The Portland daily press., 1878-04-06

followed by prolonged howl, caught up and
re-echoed by other bayings along the noun
tain side. The doe knew what that meant.
One hound had caught her trail, and the
whole pack responded to the s'view haloo."
The danger was certain now; it was near.
She could not crawl on in this way; the dogs
would soon be upon them. She turned again
for fight; the fawn, scrambling after her,
baying, emphasized now by the yelp of
certainty, came nearer. Flight with the
fawn was impossible. The doe returned
and stood by it, head erect and nostrils
distended. She stood perfectly still, but
trembling. Perhaps she was thinking. The
tumbled over aud bleated piteously. The
fawn took advantage OF the situation and be-
gan to draw his luncheon ration. The doe
seemed to have made up her mind. She let
him finish. The fawn, having taken all he
wanted, lay down contentedly. and the doe
licked him for a moment. Then, with the
swiftness of bird, she dashed away, and In
moment was lost in the forest. She went
in the direction of the hounds.
According to all human calculations she
was going into the Jaws of death. So she
was; all human calculations are selfish. She
kept straight on, hearing the baying every
moment more distinctly; she descended the
slope of the mountain until she reached the
more open forest of hard wood; it was freer
going there, and the cry of the pack echoed
more resoundingly in the great spaces. She
was going due east when, Judging by the
sound the hounds were not far off, though
they were still hidden by ridge, she turned
short way to the north, and kept on at a
good pace. In five minutes more she heard
the sharp, exultant yep of discovery, and
then the deep-mouthed howl of purs nit.
The hounds had struck her trail where she
turned. and the fawn was safe.
H., -,
ground was not bad and she felt the exhilara-
ton of the chase. For the moment fear left
her, and she bounded on with the exaltation
oftriumph. For quarter of an hour she
went on at Shaping pace, clearing the moose
bushes with bound after bound, flying over
the fallen logs, pausing neither for brook nor
ravine. The baying of the hounds grew faint
er behind her. But she struck bad piece of
going, deadwood slash. 1t was marvellous
to see her skim over it, leaping among its in
trcacies and not breaking her slender legs mo
other living animal could do it. But it was
killing work; she began to pant fearfully; she
lost ground; the baying of the hounds was
nearer. She climbed the hard wood hill at a
slower gait; but once on more level. free
around, her breath came back to her, and
she stretched away with new courage, and
may be sort of contempt of her heavy pur-
suers.
Alter running at nigh speed perhaps half a
mile further, it occurred to her that it would
be safe now to surn to the west and by wide
circuit seek her fawn. But at the moment
she heard sound that chilled her heart. 1t
was the cry OF hound to the west
of her. The crafty brute had made the cir
cult of the slash and cut off her retreat. There
was nothing to do but keep on; and on she
went, still to the north, with the noise of
the pack behind her. In five minutes more
she had passed into hillside clearing; cows
and young steers were grazing there; she
heard tinkle Of bells. Below her, down the
mountain slope, were otLer clearings, broken
by patches of woods; fences intervened, and
mile or two down lay the valley, the shin
ing Ausable, and the peaceful farm houses.
That way also her hereditary enemies were.
Not merclful heart in all that lovely valley.
She hestated; it was only for an instant; she
must cross the Slide Brook Valley if possible,
and gain the mountain opposite. She
bounded on; she stopped. What was that /?
From the valley ahead came the cry of a
searching hound! Ali the devils were loose
this morning. Every way was closed but
one, and that led straight down the noun
tain to the cluster of houses. Conspicuous
among them was a slender white wooden
spire. The doe did not know that it was the
spire of Christian chapel. But perhaps she
thought that human pity dwelt there, and
would be more merciful than the teeth of the
hounds