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


The hunted doe went down the
"open," clearing the fences splendidly,
nylng along the stony path. 1t was a
beautiful sight. But consider what a
shot it was! If the deer now could
only have been caught. No doubt there
were tender-hearted people in the val
ley who would have spared her life,
sent her up in a stable, and petted her.
was there one who would have let her
go back to her waiting fawn? 1t is the
business of civilization to tame or kill.
The doe went on she left the saw
mill on Johns Brook to her right she
turned into wood path as she ap-
preached Slide Brook she saw a boy
standing by tree, with a raised rifle.
The dogs were not in sight but she
could hear them coming down the hill !;
there was no time for hesitation with
a tremendous burst of speed she cleared
the stream, and as she touched the
bank heard the ''ping" of a cruel rifle
bullet in the air above her. The cruel
sound gave wings to the poor thing. In
a moment more she was in the opening
she leaped into the travelled road.
Which way? Below her in the wood
was load of hay; a man and a boy
with pitchfOrks in their hands were
running towards her. She turned south,
and flew along the street. The town
was up; women and children ran to
the doors and windows; men snatched
their rifles shots were fired at the big
boarding houses the summer bOarders,
who never have anything to do, came
out and cheered; camp-stOOl was
thrown from Il veranda; some yOung
fellows, shooting at a mark in the
meadow, saw the flying deer, and pop
ped away at her; but they were accus-
toned to a mark that stood still. 1t
was all so sudden; there were twenty
people who we're just going to shoot
her, when the doe leaped the road fence
and went away across marsh toward
the foot hills. 1t was a fearful gauntlet
to run. But nobody except the deer
considered it in that light. Every body
told what he was just going to do
everybody who had seen the perform
ance was kind of hero, O,-every body
except the deer. For days and days it
was the subject of conversation aud
the summer bOarders kept their guns
in hand, expecting another deer would
come to be shot at.
The doe went away to the foothills,
going now slower, and evidently fa-
tigued, if not frightened half to death.
Nothing is so appalling to a recluse as
half mile of summer bOarders. As
the deer entered the thin woods she
saw a rabble of people start across the
meadow in pursuit; by this time the
dogs, painting and lelling out their
tongues, came swinging along, keeping
the trail, like stupids and consequently
losing ground when the deer doubled.
But when the doe had got into the tim
ber, she heard the savage brutes howl
ing across the meadow. Qt is well
enough, perhaps, to say that nobody
offered to shoot the dOgs.)
The courage of the painting fugitive
was not gone she was game to the
tips of her high bred ears; but the fear
ful pace at which she had Just been GO
ing told on her. Her legs trembled and
her heart beat like a trip-hammer
She slowed her speed per force, but still
fled industriously up the right bank OF
the stream. When she had gone a
couple of miles and the dogs were evil
IDENTIFY gaining again, she crossed the
broad, deep brook, climbed the steep
left bank, and fled on in the direction
of the Mt. Marcy trail. The fording OF
the river threw the hounds off for a
time she knew by their uncertain yelp-
ing up and down the opposite bank,
that she had little respite she used
it however, to push on until the baying
was faint in her ears, and then she
dropped exhausted on the ground.
This rest, brief as it was, saved hel
life. Reused again by the baying pack,
she leaped forward with better speed,
but without that keen feeling of exhil-
arating flight that she had in the morn
ing. 1t was still race for life, but the
odds were in her favor she thought
She did not appreciate the dogged per-
sistence of the hound, nor had any
inspiration told her that the race is not
to the swift. She was little confused
in her mind where to go, but an instinct
kept her course to the left, and conse-
quently further away fIom her fawn.
Going now slower and now faster, as
the pursuit seemed more distant OF
nearer, she kept to the southwest,
crossed the stream again, left Panther
Gorge on her right, and ran on by
Haystack and Sunlight in the direction
of the Upper Ausable pond. do not
know her exact course through this
maze of mountains, swamps, ravines,
and frightful wildernesses. only
know that the poor thing worked her
way along painfully, with sinking heart
and unsteady limbs; lying down ''dead
beat" at intervals, and then, spurred on
by the cry of the remorseless dogs, I'M
til late in the afternoon she staggered
down the shoulder of Bartlett and stood
upon the shore of the lake. If she could
put that piece of water between her
and her pursuers, she would be safe.
Had she strength to swim it?
AT her first step into the water she
saw sight that sent her back with a
bound. There was boat mid lake ;
two men were in it; one was rowing,
the other had a gun in his hand they
were looking at her; they had seen her.
(She did not know that they had heard
the baying of hounds on the mountains,
and had been lying in wait for her an
hour.) What should she dO2 The
hounds were drawing near. No escape
that way, even if she could still run.
With only moments hesitation she
plunged into the lake, and struck OBJ
liquely across. Her tired legs could
not propel the tired body rapidly. She
saw the boat heading for her. She
turned toward the centre of the lake.
The boat turned. She could hear the
rattle of the oar-lOcks. 1t was gaining
on her. Then there was silence.
Then there was splash of the water
just ahead of her, followed by a roar
round the lake, and the words "Con-
found it ALL" and a rattle of the oars
again. The doe saw the boat nearing
her; she turned irresolutely to the
shore whence she came; the dogs were
lanninn tho rrntnr and hnmlinnr 1p..