The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-05-09

Silidll Tree near at mana. Inc tree IT.
self leaned over at considerable an
gle, and to the branches of its brushy
top chung specimen of the same ami
NAL that had disturbed our rest the
night before-in other words, a porcu-
pine. Whether this animal ordinarily
climbs trees or not, cannot say. My
impression had always been that they
were a ground animal, and this one
looked awkward enough and out of
place. The angle at which the tree
leaned, and its rough and ready bark,
had probably enabled it to attain to
what may have proved a dizzy altitude
in Its experience. Here was fair
opportunity to reap revenge on the
species but l RETAINED, not caring to
waste a shot on such a diminutive ami
NAL. 1mpelled by a spirit of pure mis-
chief then, l laid my rifle down, and
advancing took hold of the tree and
shook it with all my power. The top
of the tree wagged back and forth, and
a dismal screech from poor "porky" as
one foot wavered loose, proclaimed the
success of my scheme. Bracing my
self for yet another shake, while yet in
the very act-"hump, bump, thump,"
and three deer breaking cover, crashed
through the brush and over the logs,
hardly thirty yards to the right of me-
Didn't I drop the tree and jump for
the rifle But too late Before the
rifle came up to my face they wheeled
around brushy point and were gone.
There, that's what you get for fooling
with porcupine That is one of the
things that Sometimes happens" when
you least expect it. At all events re-
venge can be had upon the porcupine,
and turned to the tree with the fell
intent of blowing his head off, But 10 !
where now is your porcupine? Verify
and in truth he is gone Either he has
fallen from his perch while you were
watching the deer, or else he has clam
bered down and scuttled his awkward
little parsonage off while you were
chewing the cud of disappointment.
No deer, no porcupine. So l knocked
my rifle, threw 1t over my shoulder and
prepared to descend the almost pre-
cipltous bluff, at the bottom of which l
saw the railroad that led to town, wind
ing its serpentine length. Half the
distance was accomplished in moody
and unwatchful silence. A sudden
crash behind and to the left of the
path l had been pursuing brought me
round in an instant with the rifle cooked
and half way to my shoulder. Up
among the rocks and brush bounded d
mass Of gray, the sun shining upon his
glossy back and lighting up his tines,
and his white plume waving up and
down. Just as he came around a big
holder, 'whang" went the Winchester,
and the leaden messenger, striking the
edge of the rock, whined out its disap-
pointment as it sailed away. Hardly
had the hot shell whizzed over my
shoulder, before the rifle spoke again
and again, but still the buck went on
and upward, now straight forward, now
zig-zagging from side to side. For
one-half second near the top he paused
and turned half round as though to ask
what all the row was about. The
smoking rifle was turned upon him,
but with a hand that trembled now
slightly, and my breath came hard and
labored. There is no denying that l
was excited, and the prospect of all
that toothsome venison getting away
was too much for my nerves. A mo-
ment's rest and all mis- ht have been
different, but there was no time for
that, and as the hot rifle once more
rings out, bunch of hair jumped high
into the air over the bucks shoulder,
as plainly seen as the white splinters
that flew from the poplar beyond, the
deer gave high bound, waved once
more his flag and disappeared.
AS wiped the perspiration from my
brow and slowly ran my pocket wiper
through the barrel, l moralized: How
much prettier picture he would have
presented, instead of running off, had
he tumbled end over end down the
steep hill to my feet; or catching the
ball in his shoulder, spun round and
round, falling at last on his knees All,
so much prettier and then SO satisfac-
tory, also Shall l confess, that l felt
tempted, to let my pen wander off in
such description But l am not a
romancer and only chronicle facts, and
one huge fact (thoush often not told)
in every hunters experience is, that it
sometimes happens" that, at most
critical junctures, he will-miss.
On returning late that same after
noon from my journey, l arrived just
in time to witness my red blankets
fading into the brush on the back Of
poor Lo A loud halloo, accompanied
by significant pointing Of my Win
chester in his direction, caused a
speedy halt and reluctant return to
camp. Relieving him of his burden
and pressing upon his acceptance that
article of our bedding which had come
out second best in the bout with the
fragrant porcuplne, turned his head
away from camp and requested him to
"git."
The following morning, reinforced
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