, 1860-08-08
FF'ro.n witchead'a Wild Sports Of The Soutl.~l
"The pas WAS etr nna rugged,
The > tfvts they jiowc1 and wnsned;
Eut le sau Ike w4IrlwEd uu the La:s,
AID It lett ihe wolves u hnu "


The ps-s Was : ecp hna rugged,
1iui he sau Ike whIrlwind u. the Ia:s,
AID Lt lett lhe wolves Ust,nu "
"Mike, what kind Of night would this be
for tjIe-s!ootirg!" said the Doctor to that
meditatiye Nimrod, who was busy sewing up
uloccasin by the light of the campfire, after
week Of travel.
$50. so." replied Mike. Without looking up.
II am going, think"
No answer. Nike put on tie meuded mocca-
ain, and drew off the other.
"uo you think we can kill onything:"
"S'pose," replied Mike.
"Come, Charlie, let US try it for little
while"
This was all a ruse on the part Of Poke, in or
der to nuke Nike think cur great hunt WAS an
unprecedented affair, and thereby increase the
glory Of killing so much game. lthad been mr.
ranged bet~eeu us during the day, that we
would try tire hunting during that uight. It
promised to be q cloudy night, which was Of
seeing anything OF the hunters, and u the same
time rendered their eyes more reflective when
exposed to the torch light. We had even gone
30 lar as 10 make our p'tch-pine torches, and
the whole preparation was complete. Twas
party Of two-the Doctor and myself There
would be rather more interest in getting the
gan1a alone and beside that, Mixes opinion on
nre-shootins Was we'll known, and we knew tliat
he would nut 70 With us-so constant q hunter
scorned so primitive snare ns the one We pro-
posed. The negroes we did not want, for the
tcwer in party the better. So, one Of Us TUX
ing gun, and the o:her carrying torch, ne
lett the cAnlp.
The boys were chuckliug together IS they saw
US 70. the dogs h:wled because they could not
60 ~ith us. aud hike 8urc one Of his expressive
coughs, that said US plainly as words, NON for
it
We were soon outside Of the glare Of the
campfire, the lstle creek WAS crossed, and our
torch flashed brightly on the taper trunks Of The
pine trees, the cuubiDgvines, and the broad
iea'ed plants that grew by the pools Of water.
There was no wind, and, walking in the pine
woods, there Was no sound. Once in long
while sand.hill crane, disturbed in his wan
derings, wrn1d be seen stalking away, with his
red.heAd high III the uir, like Il sentry on duty,
or The sudden motion of,he under. brush would
tell us thut some one of the many ha1lequins Of
the wood, that gambol most when men do sleep,
had lied from this unusual spectacle Of NOV
mig light. But no deer rewarded our search;
no bear showed rs his heavy coat.
"Fuilh," sad the Doctor, "this romantic
promenade is rather long"
u.s."
"Fudse! if there was no one 10 laugh at US,
Iwould hare turned back long ago. Give me
the gun and you take tls light"
Accordingly We changed posltions-1 going
ahead. carr. ing the torch before me, in such =
manner that it would throw the light ahead as
much rs possible, and none on our persons, and
tue D3c:or received the gun, aud tuok my p1ace
directly behind and shnded by my person. The
night had become still darker aud misty ram
commenced falling. We had left the pine
woods, alter walking couple Of miles, and mad
moss dropped in curtains, the odor Of maguo-
liAs bucdened the air, and every minute =
denser copse would force us to turn aside from
our route.
"Hush!' whispered the Doctor, suddenly,
With ,s;pasmodie pull at ny coat tail, "thsre's
Iwas just wondering at this absence OF deer,
thing 10 60 mile in Florida without seeing
| one.
"Where1 :" l whispered; II don't see it,"
"Hush ! It ha. gone noT; but We will see it
| in moment again."
We aavanced on tip.toe, both in body and ex.
! pectatson.
"There! there !" said the Doctor, pointing
with his finger little distaace 10 the lefs; but
the luminous spot was gone before hardly got
my eyes on it.
We were in the very place for deer. 4 heavy
wind-fall lay ahead Of us, md the mingled
tru3ks and twisted branches looked like the
cktrou1 d frite to ZONE great cucampment.
The flckering light made The shadows move
back and forth With spectral effect, as though
dancing, and the hush OF the forest was IN.
broken by any sound. Every moment e. expect.
ed to see again the TWO phosphorescent sthrs
that indicate the deer's eyes, and then the true
shot would bring us the prize for our labor. Ii
seemed a long time in coming agafn.
tina: deer must be very shy" whispered
the Doctor, just above his breath.
The next tune, l saw it first. It was some
distance ahead, md there we're two; but just
before could point them out to NY comsadc
they bad disappeared. Presently We saw 1t OF
one side Of US.
"Chsrlie, that's u wilI-o'. the wisp," said Poke
in rather subdued tone, "or the deyiI; vhs
ever heard Of deer going around so2"
"He is examining you to see what manner o
man you are
"Perchance it is some spirit Of departed
buck. leading US wild chase to d. stroy u.s."
There II is, just behind me, Is live7
Sure enough, us turned my head. saw tn
two blue lights that indicate the rraecsinx iense
| Of the ere. The Doctor was taking aim, but
noticed it was not very steady. liz pulled ii.
trigger-a dull snap announced 8 uiss.dre. Ii
pulled the other trigger snapped in the sam
way. The gun Was wet with rain.
"Was anything ever 30 p1ovoiing!" sal
Poke, as the eyes vanished In the darkness.
"Ii it is the devil, be will hare you now"
How ean you talk 30" snd the Doctor, vii
q strong accent on the "can."
There il your deer, Poke, in The windfAll,
said I, as l caught tight Of the eyes moving raE
idly aong over the mass oftimber that la5 heaI
cd aud knotted together.
"Tbat's no deer" said Poke; "no cloeeu
foot could 70 oyet that windtall that way
! would rather see the nigh. huntsmAn Of th
uar,z Mountains than See those eyes again.
As he was speaking, saw in the iuky darkne!
ahead of US, another pair Of eyes, and two {
three pairs on the left. The truth flashed Q
me. The scarcity Of the deer, the proximi1
of the windsall, the restleslness Of those bal
fnl eyes, ali gave ms the clue-~the wolves Wei
around as.
4 word To Poke, and the affair vas explains
and W stood still for consultation. We trl!
nav cups on cur gun; but it was Of n use, Il
cones we're u urated With water. We turnt
toward ths camp, but ID our confusion Ne 10
rot tbs direction. TO beigbteu the mJsterJ
ibe sceps, our torch was almost burned out
let that die, and The rest could b. very easl
OWNED. ..,
r We we1e standing, at The time, under argro
. Of small! pecan trees, and at that instant : e
: sz1ort wss heard from tho sh&dow near rs, Ii
] tho cough Of dog.