Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-12-27

ants Ant In this way Uncle Daniel had pocket
ed good many dollars
ADARoAIS.
banker of our party, who had Just paid
a fine Of SIS for letting buck run by MS
stand. told Uncle Dan'l that nc would
give him IS apiece for every deer he woaid
RIM by his stand tho next day. He took
tho hint aud IN COLLISION with the other
drivers he drove too at one time. and the
banker killed both and gladly paid over
the $40 for the fun. In this way, and as a
token OF friendship money enough was col
leo.ed TO buy for the old hunter. @ me
dou5le-bsrrcl brecch-loader. which Uncle
Dan'l now totes on his old mule.
Bedtime came mt last, and after merry
wraugle over the question the mattresses
were spread across the whole width OF the
room, and all nine of us, packed Ike sar-
Dimes, stretched out under buhaio robes
and blankets for the hopeless purpose OF
securing forty winks OF sleep"
CAMS EEpIxG.
The rain still poured upon the roof, and
spatterng drops TELL cpon sno hoor. Inc
wind blew In gusts, making tho cabin rock
and tremble on its stills. The dogs
would break ont into howl or get into
fight or push open the door, seeking
warmer quarters. Andit oneperson wanted
20 change position ali the rest, spoon
mould fashion. had TO tuin over. ms
would start a smothered growl from some
one, and this would start suppressed
litter on the part of O more humorous or
weary, dreary night passed away, until be-
fore daybreak Ross came in to repleDish
the FIRE, set the breakfasJ-table, and get US
all ready for the hunt.
THE HUNT.
Deer-hunting in the mountains Is n very
different thing from deer-hunting IN the
| low lands The nrst buck | ever saw and
ever killed came creeping to my STAND on
| the bank of a mountain stream two hours
before heard the hounds. but IN the
| flat woods or swamps Of Alabama sou can
| hear the first hound that opens on a cold
| trail and then, though two miles away. you
can hear the Others of the pack as they
gather on the trail. You hear them as the
scent grows warmer. as the deer is
started. and then follows the music OF the
whole pack, as they double and wind from
point 10 point. You can hear each gun
| that Is fired. and then the long tool,
| toot, toot" of the driver, who thus calls
! all the ISLANDERS IN TO where the deer Is
killed. And from the moment when the
| first faint sound Of dog comes TO you
| the nerves are stretched to the greatest
| tension and you listen and watch with the
koenest interest for the bounding deer,
who must be shot on the instant or your
| chance is gone.
Before sunrise we were mounted. Some
were on mules and some on horses. Some
| n adj blind brides and some had riding
| brides. Some had old army saddles-the
relics of the wsr--and some had soft, pad
ded saddles of the gentry.
A STAND.
Two white drivers with Uncle Dan'l"
and all the hounds started slowly in one
direction, while we who were to take the
stands rode more rapidly out into tue
woods. The first stand, being good one,
and the real guest of the crowd, was
unanimously assigned to me. Tying my
horse IN the bushes behind me so "a to
elude the keen eyes Of the deer, mounted
an old log and became fixed as statue
Just beyond high rail fence was reedy
thicket out of which the deer was ex-
pected to run and as he jumped the fence
was TO fire.
COLD TRAIL.
Scarcely had the sound of the other
hunters died away when heard the loud
voice of "Uncle Dan'l" as "Iilden" broke
out on very cold trail. Then came the
whining voice of a small spotted hound,
which he called "Iule." One by one the
rest of the pack joined in, and In half an
hour they were in full cry. But, alas for
me! They were going the other way, and
there | stood. and waited and watched and
listened; for another deer might come my
way, creeping out of the drive. Fast and
furious / could hear the distant din, and
they were doubling and coming back my
way.
Twittering squirrels we're all around me,
tantallizing me to shoot. when they
seemed to know that dared not do SO for
fear of a heavy fine by the court Breathless.
/ stood motionless, and listening to the
full cry of the yelping pack, as without
break they came nearer and nearer.
Bang. bang! came two reports, and IN
few minutes all was still. Then came the
loud, long. sQueaking foot, toot, loot"
of the winding horn and knew that the
drive was over. IL was fine doe, as
soon found. when the hunters came down
the fence in o line. with Uncle Daniel
having tho deer: strapped across his mule
behind the saddle.
Riding down the road by twos suddenly
doe and fawn sprang out from the side OF
the road. All was intense commotion at
once. The dogs were put on the track, and
away they went IN full tilt, while rapidly
as we could we rode to our several stands.
Mine was at another fence, inclosing an
other reed thicket. and my instructions
were as those before The dogs soon ran
around through the body of woods, aud
/ could hear them come back into the
reeds. Then they seemed to, lose the
trail. Nearer and more slowly they broke
their measured way IN front OF me, and
could hear them as they brushed through
the reeds. But / could not see ten feet
from the fence because of the thicket.
But suddenly an old hound gave start,
and round and round, through crushing
reeds they dashed, sometimes almost in
sight, and never more than two hundred
yards away.
GOOD sHoT.
/ heard no sound of deer. but through
an upper crack OF the fence / saw her soft,
beautiful eyes, and through lower crack
there was a spot of shoulder as large as my
| hand. 1t was q doe, and while listening 10
| the dogs she was celebrating whether to
| lump the fence and scud through the
| woods or TO dodge back into the thicket.
| 1t was but moment, but had TO choose
| between taking deer Ion the. fly" or
shooting between fence-logsat four-inch
space. Quick as thought threw, up my
gun and fired. A moment more the dogs
came up, and without halt followed the
trail. Within a hundred yards they stop
ped, and there lay my beautiful doe, with
ono shot in the shoulder, which had
glanced and pierced the heart.
-FOUR DEER STARTED.
The finest drive we made that day was
suddenly thrust upon us. Our stands
were near q road, through large swamp,
and the captain OF the hunt" put me at
the wrong spot. | was near enough to
hear all and to see one deer but not near
enough to shoot. The dogs started four
deer at once, and three shots were fred at
the first one, which made dispute as to
who had killed it, while the other three
ran on with eighteen dogs in full blast
For more than two hours, during which
we counted sixteen guns, there was con;
trnuous. unbroken cry of the dogs in full
chase. Two of the deer were killed ana
another crippled while the dogs ran out OF
hearing and closed the hunt.
la the mean time, while sitting at the
root of large tree listening and watching.
there came large coon and sat on log
looking at me. l felt sure it was coon,
but thought maybe it was wildcat or
some other varmint, for what was coon
doing bristling up his hair, curling, his
tail, and crawling toward me? The dogs
had crossed the road on which were our
stands and had stood the impudence OF
that coon long enough.
THE "'CooN."
I'D