The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-07-11

my person. The night had become
still darker and misty rain had CON-
menced falling. We had left the pine
woods after walking couple Of miles,
and had come into grove Of small
timber The long moss dropped in
curtains, the oder of magnolias bur-
dened the air, and every minute a
denser copse would force us to turn
aside from our ronte.
Hush !" whispered the Doctor,
suddenly, with spasmodic pull at my
coat tail, there's a DEER
| was just wondering at this alb
sence of deer, and could not account
for it, as it was rare thing to go a
mile in Florida without seeing one.
! Where Z" I whispered 81 don't
sea it."
Hush it is gone now, but we will
see it in moment again"
We advanced on tip-toe both in
high expectation.
"There there p said the doctor
pointing with his finger little to the
left !; but the luminous spot was gone
before l hardly got my eye on it.
We were in the very place for deer.
A heavy wind-fall lay ahead of US, and
the mingled trunks and twisted branch
es looked like the cheuauG de frise to
some great encampment. The flicker
ing light made the shadows move back
and forth with a spectral effect, as
though dancing, and the hush of the
forest was unbroken by any sound. -
Every moment I expected to see the
two phosphorescent stars that indica-
ted the deer's eyes, and then the true
shot would bring us the prize for our
labor. It seemed q long time in CON-
ing again.
"That deer must be very shy"
whispered the doctor just above his
breath.
The next time 1 saw it first. 1t
was some distance ahead, and there |
were two; but before l could point |
them out to nv comrade, they had
disappeared. Presently We saw one
on one side ofus.
Charlie, that's will-o-th wisp,"
said Poke in rather a subdued tone,
cor the devil; who ever heard of q
deer going around so ?"
"He is examining you to see what
manner Of man you are."
Perchance it is some spirit of
departed buck, leading US wild goose
chase to destroy u.s."
"There it is, right behind me as
live," calculated the doctor, in evident
trepidation.
Sure enough, as turned my head |
| saw the two blue lights that indicate
the rejecting lenses of the eye. The
Doctor was taking aim, but l noticed |
that it was not steady. He pulled the
trigger-the dull snap announced q
miss FIRE. He pulled the other trigger
it snapped the same way. The gun
was wet.
"Was ever anything so provoking!"
said Poke, as the eyes vanished in the
darkness.
eff it is the devil he will have you
now"
"How can you talk So" said the
Doctor,
"There is your deer, Poke, in the
wihdfall, said | as | caught sight Of
the eyes moving rapidly over mass
Of timber that lay heaped and knotted
together
"That'S no deer" said Poke, no
cloven foot conld ever go over that
wind-fall that way. / would rather
see hessnight huntsman of the Hartz
Mountains than see those eyes again"
AS he was speaking saw in the inky
darkness ahead Of us another pair Of
eyes and two or three pairs on the left.
The truth flashed on me. The scarci.
ty of deer, the proximity of the wind
fall, the restlesness of those baleful
eyes, all gave me the clue the wolves
were around us.
"A word to Poke, and the affair was
explained, and we stood still for con-
sultation. We tried new caps on our
guns, but it was Of no use, the cones
were saturated with water. We turn
ed towards the camp, but in our con-
fusion we forgot the direction. To
heighten the misery of the scene, our
torch was almost burnt outlet that
die and the rest could be easily di-
vined.
We were standing at the time un-
der q grove of small pecan trees, and
at the instant a low snort was heard
from the shadow near US like the cough
of a dog.
Poke did not say word, but drop
ping the gun and seizing limb of
one of the trees ever his head, with
an agility for which had never Civ
en- him the least credit, elevated him.
self to the crotch, about ten feet from
the ground.
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