The weekly Butte record., 1864-01-02

ola thlei hau no notion We were on
track. Before We had got mile fu
ther, We ran across his last nights CO
er--a thick tancle Of saprns hemlo
and spruce, where the limbs swept t
ground all around, and left 4 dry sp
inside. Here the dog began to viii
and look in my face, tellin' me in Il
way that the scent was fresher. v
had now got into the mouth of de.
run. knowed that spot clear throug
many a deer I'd shot on the runw;
through it. 1t laws between two sted
broken lodges of rocks, runnin' side
side two miles or more. The hea
hemlock and spruce timber on bd
sides, and rooted among the rocl
makes it pretty dark and solemn
ways.
| see from the start that the paint
was headin' for this, and that he wo,|
take cover somewhere in here. SD
enough, We hadn't got up the raw
forty rod when | found we had start
him His track showed that he had 4
scent Of us. and now he would try
game Of hide and double on Us. Ikd
my eyes open and Buck close abe;
and crawled along an hour longer
don't think We got a hundred rod
that time. | began TO wonder why
critter hadn't taken the tree afore,
the rocks. Now depended on the Il
to give me warnin' when We got n
him. After all, twas some eNcit|
dodsin' around that dark hole, think
every minute that mag be the pain
would jump afore | got my eye on h |
"Now, Buck, who had been a
ahead afore this minute, suddenly tu
ed around and walked straight back
me and looked up and began to viii
| couldn't make him bulge foot 4
ther than | did myself. 'Well,' thi
|, old chap, our tramp is nigh uT
guess We'd got almost there; | Ky
the dog had scented the painter fresl
may be seen him, and that he had
last stopped and gone to cover c
ahead. Just as likely as not-y
more SO, the critter had got his infer
yellow eyes on us then !
II didn't calculate to stir much
of cover afore | got some sign Of
rascal. | fresh capped my rifle
slipped Il couple of balls into my MOI
then keeping all the while in the she
of the highest big tree, | did craw
few rods higher up the run. ST
could see nothing. The dog stuck
to my side, whinin' and bristlin' up
hair on his back. now verify bell
that if | hadn't kept so close under
cover of a tree. the painter would Il
sprung afore l could have got sigh
him.
''Now old Buck fairly stopped bel
me; l couldn't get him one step fart
but there he stuck, with one fore
up, bristlin' and tremblin' like an a,
and his nose in the air snuffin' towa
the heavy hemlock tops just up the
vine. Thinks |, the dog must b
got sight of the critter. But, tho
from my shelter looked and Loo
into every tree and rock beyon
couldn't uncover him. | had most m
him my mind to 90 ahead, but the
just then gave such pitiful whine,
I stuck by my tree, and went to VI
to make another search-and there.
the Lord! he lay as big as life! v
| hadn't seen him afore, | don't kno]
he laid 50 still | suppose. He LAID
the f,rk of a great hemlock, on Ii
fat on his belly, with his head d,
toward me, and not over eight rod
| took my head behind the trec-I
mt stop for long look-and cooked
rife. odd chap says l to my
you're fair shot as you lay, Al
think can still you the first time
in'.' | stepped out from my cove
could see the critters tail snap
and forth, and his hind feet cral1
up under his body. | thought
jump and fired quick. The ball m}
for his heart only broke his shoul