The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-10
a BARD GRAPPLE WITH A DOE.
An Incident of a Deer Hunt on S.
GATHERINGS.

An Incident of a Deer Hunt on S..
GATHERINGS
Col W. W. Gordon and party of Sc
vannahians who spent week hunting on
st. GATHERINGS Island last month are still
telling good story Of very unusual and
lauKhable incident that occurred during the
hunt. Charles Grant, the negro manager
of thu fine pack of deer hounds which Mr..
Jacob Rauers keeps on his place on st.
/ GATHERINGS, Is the hero Of the story. Grant
is an enthusiastic sportsman
and always keeps close behind the hounds.
| One morning toward the end of the hunt
| the party was among the lagooOs near the
coast. Besides the large pack of hounds
they had a number Of negroes beating
| through the palmetto and heavy under
| growth. About II o'clock, while driving
| the lagoons, the dogs reused fine, large doe
which started full tilt down the island
| toward the coast and right IN the direction
Of the hunters stands. The whole pack
opened after her with voices that
made the welkin ring. and the negroes were
close behind them with yells that could be
heard mile. This is the music that sends
the blood TO the hunters heart with tumult-
nous throbs and makes him tighten the
| nervous grasp upon his gun as the quarry
approaches.
Several shots were fired as the deer went
past the stand, but whether from excite
ment or other causes that distracted the
hunters aim, the deer went by unhurt and
continued her way to the coast, followed by
Jh9 dogs and the negroes.
When she reached the beach, however,
she found herself cOrnered by the dogs,
with apparently no avenue of escape, but
turning about she boldly plunged into the
water and swan out into tine sound, fol-
lowed by the dogs As she seemed to have
no intention Of stopping the dogs gave up
the chase aud came back to the shore.
Grant had followed the deer to the coast
ard watched her swim out into the sound.
He put the pack, with the exception of one
dog, back into the lagoon. where
they reused another deer, but
knowing the habits of the animals he re-
NAMED watching the doe. She swan out a
long distance, nearly to trading schooner,
over mile from the coast.
Only black spot on the water showed
her whereabouts from the shore. Grant
waited, aud after awhile the deer turned
about and started slowly back for the shore,
making for the very point where she had
been driven in. Grant waited until her
feet were almost on the land when he put
the dog in. The deer made one leap past
the dog and landed on the shore Grant
had dismounted from his horse, and as the
deer landed he grabbed her around the
neck.
II got you, you debbil," he exclaimed.
Grant and the deer had a lively wrostle
up and down the beach. He struggled with
her until be managed to get to his horse
and got hold OF his cowhide dog whip, 20
feet long. Throwing the deer, ne wrapped
the whip around her legs until he had
her completely tied up. Then he
cut the buckskin string from his
hunting horn, and with it tied the deer to a
myrtle root He then rode back to the
camp, where he found the party preparing
to cook some bacon for dinner. He told
them he had deer down on the beach, but
they refused to believe BIN. As he per-
sisted in his story the party at length took
the wagon and went down on the beach,
where they found the deer, just as Grant
had said.
The animal was 4-year-old gray doe of
large size. Grant was the proudest man
in the party, and gave a graphic description
of his capture of the deer. The doe was
heavy with young, and was taken TO Mr..
Rauer's place and put in q stable to secure
the fawns. 1t is probably the first instance
on record where a man, singie-handed and
unarmed, has captured full grown and
uuin jured deer.
The hunt was a very successful one, and
the party killed thirteen deer.