The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-06-14

ed. Then, as he dipped his paddl'
into the lake again. he would heav'
a quiet, deep sigh which showed tina
he had been holding his breath.
For long time we had no success
But though we knew that skiff, ever
in good hands, was often out all nigh
without seeing or hearing deer, oul
nerves were strung up by constant
expectation. We peered through thu
clear obscure. We scruiinized every
rock that stood out on the winding
shore, and every old stump of fallen
tree, and every dark clump of alders
The light streaming out from the jack
in broadening tunnel was just
enough, as it moved along on the ir-
regular banks of the unbroken forest,
to give play to the Imagination, and
show us stately houses-made. proba-
bly, by few birches standing back
among the pines-and to transform a
blasted -hemlock into church spire,
and dark spaces into great caverns.-
knowing that it was a deceit of our
fancy we conld not, even the hun
dredth time, believe it all deceptive,
and the feeling grew upon us in spite
o: our reasoning that these shadowy
spectral forms had some real existence
which disappeared only from the eyes
by daylight.
The stiffness was wonderful. Bro
ken in upon by a multitude of sounds
that would not have been noticed at
any other time, the perfect silence was
made the more impressive when they
ceased. The light Tread of a rabbit
perhaps it is only woodmouse. the
gnawing of muskrat, the distant
hoot of an owl, or the leap of trout
breaking from the lake and falling
back into it with musical plash.
would starle us, and SO quicken the
blood in our veins as to make US W arm
er. Then the sombrous silence would
lie down again.
Once, suddenly, and quite unexpect-
edly, after all our watching, deer
dashed ashore from the shadows where
he was feeding, and before we could
recover from our surprise enough to
cock our guns, leaped with three great
bounds-springing each time higher
than his own head-over the under
brush. and rushed into the woods.
Safe there, he wheeled to look at us
where we could not see him and then
with a snort or two, like locomotive
whistle, went crashiag through the
woods.
This strung up our nerves for an
other horr. The silence seemed more
perfect and wide-reaching than ever ;
and it was assisted in hushing us by
the vapors which now began to con-
dense and settle down upon the lake
AS these mists rose higher the light of
the jack slreamed out into them, while
the sllg ghtest movement of the air ag-
itated and constantly changed their
shapes and as our skif parted them
and stole along with just the faintest
ripping under the bow---among their
vague, wierd fantastic forms, they
grew ghostly in our thoughts. They
seemed to be lowering about us to
us; aud as they fitted by in
their long trailing robes, to have mes
sages which they could not deliver,
and to linger. as if panied and anxious
because they could not warn us, and
were so impotent to turn US back.
1 said something like this to Creme
the day after the fatal accident occur
red, and he confessed that he had a
superstitious fear of these misty forms
that night himself, familiar as he was
with them, and that he would have
been heartily glad at one time if we
had given up the hunt and told him to
return to camp. These things are
made important of course only when
they precede some tragic event other
wise, they do somewhat more than
amuse us perhaps-because we always
feel ourselves to be surrounded by in.
visible things that at any moment may
take shape and appear to us-but we
do not put them among the expert
ences that cannot be forgotten.
Harry first saw the eyes Of. the buck.
The lighter portions of the mist had
by this time risen above our heads
We had been silent, should think, for
half an hour, no sound breaking the
perfect stiffness but the drip of the
drops from the paddle, and the gurgle
of the waters along the sides of the
bow.
"IIist!
The slightest sound from Harry as
he touched me. The next Instant his
double barrel was leyeled, and held
TO his shoulder, his cheek
resting against the breech.
"Not yet "a scarcely audible whis-
per from Creme.
Two balls of fire-strangely aud
translucent and animated
.glOwed through the mist, with
light. They were like car
huncles, surrounded by darkness, but
with small, quivering flames behind
them. They stared at us through the
thin haze, unlidded, full-Orbed. almost
motionless. And as the boat stole ST.
lently nearer huge form loomed up
beneath them-magniiied by the va
por-and above them great antlers
branched wide and high.
l admired uarry's nerve. He had
been warned against "buck-tever," and
we had prophesied that he would miss
the first deer that he fired at, if it was
but three rods off. But now he sal
before me flexible, yet motionless,
waiting for Greme's word. did no;
stir; not SO much as to lift my gun, OF
to cock it. only put my thumb on
tha hammer nreOared To take a shOI