The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-06-24
EBENSBURG, PA, THURSDAY, JUNE "a, 1869.

man | ever saw draw a fine bead IN such
a night like this, standing in the bow of
| a Saranac boat, at the twinkle of deer's
eye, and kill. That jack of yours is a
big thing, and no mistake" BY the time
he had finished, the boat had drifted off
! into the river,-ior tho current was quite
strong at that point, I was alone.
l was just lifting a cap to the tube of the
rechargcd barrel, when felt movement
at my feet, and casting my eyes down
ward, l saw that the deer was in the act
of getting up The ball, as we after
wards discovered, had glanced along the
front of the skull, barely creasing the
skin. 1t had touched the bone slightly,
and stunned him SO that he dropped !; but
beyond this it had not hurt him in the
least. Quick as thought l put my foot
against his shoulder and pushed him over.
"Martin," l cried, "this deer isn't dead
! he's trying TO get up What shall | do %
''Not dead !" exclaimed he, shouting
fron, the middle Of the river through the
dense fog.
''No, lie isn't dead far from it. He
is mighty lively, and getting more and
more so," l returned, now having my
| hands full TO keep the deer down. Come
out and help me. What shall do o.
'Get hold Of his hind leg I'll be with
you in minute" was the answer.
| / did as directed. l laid hold of his
left hind leg, just above the fet!ocks, and
| sPrang to ny feet.
Reader. did you ever seize a pig by
the hind Iegi If so, multiply that pig
by ten for every twitch he gives count
| six; lash big lantern to your head !;
fancy yourself standing alone on swan
qy march in a dark, foggy night, with
! rife IN your left hand, and being twitched
among the bogs and in and out of musk
rat holes, until your whole system seems
on the point of aparation which shall send
! you in thousand infnitesmal parts in all
| directions, like fragments of an exploding
buzz wheel, and you have my appearance
and feelings as was jerked about that
night amid the mire and marsh grass, as
clung to the leg of that deer.
Now, when fasten to anything, l all
ways expect TO hold on. This was my
determination, when 1 put my fingers
round that bucks leg. I have tremen-
dous grip-my father had before me-
With his hands at two-inch auger hole
in the head of barrel, have seen him
clutch, now with his right, now with his
left Land, twenty-five house rats as they
came darting oat to escape the stick with
which l was stirring them up, and dash
them dead upon the floor, without getting
single bite f; and every body knows that
rat, in full bolt, comes out of barrel
like a flash of lightning. l fully expected
to maintain the family prestige for grip, l
! did. stuck TO that deer with all my pow
er, arm and will. 1 felt it TO be a sort of
personal contest between him and myself.
! Nevertheless, was perfectly willing at
| any time to let 90. had undertaken theiob
at the request of another, and ready to sur
render 1t instantly upon demand. l shout
ed to Martin to get out of that boat mighty
| quick If he wanted to take his deer home,
for L shouldn't hold on to him much long
| er. 1t took me about two minutes to de-
| liver that sentence. 1t was literally jerk
ed out of me, word by word. Never did
! l labor under greater embarrassment in
! expressing myself In the meanwhile
Martin was meeting with difficulty The
hank of the river was steep, and the light
! cedar shell, with only himself in it, was
! out Of all balance, and hard to manage.
Il may be that his very strong desire
| TO get on that meadow where I was hold
/ ing his deer for him operated TO confuse
! and embarrass his movements He would
/ propel the boat at full speed toward the
/ bank, then jump for the bow; but his
motion forward would release the boat
from the mud, and when he reached the
bow the boat would be half way across
the river again Now Martin is man
of great patience. He is not by any
means profane person. He had always
shown great respect for the cloth.
Everybody viii see that his position
was very trying one. Three several
times, as he afterwards informed me, did
he drive that boat into the bank, and three
several times, when be got to the bow,
that boat was in the middle of the river.
At last Martins patiece gave way, and
out of the fog came TO my ears ejacula-
tions of disgust, and such strong exple-
tives as are found only in choice old Eng
lish, and howls of rage and disappoint-
ment that none but a guide could utter
! IN like circumstances.
But human endurance has q limit. 1
was fast reaching a condition of mind
when family pride and transmitted pow
ers of resolution fail What did l care
for my fathers exploit with the rats at
the two>inch auger holc7 What did the
family grip amount to after all 3 l was
fast losing sight of the connection suchyan-
itiessustained to me. / was undergoing a
rapid change in many respects-of body
as well as mind When got hold of that
deers leg L was mentally full of pluck and
hope my hunting coat, of Irish cordu-
roy, was whole and tightly buttoned.
Now, mentally, l was demoralized /;
every button was gone from the coat and