Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-11-25

scream off to the left of me, then to the
right, ard never more than about forty
feet from me. Aud fevery time he
screamed, oh, Lord how it did send the
cold shudders over me, and make my
hair raise on my head. Once he got
right ahead of me aud stopped there. l
stood still in my tracks and didn't know
what to do, for could see the Internal
things eyes glariug like two red comets,
and it seemed like couldn't keep Mage
from bouncing him.
"Oue barrel OF my rife was loaded,
and had it ready, with my long knife
in my left hand, but | didn't want to
shoot till see the brute meant to tackle
me. There ! stood, looking at them red
eyes, till it seemed as II would freeze
stone stiff with terror. Suddenly / seen
the painters eyes 20 down closer to the
ground, AMI heard his tail go thunp.
thump, thump, on the hard sod, and /
knew he was preparing to spring onto
me.
/" Old Mage seen it, and began to growl
again, like lien. | leaned forward,
with my rihs pointed at the beast, and
give yell that might have been heard
plum over the top of the mountain.
Well, sir, it seemed to scare the pesky
brute, for he crawled away, out of my
road, into the thick bu.bes. Hescreamed
again, like all the furies, and this time
another painter answered him with just
such scream, away down on the branch
to the left.
Away Mage aud / went again, faster
than ever, mp the lorg hill And when
the painter screamed again he was forty
or fifty yards in the rear, still following
along. The other one answered once or
twice more, but the sound got fainter
every time, and knew he was after some
other sort of game. You can bet was
glad of that, for the two together would
have been bold enough to tackle us, aud
we'd have been torn in pieces before we
could have gone hundred yards.
" 1t wasn't long after that before we
began to come in pretty near toward
camp, and then felt stouter, and could
make mighty good time. That inferHsl
brute of a painter followed right behind
me all the time, right up within forty
yards of old Sops camp.ire. Toe old
man heard the crtter scream before / got
in, and there he stood with his rife in his
hand, ready to give the bloody beast
solid lead bal"
"Well, that's the story said Sam,
and you may just bet that l was par.
ticularly glad to get safely into that camp
that night. When told Sol about shoot
ing the deer, he said You bet that buck
lays within forty yards of where you put
that ball into him. Well, in the morn.
ing went back to see, and it was SO, sure
enough"
" So you got the buck, too, said A1dyi
"Oh, hellol" replied Sam; There
wasn't piece Of meat left on his bones
as big as silver sixpence. The painters
had been back there and just made
night Of it on my buck, which was better
than If they had picked my bones"
well, well" added Andy, medits-
lively, 4" that was a mighty close race,
am sure; but then you had good rest,
and nice supper of deer meat, to make
up for il"
Nov didn't l thought I" said Sam.
. Aud old Mage had as much to eat as
we did. he eat two pounds of venison,
the best of fthe steak, and I'll take my oath !
ont"
81 reckon there's good many deer
caught and eat up by them savage
painters in the mountsiDs2 suggested
Andy.
"Rsrk What was that2" exclaimed !
The hunter, ss a distant sound broke the
steady roar of the wind without.
Andy glanced cautiously behind him,
peering into the shadows in the remote
corners of the room, as though he ex
pected to see full grown panther leap
forth.
The sound was sgain repeated. We |
vent to the DIOR aud looked out " The
fox huutersl the fox hunters !" exclaimed
Sam. Aye, there they we're, way up OF
he side of the mountain; and We could
distinctly hear the winding notes Of their
horn, and see the glimmer of their q ar
ng pine. knot torches, dancing here and
here among the great broad-limbed fir
trees, far up on the crsggy side of Chill
lowie, on the other side of the river.
"Tll 60" said Sam, ever ready for
'uch sport, sRd see what sort Of luck
hey have"
"DoH't be in hurry 10 60 yet awhile"
Urged one.
"Good time as any" replied the
iunter. "I told jen John I'd be along
,ack by niue o'clock, aud he said if I'd
ust give q shout, he'd set me over the
liver in his canoe. But it's nigh onto
en- clock now, so I'll not trouble him,
,ut just take the water for it, right here,
md show the boys how to catch fox, as
20 home"
I" You'll find the water very cold,
Sam" we suggested
"0h, heilol" he replied, laughing
ieartily. It's boiling hot, to me, till
be ics begins to run foot deep, aud
hen it's just a bit cool, next to the
kim"
With that be disappeared in the dark
less, plunged waist deep into the cold I
liver, and waded to the other side, and
n FIVE minutes more the bowling blast
rated back to Us the sound of his voice,
s he shouted to the hunters, half way up
be mountain.
General r E. Lee has nearly recovered
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