The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-10-16
Deer Hunting In tho Adirontiucks.

At seven the hunters arc Off. Three
or four dogs are started on as many
trails by the hunters, who often take
long tramps through the thick woods
tor that purpose. Generally, however
1t takes only Il few minutes to find a
track, and the dog starts, baytng rs he
goes at Irregular intervals on the trail
made, perhaps, the night before. lie
wandcrs about uncertainty for time,
us the deer has fed, and then goes off
straight and quickly out OF hearing be-
hind some wooded hill. The hunter
knows then that the deer has left off
feeding; that the dog has not reused
him as yet, but that he is probably ly-
ing at rest after his nights travel So
the hunter uses his ears instead # his
eyes; he listens for the lost sounds.
The air Is full of 'murmt,rs; now he
thinks he hears the dog but it is only
some great fly buz2ing rods away. An
hour Is gone; the ear is tired of It's
straining, and he scans the bay. 1t
may be tho deer has come to water, it
often does before the dog is heard. lie
looks along the border Of the lakes
where the leaning cedars make dark
zone; many an unpracticed eye has
missed the game In that deep shadow.
lie sees some floating object far down
he lake, at which he strains his eyes;
1t Is loon that laughs at him and dives
and floats away. The lily pads rise
from the water with the breeze and
cheat him into another long debate be-
tween the sense and reason. Another
hour Is gone and eye rs we'll rs ear Is
tired. Bluebcrrics or raspbcrrics are
thick about him, and he picks them and
gives an occasional glance about the
lake. a crash comes across the lake
from the hill to startlc the strained
senses; 1t Is some great tree falling in
the woods that Jars the earth, shocks
the air, and makes the water lap the
pebbles on the beach. In the hush
that follows the fantcst baying of the
hound Is heard, far off but quite dis
ttnct. Echo makes plaything of the
sound, throwing it from hill to hili,
giving 1t to you first ut one point, then
from another, cheating you all the
time. You spend two whole hours in
listening to that sound, and then it dies
down again, and your guide concludes
Cllo deer has gone to water in some dis
lant lake. And then you push Off your
boat for start hOmeward, when all at
once on the hillside, close to the place
where the dog first took the trail he
breaks out again, loud and urgent.
barking, yelping, bowling in one loud
continuous stream Of noise. He has
the deer ahead of him this time sure
enough. Now everything is excite
mcnt; there is no fatigue in eyes or
ears. Round the hill they go, deer
and dog, up the lake shore toward the
head. "Will he go In there" we ask.
"No,' replied the guide, eve never
watch that place." Back they come,
right toward our watching place. "Win
he come IMP" we ask. "Not yet" is
the reply. The chase turns and goes
rapidly up brook bed toward High
Pond; another turn and back thcy
come, this time through a swamp. We
can feel the pcrplexity Of the dog rs
the marshy soil defcavs his scent, and
breaks his baytng into infrcquent and
Impatient howls. The swamp is passed
and as the chase leads Oft in straight
line parallel with the shore, our guide
fairly shouts, "Ihat deer is ours; there
he goes straight for Great Forkod and
and right INTO BPS hands," We wait
minutes that seem hours. "Why
doesn't he shoot? the deer is in the bay
long before this;" and BPS rifle cracks
two miles away, and the hunt IS up.
Five hours of steady watching gives US
deer. 1t is the story Of representa-
tive hunt which might have been var
led In score Of ways and ended in de-
feat at last.