Ane, disturbed
W has wandcr;nLS, would be seen sta kim
away, with his red head high in the mir,
Ike scmuy ,n DAT, or the sudden mo.
ton of the unleIhru>h, would tell us that
s""~ "'tg IL the mruv iittle harlequius OF
tt'" wood, LI", gambol most when men
90 sleep, had fled fron his WausuaI spec.
t''rse at II moving light. Bat no deer re
wat!cI our search 40 bear showed up
his heavy coat.
'fmi,, said The Doctor, 'his ro,naltic
promenade is getting somewhat long
Think Of the deer, one buck will we'll
pay u.s.
'Fnlgs" il there was no one 10 Inu IA
Mt US, would have turnel back long ago.
GISe m, the gun, and you take the igh,.'
Accordingly we changed positions i
Go'RS ahcld, carrying the torch bet3r. ne,
III such manner that ii would throw the
llSht ahead as much as possible, and
none on our person, anil the doctor r..
eeITei the gun, and took my place direct.
~ bshlnd and shaded by my person.
The night had become still! darker, and
nasty rain commenced Calling. We
had left the pipe woods, md had come
i"to grove OF lower timber. The long
moss drooped in curtains, the oIor OF
mnsaoliaS bmdeneI The aic, and every
m'1nte 1euser copse would force us to
turn aside from our route.
Hush" whispered the Doctor. sudden
~, with aspasmoLc pull at my coat tail,
Ihere's accr.'
was just wondering ut this absence Of
deer, and could no, account for il. as il
was u fme thing to go a mile in Florida
without seeing one.
Where = | whispered /; 4 don't see
Hush! ii! it has gone now but wo will
see IL IN moment again
We advanced on tiptoe, both in body
and expectation.
There there ! said the Doctor, point.
Ing with his finger little distance TO the
len but the luminous spot was gone be-
fore could hardly get my eye on it.
We were in the very place Tor deer
n heavy windfall lay ahead OF us, and
the mingled trunks aud twisted branches
iooked Ike the chcVdUr de frise 10 some
great encampment The Pickering light
made the shadows move back end forth
with spectral effect, as though dancing,
and tho hush OF the forest was unhroken
toy any SQUAD. Every moment, expec.
Ted to see again the two phosphorescent
stars that indicate the deer's eyes, and
then the true shot would bring us the
prize for our labor. Il seemed long
time in coming again.
That deer must be very shy whisper.
ed tho Doctor, just above his breath
The next time, | saw il first. 1t was
some distance ahead aud there were two
but before ] could polnt them out TO my
comrade, they bad disappeared. Pres
emily, We saw it on one side Of us.
Charley, that's will.o' the wisp,' said
Pope, IN rather subdaed toae, 'or the
devil; who ever heard Of a deer going
around so T.
lie IS examining You to see whs, man,
ner Of man you are
'Perchanee its SOME spirit ola departed
buck, leading US wild chase to destroy