Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-05-20
haps she thought that human pity dwelt
there, and would be more merciful than
the teeth of the hounds

haps she thought that human pity dwelt
theEe, and would be more merciful than
the teeth of the hounds
Q The hounds are baying on my track,
Z y, white-man, will you send me back ?''
In panic frightened animals will al
ways flee to human kind from the dan
ger Of more savage foes. They always
make mistake in doing so; perhaps
the trait is the survival of an era of
peace on earth perhaps it is a prophe-
cy Of the golden age Of the future. The
business Of this age is murder; the
slaughter of animals, the slaughter of
fellow-men by the Wholesale. Hilarious
poets who have never fred gun write
hunting songs-TS ra la. The good
bishops write war sons-Ave tie Gear.
The hunted doe went down to the
"open," Gearing the fences splendidly,
flying along the stony path. 1t was a
beautiful sight. But consider what
shot it wa If the deer, now, could
have been caught. No doubt there were
tender-hea,ted people in the valley who
would have spared her life, shut her up
in stableand petted her. Was there
one who w'uld have let her go back to
her waiting fawn? 1t is the business
of civilization to tame or kill.
The doe vent on she left the saw
mill on JohIs Brook to her right; she
turned into wood path as she ap-
preached Slide Brook she saw a boy
standing by tree, with raised rifle.
The dogs weH not in sight; but she
could hear them coming down the hill /;
there was no lime for hesitation; with a
tremendous burst of speed she cleared
the stream, and as she touched the bank
heard the 'ping" of a rifle bullet in the
air above her. The cruel sound gave
wings to the poor thing. In moment
more she was in the opening; she leap
ed into the travelled road. Which way
Below her in the road was load of hay
man and boy with pitchforks in their
hands were running towards her. She
turned south, and few along the street.
The town was up; women and children
ran to the doors and windows men
snatched their rifles shots were fired
al the big boarding houses the summer
boarders, who never have anything to
dc, came out and cheered camp-stool
was thrown from veranda some young
fellows, shooting at mark in the mead.
ov, saw the flying deer, and popped
awayvat her; but they were accustomed
to mark that stood still. 1t was al
SO sudden; there were twenty people
who were just going to shoot her, wher
the doe leaped the road fence and wen
away across a marsh toward the foo
hills. 1t was fearful gauntlet to run
But nobody except the deer considered
it in that light Everybody told wha
he was just going to do; everybody who
had seen the performance was kind o
hero, everybody except the deer. Fo
days and days it was the subject of con
versation; and the summer boarder
kept their guns at hand. expecting an
other deer would come to be shot at.
, The doe went away to the foothills
r going now slower, and evidently fatigu
: ed, if not frightened half to death
{. Nothing is SO appalling to recluse a
t half mile of summer boarders. AS th
e deer entered the thin woods she saw
: rabble of people start across the meadow
r in pursuit by this time the dogs, pant
e ing and lolling out their tongues, cam
t swinging along, keeping the trail lik
: stupids, and consequently losing groun
e when the deer doubled. But when th
: doe got into the timber, she heard th
r savage brutes bowling across the mead
t ow. Qt is well enough, perhaps, to sa
t that nobody offered to shoot the dogs.)
g The courage of the painting fugitiv
d was not gone she was game to the tiI
It of her high-bred ears; but the fearfl
r pace at which she had just been goin
i told on her. Her legs trembled and he
e heart beat like trip hammer. St
J. slowed her speed perforce, but still fe
IS industriously up the right bank of tt
r stream. When she had gone coup
e of miles and the dogs were evidentl
II gaining again, she crossed the broat
a deep brook, climbed the steep left BAN
a and fed in the direction of the Moul
e Marcy trail. The fording of the riv
e threw the hounds off for time; 81
IS knew by their uncertain yelping up ar
e down the opposite bank, that she had
If little respite she used it, however,
IS push on until the baying was faint
lie her ears, and then she dropped exhaus
.e ed upon the ground.
If This rest. brief as it was, saved b
n life. Reused again by the baying pac
y she leaped forward with better spec
d bu. without that keen feeling of exhila
ID ating fight that she had in the mornin
III 1t was still race for life, but the od
l. were in her favor, she thought. She d
ul not appreciate the dogged persistence
s. the hound. nor had anv inspiration to