Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-08-08

Il
want, for the fewer in party the better
So, one of us taking a gun, and the other
CARRYING torch, we left the camp.
/ The boys we're chuekling together as
they watched us 60, the dogs hOwled be-
cause they could not go with US, and Mike
gave ono of his expressive coughs that sand
as plainly as words, "NOw for 1t.
We were soon outside of the glare OF the
campfire, the little creek was crossed, and
!. our torch flashed brightly on the taper
trunks of the pine trees, the climbing vines
aud the broad-leafed 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
iicrane, disturbed in his wanderings, would
be seen stalking away, with his red head
high in the air, like sentry on duty; or
the sudden molten of the underbrush would
tell us that some one of the many little
e Larlcquins of the wood, that gambol most
when men do sleep, had fed from this un-
4 usual spectacle of moving light. But no
' Il deer rewarded our search; no bear showed
us his heavy coat.
\ Faith" said the Doctor, "this roman
S tic promenade is getting somewhat long.
al think of the deer, one buck will well
e pay US"
/ Fudge! if there was no one to laugh at
/ us, would have turned back long ago
e Give me the gun, and you take the light.
" Accordingly We changed positions
10 going ahead. carrying the torch before me-
e; in such a manner that it would throw the
lg Enbt aheal as much rs possible, and none
" on our persons, and the Doctor received the
it gun, and took my place behind and shaded
my person. The night had become still
h. darker, and misty rain commenced fall
H. ing. We had left the pine woods after
Il walking a couple of miles, and had come
r. into grove of lower timber. The lOns
moss droopcd in curtains, the odOr OF mag
ne nolias burdcned the air, and every min
lg, ute a denscr cepse would force us to turr
Is aside from our route.
Id ..Hush!'' whispered the Doctor, sudden
i'll ", with spasmOdic pull at my cOat-tail
he 'there's deer"
was inst wondering at this absence o
all deer. and could not account for 1t, as
ey was rare thing to 60 a mile in FlOrid
lat without seeing one.
led '.Where?" 1 whispered; 81 don't see 1t.
"Hush! it has gone now; but We will sc
it in a moment again"
'th We advanced on tiptOe, both in bod
ty' and expectation.
on- "Therel thcre!" said the Doctor. point
eh ing with his finger little distance 10 I'll
.ng lift; but the luminous spot was gone bFfor
Ia 1 hardly got my eyes on it.
y, We were in the very place for deer.
HU heavy wind-fall lay ahead of US, and th
, mingled trunks and twisted branches lOOi
'ne ed like the claraur de triSe to some grea
est encampment. The Pickering light mad
oil the shadows move back and forth with
ley spectral effect, as though dancing and tn
lch bush of the forest was unbroken by an
'ur sound Every moment l expected to Sc
ho' again the two phOsphOrescent stars tha
ue' indicate the deer's eyes, and then the tru
itn shot would bring us the prize for our labor
ar- 1t seemed long time in coming again.
ius That deer must be very shy" whisper
rSe ed the Doctor, just above his breath
en- The next time, saw it first 1t wa
Dy some distance ahead, and there were two
rer but Just before could point them out
'se my cOmrade, they had disappeared. Pres
er' emily, we saw it on one side of us.
Charlie, that's a will-o' '-the-wisp," sal
Poke, in rather a subdued tone, cor tn
devil; who ever heard of deer goin
around SOP"
ale is examining you to see what mar
ncr of man you are"
.Percbance it is some spirit of a depart
~, -: cd buck. leading us a wild chase to destrO
a. us.
- There it is, right behind me, as l live.
g calculated the Doctor, in evident trePid'
ton.
Sure enough, as turned my head, | sa'
the two blue lights that indicate the RI
fecting lenses of the eye. The Doctor wa
:, taking aim, but 1 noticed it was not yer
steady. He pulled the trigger du
~ snap announced miss-fre. He pulled tn
other trigger-it snapped in the same wa!
..o The gun was wet with rain.
"Was anything ever so provoking! sal
h Poke. as the eyes vanished in the darkness
.oat .If it is the devil, he will have 70
and now"
so "How can you talk so, said the Doctor
be- with a strong accent on the ''can.
try There is your deer, Poke, in the win'
be fall" said 1, as caught sight of the eye
IN. moving rapidly over the mass of timber til;
inc lay heaped and knOtted together.
me That's no deer" said Poke: ''no clover
tive foot could 90 over that windfall that wa.
nad would rather see the night huntsman
ine the Hartz Mountains than see those ey'
was again. As he was speaking, saw in IL
the inky darkness ahead of us, another pair
lth- ewes, and two or three pairs on the left
me; The truth flashed on me. The scarcity
ire the deer the proximity of the windfall, ii
he restlcssness of those baleful eyes, all gay