The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-04-04
AN NFURIATED BUCK.
He Makes Things Lively for q Sym
pathetic Stranger,
Who Il Unarnsed and Hence Has to Use
His 1egs-An Over-Zealeus Plunge
OF tho Vicious Beast Ends
tho Contest.

'Thave had good many novel and
exciting adventures in the woods" ="
said William Demuth, of Jobs Bridge,
Sullivan County, Pa, ''but the one /
had with ia broken-1egged buck, q
couple OF years ago, almost within
sight OF my house, was the IireIiest OF
all, and gxve me the closest call.
'"1t happened about the middle OF
March. The snow was deep up
through the lumber regions that win
ter, but khere had been couple of
weeks OF warm weather aud frequent
rains, and in the open country the
sleighing was nearby all gene. There
were many deep DRIFTS left along the
roads, and a cold snap of day or two
had frozen quite a crust on them. I
was onisny way home, ms low-bodied
Sleigh End when within mile of the
bridget saw, standing at the side of
the road. and not more than ten feet
from It, in an open space in thewoods,
one Of the biggest bucks l had ever
seen. He did ndt move sway as l ap-
preached. much to my surprise. NY
hOrsefhied to one side when he saw
the buck. and run several rodslpast the
deer before could stop him.
~ turned round in my sleigh and
looked pack. The buck still stood in
thess same place noticed, then. that
he was very poor and looked sick. I
had heard that;a lumber operator over
sOn-the creek had several tame deer in
a small park, and made up my mind
that this must ke one oil his that had
got out of the Enclosure. He was
ifive-prong buck, and il in flesh would
have been as magnificent specimen OF
his kind as ever led q chase. Feeling
that it would be a pity to leave him to
perish there, tied my horse to a tree
at the roadside, and walked back to see
IL couldn't drive the buck along with
me, so it could herd and pick up with
my cattle, among which. in severe win
ters, have often found wild deer feed
ing
':As I neared the buck with this
merciful purpose he began to show
some sign that he recognized my pres
ence, and when was within ten feet of
him his recognition became so positive
that l at once knew that, whether he
was n tame deer or a wild one, he did
not intend to accept my services in the
spirit in which had intended to offer
them, and that the chances were that
unless l returned to my sleigh with
out delay my interference would be
resented by the buck in a man.
ner not at all to my advantage.
The hair on the deer's back had
ibristled up as l approached him, his
ears were laid back fat along his head,
and his eyes glared fercely. From
gaunt, half-famished looking animal,
indifferent to his surroundings or his
fate. he suddenly became fierce and
defiant, presenting a front that plainly
showed pride Of race and determine
tiOn OF purpose In adversity. I took Q
step backward as the preliminary
tactics in my retreat, and the IbNck i'm
mediately sprang forward to the at
tack.
Oh VIC oPPOplVc eAuS VII tn0 lEOdQ u
large hemLock tree had been blown
down, leaving stump sig or seven
feet high. cleared the road in Q
jump. almost, and lodged behind the
stump. Peering around 1t, ( saw the
buck coming, then discovered for the
first time that his right hind leg was
broken. and that 1t dragged helplessly
behind him. Then the bucks Aoggel
Aerceness was explained. There is no
hercer or more dreaded object to be
met In the woods than wounded buck.
~ all hunters know. No matter
whether you have inflicted the wound
or whether some one else has, the buck
will attack the first that appears. Con-
.sequently knew that / was In for .
lively time before / got away from that
broken-legged buck with my life.
"A deer can handle itself with three
sound legs almost as we'll as 1t can with
four, provided the disabled one is not
the right fore leg. A deer can get
over the course with o broken fore Log
nearly as rapidly as 1t could before,
and broken hind leg retards it,
progress scarcely any. But II IT.
right fore leg be broken. that moment J