The Republican journal., 1881-11-17
A Days Sport in the Adirondacks.

1t is the morning of hunting day The guides
are up and stirring before it is fairly light and the
sun has not risen above the tops when Rauts
bald head appears between the tent flaps, and he
reminds us Of our solemn promise to make an
early start. The air is eager and nipplng and we
hurry to get dressed putting on az extra coat and
sit down with a little shiver to breakfast of
steaming coffee and venson steak and potatoes
Steve is already starting into the woods with the
| hounds. He fastens their chains to his belt and
sets oft with long, swinging stride, following no
path, but making for certain ridge far back in
the forest, where he hopes to find a stag or two
not yet awakened from their morning nap 1t will
be hard tramp, through swamps and thiekets
jungles of underbrush and tangles of fallen wood
with the dogs pulling and tugging at his belt, and
nOsing the ground lmpatiently for scent After an
hour or two, If he finds fresh track, he will let
one of them loose, and then go on to start
second, and, if he can, third The dogs are noble
creatures, two of them thorough hounds with long
hanging ears and the other rough Scotch dog
with the keenness and pertinacity that belongs to
his race, They will follow the track with untirng
vlgor, crawling through the densest slash of burn
ed and fallen timber, rushing along the more open
hard wood ridges, threading the tangled alder
thickets, dashing through Marshes swimming
narrow streams until at last the deer crosses some
runway where a hunter stands, or takes some
larger water and is captured or escapes Then, if
there be no there to take the dog in, he turns
camp, and creeps in wet and hungry and tired to
lie down BY the fire, and wait for his master to
feed him.
In the mean time we have finished our prepara
tions, and pushing out in boats to take pos
session Of the watch grounds, The light mist of
the morning is curling up in fantastic shapes from
the water, and the air is yet unwarmed by the
sun, as we turn away each to his appointed station
-one on little pond some three miles up wind
ing stream, another an island at the head of the
a Red leland md all
for he is ready oarsman has charge of the island
III front OF the camp 1t is tiresome work watching
alone tor your eyes must be strained to catch the
first sight of the deer as he enters the water or
moves, visible only as black spot across the sur
face Fancy often plays you tricks, so that
floating piece of wood, or loon swimming across
some distant bay, seems to be q deers head, and
you set out in pursuit and almost break your back,
until you discover your mistake
But if you have good guide with you, you may
leave the larger part of the watching to his sharp
eyes, and, finding shady place, amuse Yourself
with book, or watch the ants crawling through
the grass forest, or lie and dream, letting your
thoughts wander lazy along the curvng shores
and among the drifting clouds Presently there
comes faint sound, very different from the con
stant noises Of the woods and waters to which you
have been listening. Reub straghteDs himself on
the projecting limb Of the dead pine where he is
sitting Hark A faint mellow note of hounds
voice coming over the trees. 1t is Jack de is
running Now the chase is coming towards us.
You can hear the sharp ringing bark distinctly
How eagerly he runs There is moment OF
silence. he is puzzled, or is struggling with some
difficulty Now the cry rings out again in quick,
clear notes. The wind sweeps it away, and then
brings it back with new power 1t grows fainter
and fainter, He is passing around some hill or
ridge in the forest He is turning away. No, here
he comes again. clearer and louder than ever. He
is making for the lake. But what is this! The
music ceases Then it begins more slowly The
deer has made a turn, and is swinging away for
Stony Pond. Jack follows him, and his voice
grows fainter and then is lost as he passes back
into the forest. We are disappointed.
We look down the lake again. Suddenly Peters
boat puts out from the island where he is watch
ing He is pulling for dear life He must see
something. We will go down. Reubs sinewy
arms make the oars bend and the boat flies through
the water Do you see that dark spot moving out
from the shore? 1t is deer, "a buck, a noble
head. Peter is still little in advance of us But
the deer swlms fast Will he get away Peter
pulls bravely, and at last his boat shoots between
the stag and the point for which he was making
The great head with its branching horns turns
out into the lake. Steady now, for the boat is
dancing, and the stag is almost sprnging from the
water We must not spoil the antlers. A ball
Just below the ear. The rifle crack rings sharp
and the buck is ours. Henry Yane, in Harpers
Magazine for October.