Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-05-20


ping and tumbling along. very groggy
yet on its legs, and whining good deal
because its mother kept always moving
away from it. The fawn evidently did
not hear the hound; the little innocent
would even have looked sweetly at the
dog and tried to make friends with it,
if the brute had been rushing upon him.
By all the means at her command, the
doe urged her young one on, but it was
slow work. She might have been miles
away, while they were making few
rods. Whenever the fawn caught up,
he was quite content to frisk about; he
wanted more breakfast, for one thing.
and his mother wouldn't stand still she
moved on continually, and his weak legs
were tangled in the roots of the narrow
deer path.
Shortly came a sound that threw the
doe into panic of terror-a short. sharp
yelp followed by prolonged howl.
caught up and re echoed by other bay
ings along the mountain side. The doe
knew what that meant. One hound had
caught her trail, and the whole pack re-
sponded to the '.view halo" The dan
ger 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 flight; the fawn, scrambling
after her, tumbled over and bleated pit
eously. The baying, emphasized now
by the yelp of certainty, came nearer.
Flight with the fawn was impossible.
The dee returned and stood by it, head
erect and nostrils distended. She stood
perfectly still, but trembling. Perhaps
she was thinking. The fawn took ad-
vantage of the situation, and began 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 a bird, she
dashed away, and in a 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 distinct
ly; she descended the slope of the noun
tain until she reached the more open
forest of hard wood it was freer going
there, and the cry of the pack echoed
more resoundlngly in the great space.
She was going due east, when, judging
by the sound, the hounds were not far
off, though they were still hidden by a
ridge, she turned short away to the
north, and kept on at good pace. In
five minutes more she heard the sharp,
exultant yelp of discovery, and then the
deep-mouthed howl of pursuit. The
hounds had struck her trail where she
turned, and the fawn was safe.
The doe was in good running condi
tion, the ground was not bad, and SHE
felt the exhilaration of the chase. Fol
the moment fear left her, and she bound
ed on with the exaltation of triumph
For quarter of an hour she went on a
a slapping pace. clearing the moos'
bushes with bound after bound, flying
over the fallen logs, pausing for neithe
brook nor ravine. The baying of tn
hounds grew fainter behind her. Blu
she struck bad piece of going, dead
wood clash. 1t was marvellous to Sc
her skim over it, leaping among its in
tricacies and not breaking her slende
legs no other animal could do it. Blu
it was killing work /; she began to pan
fearfully she lost ground; the bayini
of the hounds was nearer. She climbe'
the hard wood hill at slower gait; bu
once on more level, free ground, he
breath came back to her, and she stretch
ed away with new courage, and may b
a sort of contempt of her heavy pursuers
After running at high speed, perhap
half mile further, it occurred to he
that it would be safe now to turn to th
west and by wide circuit seek he
fawn. But at this moment she heard
sound that chilled her heart. 1t was
cry of hound to the west of her. Th
crafty brute had made the circuit of th
slash, and cut off her retreat. There wa
nothing to do but to keep on; on sh
went still to the north, with the noise
the pack behind her. In FIVE minute
more she had passed into hillsid
clearing cows and young steers wei
grazing there; she heard tinkle {
bells. Below her, down the mountai
slope, were other clearings, broken b
patches of woods fences intervened, an
! mile or two down lay the valley an
} the shining Ausable, and the peacef'
, farmhouses. That way also her heret
: itary enemies were. Not mercifl
! heart in all that lovely valley. She he
! itated it was only for an instant 81
must cross the Slide Brook valley.
possible, and gain the mountain opp
, site. She bounded on she stoppe