The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-10-31

FigL
Andrew Co
County, New Y
and guide. A few
by party of Monticeil,
the woods in the Black La.
The first days hunt resulted
two deer, but none OF the party
getting a shot. On the second q
started big buck and drove 1t to wh4
was standing on a runway. AnxioL
some one OF the visiting hunters should ha,
shot at the deer, Couch fired one barrel OF hiA
gun in front Of it with the intention Of turn
ing its course Instead Of the deer changing
its course, as was expected, it turned and made
directly toward Couch. When it came within
shooting distance, the guide fred his remain
ing charge at the deer, and it dropped in the
scrub cakes. Couch, supposiDg that it was
dead, ran to where it lay, and drew his hunt
ing knife to cut its throat As he was stoop-
ing over it the buck suddenly sprang to its
feet and turiously attacked the hunter Couch
had his empty gun In his hand. He jumped
quickly to one side as the deer raised in the air
and struck at him with his fore feet, and es-
capped the full force of the deadlyaaim Of q
wounded buck that all hunters fear. One of
the sharp hoofs struck Couch on the left shoul-
der. 1t staggered him.
As the buck gathered itself for another leap
the hunter dealt it blow over the head with
the gun. The blow had little effect on the
buck, but broke the stock OF the gun from the
UdrfolS. Inc DUCK renewed Lno aLtack, ana
this time planted its fore feet square on COUGHS
shoulders, knocking him down. Before It
could leap upon him with its hoofs again the
hunter regained his feet, and, knowing that
his only hope was to keep himself clear OF the
bucks hoofs, clasped the infuriated animal
around the body, with its two fore legs over his
shoulders. Blood was streaming freely from
the rifie-ball wound in the bucks breast, and
Couch felt that the wound must be mortal,
and that it would be only question Of short
time when the buck would succumb. Tho
wound did not prove 20 be as serious as the
hunter had believed, and after nearly quarter
OF an hours wrestling with the buck In tho
scrub oaks, during which time the animal
twice broke COUGHS hold and trampled him
beneath its feet, cutting and bruising him bad
", the guide saw that unless he could manage
to make some decisive movement, or the other
hunters did not appear upon the scene and get
the better Of the buck he could not hold out
against it much longer. He was nearly ex-
hausted. His clothing was nearly torn from
his body, and he was covered with blood from
head to foot.
At the first onslaught of the buck COUGHS
hunting knife had been knocked from his
hand, and when he closed with the buck he
dropped his gun barrel. The struggle finally
brought the contestants to within few feet Of
where the gun barrel lay. Couch, by quick
movement, disengaged himself from the buck,
and, springing forward, secured the weapon.
He had barely time to rise to his feet before
the buck was again upon him. Couch dealt
the animal blow back Of the antlers which
felled it to the ground. The hunter quickly
followed up his advantage, and with another
blow crushed the bucks skull and killed it.
Couch then dropped to tae ground himself
completely exhausted His companions, after
waiting half an hour after hearing his two
shots, and not hearing anything further, won't
to see what the result had been, and found
Couch and the buck lying side by side. The
hunter was not seriously hurt. The buck was
the largest that has been killed In Sullivan
county in many years. 1t weighed 210 pounds.