The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-02-18
JnteQigenftr, ,
Encounter and Fight with Wounded Deer;

Encounter and Fight with a Wounded Deer
The Detroit Free Press says: "Perhaps
there is no, oue>,now living in Wayne County
more generally known than was the late Peter
Fralick,. a long time its Sheriff. and for many
wears resident of Plymouth Mr.. Frallck, IN
his youth, was a powerful man, and q represen-
tative pioneer, having both muscle and courage,
as we'll as an ardent love for the excitement OF
the chase. The following anecdote related by
him to Mr.. J. Decker, of Flint twenty years
ago, is as told by the latter:
a. number of years previous, ana Wnlle
Mr.. Fralick was yet q young man, IN searching
the forest around Plymouth Tor game, ne ae-
scried, at short range. monster ouCs 'na.
stood contemplating his approach as II lna!I-
ferent to danger, or it may be, confident OF Its
strength to avert it. The hunter at once drew
bead on his game and fired, slightly wounding
the animal. To his astonishment and dismay,
instead of wheeling in its tracks and endeavor-
ing to escape, the buck, with every hair erect
upon its neck, and eyes flashing fire, violently
stamped the ground for q moment, and then
dashed full at the hunter, who had commenced
reloading his rife. Fralick realized IN an IN,
slant his danger, and with clubbed gun aimed
furious blow at the oncoming animal, but It's
force was SO far lost from its nearness as only
to check it for an instant, and dropping his
rife. the hunter seized the now infuriated buck
by the antlers, and endeavored to throw HIM
Around and around in 8 giddy circle, amid
crashing brush and flying leaves, went fralick
and his game, the latter striking out with his
sharp-pointed hooE with lightning rapidity,
and giving the latter all the business he could
attend to in averting the danger OF being dis
emboweled. The horrors of the hunters stu
alton he fully realized, and, with almost super
human strength, he kept the animal from rais-
ing its head sufficiently high to allow its death
dealing feet to reach his body, but his lower
limbs were in more imminent danger, and the
pespiration oozed in streams from every pore
Fha contest lasted. it seemed to Fralick, for
full five minutes, and, just as he began to feel
his strength give way, he bethought himself
that, to throw himself upon his back, he could
maintain a more even struggle with his feet.
This he accomplished, and then came shower
of blows upon his elevated cowhides while on
his part he now and then got in kick that
made the animal snort with pain. AS the deer
changed round to get better chance at the
body of the hunter, so did Fralick, with his
back as pivot, and thus the fight was contin-
ued at all points of the compass. Finally, as
if yielding the contest, the buck retreated for q
rod or SO, and looking sideways at the prostrate
man, stood paving the ground After resting
moment Fralick cautiously essayed to creep
10 nlS gun, OuG III al lnSIauI WIG JUN MoS uPoh
him, and again he was forced to the defensive.
Again the buck retreated and again the hunter
tried to recover his gun, but with the first mo-
ton he made in that direction the fight was
renewed. This was repeated until Fralick,
now almost upon the point of yielding to his
fate from exhaustion, irealized that his only
hope was in assuming perfect quiet when the
animal should again retreat. This he did, and
after Q little the deer, step by step, pausing,
stamping, and watching him over its shoulder,
reached thicket of bushes, when it broke into
run and he saw no more of it. Pausing
while to recover breath and strength, Mr.. Fral-
ick at last, with difficulty, got to his feet and
with extreme exertion made his way home.
Strange as 1t may seem, by his desperate ener-
gy and strength he had succeeded preserving
his body from harm. It had not received a
scratch. His lower limbs also were but little
injured, and his clothing but little torn. Not
so with those cowhide boots, however; they
were q curiosity that Mr.. Fralick preserved, it
is believed, to the day of his death
''The narrator states that they were shown
him by the hero of the fight, who declared that
money would not buy them. The fronts, from
point far up the leg, were cut in gashes to-
ward the toes, as if with sharpe knife, and so
badly cut that had the contest continued q
short time longer they would have been literal
" cut from his feet and yet, strange to say, the
injury to his feet was so trifling as hardly 10
incommode him.
ssWe have heard of several encounters with
wounded and maddened deer, but seldom have
heard of one so hotly contested and yet so
bfoodless as this"