The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-01-01
From whitehead's "Wild Sports of the South
A NIGHT AMONG THE WOLVES.
"The pass was steep and rugged.
The wolves they howled and whined

WoLtESs
''The pass was steep and rugged.
The wolves they howled and whnei,
And he run like whrlwnd up the pass
And he left the wolves behind. - Macaulay.
"Mike, what kind of night would this bo
for fire-shooting?' said the Doctor to that
meditatve Nmrod, who was busy sewing up
moccasn by the light of a camp fire. after a
week of travel.
$50, So" replied Mike, without looking up.
81 am going, | think"
No answer. Mike put on the meuded moe
casin, and drew off the other.
"Do you think we can kill anythingH
"S'pose,' replied Mike.
"Come, Charlie, let us try it for a little
while. /"
This was all ruse on the part Of Poke, in
order to make Mike think ou. great hunt was
an unprecedented affair, and thereby increase
the glory of killing SO much game. 1t had
been arranged between us during the day.
that we would try fire-hunting that night. -
1t promised to be cloudy night, which was
Of great advantage, as it prevented the game
from seeing any Of the hunters, and At the
same time rendered their eyes more reflective
when exposed to torch light. We had even
and the whole preparations was complete.-
1t was party of two-the Doctor and myself
There would be rather more in getting the
game alone; and besides that, Mikes opinion
on fire-shooting was well known, and we
knew he would not 60 with us-so constant
hunter scorned so primitive snare as the
one We proposed. The negroes we did not
want, for the fewer in party the better. So
one Of us taking gun, and the other carry.
ing torch, We left the camp.
The boys were chuckling together rs they
watched us 60, the dogs howled because they
could not GO with u.s. and Mike gave one OF
bis expressive coughs that said as plainly as
words, "now for it,"
We were soon Outside of the glare Of the
camp fire, the little creek was crossed, and
our torch flashed brightly on the taper trunks
Of the pine trees the climbing vincs, anl the
broad-leafed plants that grew by the pools Of
water. There was no wind, and, the walking
in the pine woods there was no sound. Once
10 long while sand bill crane, disturbed ia
his wanderings, would be stalking away, with
his red head high in tho air, like sentry on
duty; or the sudden motion Of the under.
brush would tell us that some one of the
many little harl'quins OF the wood, that gam
bJl most when men do sleep, had fled from
this unusual spectacle Of moving light. Bat,
no deer rewarded our search; no bear showed
us his heavy ccat.
"Faith, said the Doctor, "this romantic
promenade is getting rather long"
Think OF the deer; one buck will pay us. "
"Fudge! il there was no one 10 laugh at us
! would have TUNED back long aco. Give
me the gun, and you take the LIGHT"
Accordingly we changed positions-I 60
ing ahead, carrying the torch before me, in
such a manner that it would throw the light
ahead rs much as possible, and the Doctor re-
ccived the gun, and took my place directly
behind and shaded by my person. The night
had become still darker, and misty rain
commenced falling. We had left tho pine
woods, after walking a couple Of miles, and
had come into a grove of lower timber. The
long moss dropped in curtains, the odor o'
the magnolias burdened the air, and every
minute denser copse would force us to turn
aside from our route.
"lIush!" said the Doctor. suddenly, with q
spssmodic pull at my coat tail, "theres 6
deer
was ust wondering at this absence Of
deer, and could not account for it, as it was a
rare thing TO 60 a milo in Florida without
seeing one.
"Wherep whispered, l don't see it.
"Hush. it has gone now, but we will sec
it in a moment again"
We advanced on tip!oe, both in body and
expectation.
There! there!" said the Doctor pointing
with his finger lite distance to the left bu
the luminous spot was gone before hardly
got my eyes on it.
We were in the very place for dser. a
heavy wind-fall lay ahead Of US, and th,
mingled trunks and twisted branches look ed
like the cheyaux de frise to some great en-
, campment. The fckering light mad, th,
shadows moyc back and forth with spectra
effect, as though dancing, and the hush o
the forest was unbroken by any sound. Ev
cry moment ] expected TO see again the two
pbosphorescent stars that indica the deer
eyes, and then the true shot would bring III
the prize for onr labor. 1t seemed long tim,
in coming again.
"Tbat deer must be'very shy" whispered
the Doctor just above his breath.
The next time saw it fist. 1t was som,
: distance ahead, and there were two; but jus
before l could point them out to my com
radc, they had disappeared. Presently, W,
saw it on one side Of us.
"Charc, that's a o'-the.wi'p," saic
Poke, in rather subdued tone, cor the dev
il; who ever heard Of a deer going around so 7
"He is examining you to SEQ what kind o
man you are"
"Pe,cchance it is somo spirit Of departe,
buck, leading us wild chase to destroy us.
There it is, right behind me, ar live!
CALCULATED the Doctor. in evident trcpidaton
Sure enough, as | turned my head, sqv
' the two blue lights, that indicate the reflect
ing lenses Of the eye The Doctor was takin,
. aim, but noticed it was not very steady
!. He pulled the trigger-a dull snap announc