The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-03-30
iaiareiidnp.
written for the ottawa Free Trader.
A Deer Hunt I'm tie VsrmtlliOn.
Written by a boy thirteen years old.

On bright Sunday morning, the 18th day of
December. 1866 got up to see about foot of
snow the ground. Ny father proposed We
should take a deer hunt Monday. Monday
morning came, TO see us up and ready for the
hunt. The hounds ever bowling in their coup
lings, anxious for the chase. We hitched our
horses to sleigh, throwed in our saddles and
dogs numbering eight and started for the hunt
ing grounds, five miles down the Vermillion,
near village called Farm Ridge. We arrived
about SUNRISE unhitched our horses from the
sleigh sadded them up, mounted them, and star
ted for the hunting grounds about half g mile
distant, leaving the sleigh at the village. The
dogs having broke Tor the hunting grounds soon
as they were uucouped, we did not go far until
the well known bay of our dogs greeted our
ears We well knew they had started the game.
We put spurs to horses, came up to the
hounds, found they were trailing deer. They
made two or three rounds when they singled out
fine buck. As we were joyously listening to
the tonguing of the dogs, two fine does came
bounding by with bounds as deer emily make
The dogs having started down the river with
their game we went after them, but could not
begin to keep up. Coming to the river bluff, we
listened to the delightful music of the dogs,
which were running on the opposite side of the
river We were standing runway, expect
ing the noble game to come back, but, alas we
disappointed The deer had left his forest
haunts never to relurn again. We heard the
distant baying of our hounds growing fainter
and fainter. We had steep and rockey bluff to
decend, and the river to cross which was frozen
over, but not sufficient to bear horse or man.
but that did not stop us. We were standing on
"A steep and rocky point at the mouth of deep
and romantic ravne. While contemplating the
obstacle in our way we observed an open place
in the river which was frozen about quarter of
the way each side, where concluded
TO cross. We made the attempt by leading our
horses down the craggy bluff, the horses sliding
from the top to the foot of the HILL not daring to
move their feet. My father was fortunate in
crossing the river He made his horse jump off
the ice into the water, and then jump on the ice
the other side of the river, but was less for
tunate in crossing. AS was leading my horse
out on the ice the ice gave way, precipitating
myself and horse into the water, which was
about four feet deep. mounted my horse quick
possible and rode tc the edge of the ice the
other sibe, and made him jump upon il. got
safe across the rest of the way. BY the time we
had got across the river, the dogs were out of
hearing, but pursued on, eager to catch the not
ings of the dogs after the stately buck. But we
had heard the last notes of the dogs for that day.
We were satisfied with finding the trail, as there
was deep snow on the ground that
we could follow it. We followed to the
edge of the timber, where we found that
the game had taken to the prairie. We got the
direction they went, and as the fences were
strong and high, we concluded we could take |
the road and make better time We followed |
the road. When within four or five miles of
Tonca, we met man. Father enquired if he |
had heard anything of our hounds. He said he |
had seen the deer in Maj Newton's pasture, |
walking around with his cattle, and that the |
dogs were two miles behind it, and never would
catch it. But he was mistaken: the keen scent |
and never-failing lungs of st. Hubert's breed |
Cal ilnl <ha,,
the Travelled roads, through fields among cattle
and sheep where it had run to battle them. The |
sturdy buck was lost he stops moment, snuffs |
the air. aud bounds of, taking north-westerly
course through Tonica, where many of the oiti- |
zens saw him. We got on the trail where the |
deer and trailers crossed the Ill. Central Rail-
road, determined not to leave it until we found |
what had become of our pack and game. We
kept up pursuit from field to field, expecting to |
lind our dogs and deer, but we did not find the
game that day. About dusk we met one of our
Youngest dogs coming back. We followed on, |
straining ears and eyes, listening and looking
for sound OF sight of the remaining pursuers and |
pursued Having lost the trail in road not
finding it until late We concluded to throw up
for the night and resume our sporting journey
the next morning. Riding up to q house close |
by. father enquired for our nights lodging. The
lady replied that her husband was not in, but if |
We could put up with their fare we could stay
Father said we would not be hard to please If
we could get fire to warm and comfortable
place for our horses, which were very tired We
found the husband at the barn attending to the
chores. Stating to him the result of our inter-
view with his wife, he kindly received u.s. Faith
er said he would like to see if the trail went
through his field before We put up for the night.
Finding the trail we followed few steps, when
TO our great establishment, up jumped our whole
pack from the remains of an old hay stack