St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-06-20

glance at her fawn, she continued pick
ing up her breakfast.
But suddenly she started head erect,
eyes dilated, a tremor in her limbs.
She took step, she turned her head to
the south she listened intently. There
was a sOund-a distant, prolonged note,
pervading the air, shaking
the air in smooth vibrations. 1t was
repeated. The doe had no doubt now.
She shook like the sensitive mimosa
when foOtstep approaches. 1t was
the baying of hound! 1t was far off,
at the foot of the mountain. Time
to fly. Time enough to put
miles between her and the hound be-
fore he should come upon her fresh
the dense forest and hide in
the recesses of Panther Gorge. Yes,
time enough but there was the fawn
The cry of the hound was repeated,
more distinct this time. The mother
instinctively bounded away a few
PAGES the fawn started up with an
anxious bleat; the doe turned; she
came back she couldn't leave it. She
bent over it and licked it, and seemed
to say, Come my child, we are pursued
we must go. She walked away towards
the west, and the little thing skipped
after her. 1t was slow going for the
slender legs, over the fallen logs and
through the rasping bushes. The doe
bounded in advance, and waited; the
fawn scrambled after her, slipping and
tumbling along, very grOggy yet on its
legs, and whining a good deal because
its mother kept always moving away
from it. The fawn evidently did not
hear the hound the little innocent
would 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 a
mile away, while they were making n
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 a panic of terrOr-a short,
sharp yelp, followed by a prolonged
howl, caught up and re-echoed by other
bayings along the mountain side. The
doe knew what that meant. One hound
had caught her trail, and the whole
pack responded to the "view halloo."
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 flight the
fawn, scrambling after her, baying,
emphasized now by the yelp of certain
ty, 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 think
ing. She tumbled over and bleateu
piteously. The fawn took advantage
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 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 dis
tinctly; she descended the slope of the
mountain until she reached the more
open forest of hard wood it was freer
gOiag 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 hid
den by a ridge, she turned a short way
to the north, and kept on at a good
pace. In five minutes more she heard
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-
ton, the ground was not bad and she
felt the exhilaration of the chase. For
the moment fear left her, and she
bounded on with the exaltation of tri-
umph. For quarter of an hour she
went on at slapping pace, clearing
the moose bushes with bound after
bound, flying over the fallen logs, paus-
ing neither fol brook nor ravine. The
bayIng of the hounds grew fainter be-
hind her. But she struck bad piece
of going, a deadwood slash. 1t was
marvellous TO see her skim over it, leap
ing among its intricacies and not break
ing her slender legs; no other living
animal could do it. But it was killing
work t.; she began to pant fearfully; she
lost ground the baying of the hounds
was nearer. She climbed the hard wood
hill at IA slower gait; but once on more
level, free ground, her breath came
back to her, and she stretched away
with new courage, and may be a sort of
contempt of her heavy pursuers.
After running at high speed perhaps
half a mile further, it occurred to her
that it would be safe now to turn to the
west and by wide circuit seek her
fawn. But at the moment she heard a
sound that chilled her heart. 1t was
the cry of a hound to the west of her.
The crafty brute had made the circuit
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
IL hillside clearing +; cows and young
steers were grazing there; she heard
tinkle OF bells. Below her, down the
mountain slope, were other clearings,
broken by patches of woods fences
interviewed, and mile or two down lay
the valley, the shining AusabIe, and
the peaceful farm houses. That way
also her hereditary enemies were. Not
a merciful heart in all that lovely val
ley. She hesitated it was only for an
instant; she must cross the Slide Brook
Valley if possible, and gain the noun
tain opposite. She bounded on; she