Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1879-10-11
DEER HUNTING IN THE ADIRON
DAOKS.

At seven the hunt tiers are Off. Three or
four dogs are started Oh as many trails ny
the hunters, who often take long tramps
through the thick woods for that pur-
pose Generally, however it takes only
few minutes to find q track, and the dog
starts, baying as he goes ut irregular IN
tervals on the trial made, perhaps, the
nimht before He wanlcrs about uncer- |
tainly for a time, as the deer has tett, anu
! then goes Off straight and quickly out OF
| hearing behind some wooded hill. The
hunter knows then that the deer hat LETT
off feeding; that the dog has not reused
hlm as yet, but that he is probably lying
at rest after his nights travel. SO the
hunter uses his oars instead Of his eyes;
he listens for the sounds. The air is full
of murm,rs; now he thinks he hears the
dog. but it is only some great fly buzzing
rods away. An hour is gone the ear is
tired of its straining, and he scans the
bay. 1t may be the deer has come to WA
ter, it often does before the dog is heard.
He looks along the border of the lakes
where the leaning cedars make dark
zone many an Impractical eye has miss
|
sees tloating objects far down TIL, lake d ,
: which he strains his eyes; it is Il loon
that laughs at him and dives and floats
away. The lily pads rise from the water
with the breeze and cheat him into anoth-
er long debate between the sense ana
g reason Another hour is gone and eye as
S well as ear is tired. Biueberres or rasp
e berries are thick about him, and he picks
them and gives all occasional glance about
the lake. A crash comes across the lake
: from the hill to startle the strained senses
It is some great tree falling III the wood
q that lars the earth, shocks tho air, an'
l. makes the water lap The pebbles on til
beech. In the hush that follows the faint
Is est baying of the hound is heard. t"r OF
81 Int quite distinct. Echo makes 4 play
<! thing of the sound, throwing it from III
o. to hill, giving it to you first at one pom
T. then from another, cheating you all til
h. time, You spend two whole hours i'll Ii
t.ninr to that sound, and then il "i'
down again, and your guide concludes I'll
81 deer has gone to water Ill some dlS'ai
lake. And then you push Oft your DO;
r. for a start homeward; when all at ono
on the hill. side. close to the place whe1
the doc first took the trail he breaks OF
py again, loud and urgent. barking, yelpi
bh- and bowling in one continuous stream
,,- noise, He has the deer ahead OF INN til
lin time sure enough. Now everything
ha, excitement; there is no fatigue in eyes
it ears. Round the hill they go, deer al
or dog, M the lake shore toward the hea
a,- ..Will he 20 in there we ask. 'No," l
oi> piled the guide, eve never watch tn
his place" Back they come. right iowa
our watching place. "Will he come IN
ilv we inuuirc Not yet" is the reply. L
chase turns and goes rapidly up IL brp
bed toward High Point; another turn a
by back they come, this time through
swamp. We can fee, the pcrpleXlty
div the dog as the marshy soil defeats
49,, scent. and breaks his baying into
ieo freoicnt and impatient howis. L
ck- swamp is passed and as the chase leads
has in Il straight line parallel with the sho
icr. our guido fairly shouts "That deer
~ ours there he goes straight for CIR
ic'' Forked and right into BIS hands"
wait minutes that seem hours. Nv
doesn't he shoot ? the deer is III the
long before this )" and BIS ri lo cracks
=, miles away, and the hunt is up. +
ne hours of steady watching gives us Il dc
the IT is the story of Il rcprcSn'. tativo Ii
, re- which might have been varied in sc
of wavs and ended i'll defeat ut last.