The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-08-13

The hesVy thug of the boat agains
the bank, an explosive and sputterins
noise which sounded very much LIKE
the word damn spoken from betweer
shut teeth, a splash, q scramble, and
then caught sight Of the gauntForm D.
Martin, paddle in hand and hunting
knife between bis teeth, loping toward
me, through the tall, rank grass. But
alas it was TO late. The adspieiout
moment had passed. Ny fingers one
BY one lOosened their held, and the deeI
gathering all his strength, with q ter
| rife elevation Of his hind feet sent me
reeling backward, just as Martin, dou-
bled up into heap, was about TO alight
upon bis back. He missed the back,
but as good luck would have It even
while the buck was in, the air, the deer
going up as Martin came doWn,-the
fingers Of the guide closed with full
and desperate grip upon his tatl.--l--
Quick as flash / recovered myself from
the bogs replaced the jsck, which for
tunStely had moi been extinguished up
on my head, and stood an interested
spectator Of the proceedings Now
everybody knows how a wild deer can
jump when frightened; and the buck,
with Martin fastened torhis tail, was
thoroughly reused The first leap
straightened Martin out ike q lsth, but
it did not shake him from bis hold. If
the reader has ever seen small boy
hangiBg to the tail-board Of a wagon
when the horse was at full speed, he can
form faint idea of Martins appearance
as the deer tore like q whirlwind
through the tall grass. Blinded and
bewildered BY the light, frenzied with
fear the buck, as deer often will, in
stead Of leading of, kept tracing up and
down Just within the border of light
made by the jack, and occasionally
making a bolt directly for it Ny POI
sition was unique: / was the sole spec
tator of series Of gymnastic evolutions
truly original. Small as the audience
was the performers we're thoroughly in
earnest. Had there been ten thousand
spectators, the aclors could not have
laid themselves out with greater energy.
No applause could have got another
jump out of the buck or another inch
of horizontal position out of Martin
Whenever, at long intervals, his feet did
touch the ground, it was only to leave
it for another, and higher aerial plunge.
Now and then the buck would take a
long stretch into the fog and darkness,
only to reappear with the same inevita-
bic attachment of arms and legs stream
ing behind.
When the contest would have ended
what would have been the ulthad it
continued, whether the buck or the
guide would have come off the winner,
it is not easy to say. Nor is it neces.
ssry to speculate, for the close was
speedily reached, and in an unlocked for
manner. The deer had led of some
dozen jumps out Of the circle of light
and l was beginning to think that he
had shaken himself loose from his enc
my, when all at once he emerged from
the fog with Martin still streaming be-
hind him, and made straight for the
river. Never did / see buck vault
higher or project himself farther in sue
cessive leaps. The Ssrauacer was too
much put to it to articulate a word
only series of grunts, as he was
tWitched along, revealed the states of
his pent-up feelings. Past me the deer
flashed like a feathered shaft, heading
directly for the bank. gHang on, Mar
tinT 1 screamed, sobered by the |
thought that he would save him yet if |
he could only retain his grip-'hang to |
him like deathp He did. Never did |
my admiration 60 out more strongly |
toward man than it did toward Martin !
as red in the face and unable to relieve |
himself by a single expression, he went |
tearing along at q fearful rate in fun !
bolt for the river. No one manin fifty |
could have kept his single handed grip, |
jerked, at the close Of such struggle as |
the Ssranacer had passed through, and |
tWitched mercilessly as he now was be-
ing dragged through the bog grass and
over the uneven ground. But the
guides blood was up, and nothing could |
loosen bis elateh. The buck reached
the bank, and gathering himself up for
a desperate leap, he flung his body into
the air. l saw a pair of widely spread
legs swing wildly upward, and the red
face of Martin, head downward and re-
Versed, so as to be turned directly to-
ward me by the summersault he was
turning, disappeared like warning
rocket in the fog overhanging the river.
Once in the water, the buck was no
match for his foe. / hurried to the
edge of the bank. Beneath me and
half across the river desperate strug-
gle was going on. Martin had found
his voice and was using it as if to make
up for lost time. In a moment a
gurging sound reached my ears, and /
knew that the deer's head was under the
water; and shortly, in answer to my
hail, the guide appeared, dragging the
buck behind him. The deer was drown
ID and quite dead.-FrODs ".Adveutures
N the Wilderness, or Camp Life IN tie
AdirondaeEs,"