Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-07-25

II said l didn't believe it," returned
Martin soberly.
'Paddle your canoe up here then,
you old skeptic, and see for yourself"
| rejoined, taking the deer by the ear
and dragging him to the bank. "Here
he Is, and a monster too" Martin
did as directed. "Well," he exclaim.
ed as he unbent his gaunt form from
the canoe into which two hours of
padding had cramped it and straiten-
ed himself to his full height till his
eyes rested on the buck "well, Mr..
Murray, You are the first man I ever
saw draw fine bead i'll a night like
this, standing in the bow Of a Saranac
boat, at the twinkle Of the deers eye,
and kill. That jack ofyours is big
thing and no mistake" BY the time
he had finished the boat had drifted
off into the river--for the current was
quite strong at that point-and | was
alone. asjust fitting cap to the
tube of the recharged barrel, when |
telt q movement at my feet, and cast
ing my eyes downward l saw that the
deer was in the act Of getting up !!
The ball as we afterward 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 that 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, shout
ing from the middle of the river
through dense fog. "No, he 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 l do p
sect hold on his hind leg; III be
with you in minute was the an
swer
did as directed. l laid hold of
his lett ninu leg JUST ABOVE Inc let
locks and sprang to my feet. Reader
did you ever seize pig by the hind
leg? 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 a swampy
marsh In dark foggy night with a
rifle in your left hand and being
twitched about among the bogs and
in and out of mus krat holes until your
whole system seems on the point of
separation which shall send you in
thousand inhnitestimal parts in all d.
rections, like fragments of an explo-
ding buzz wheel, and you have my
appearance and feelings as l was jerk
ed about that night amid the mire
and marsh grass as l clung to the leg
of that deer. Now, when fasten to
anything | always expect to hold on.
This was my determination when I
put my fingers around that bucks leg.
l have tremendous grip. My father
had before me. With his hlnds at a
two inch auger,hole in the head of
barrel have seen him clutch, now
with his right hand, now with his left
hand, twenty-five house lats as they
came darting out to escape one stick
with which l was stirring them up,
and dash them dead upon the floor
without getting single bite; and
everybody knows that q rat in full
bolt comes out Of barrel like flash
oflightning. l fully expected to maiu-
tain the family prestige for grip. I
did. stuck to that deer with all my
power of arm and will. | felt it to be
sort Of personal contest between him
and myself. Nevertheless l was per-
fectly willing at any time to let 60. l
had undertaken the job at the request
Of another, and was ready to surren-
der it instantly upon demand. l
shouted 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 longer. 1t took
me about two minutes to deliver that
sentence. 1t was Utterly jerked out Of
me word by word. Never did I labor
under greater embarrassment in ex-
sing myself. In the meantime Mar
in was meeting with difficulty. The
bank OF the river was steep, aud the
light cedar shell with only himself in
it was out Of all balance and hard to
manage. 1t may be that his very
strong desire to get on the meadow
,,1... H.; l. L. I:>