The free press., 1895-08-22


low.
A touch on the shoulder aroused
me.
"All's ready" said Billy, aud kneel-
ing, he tied some soft stuff around
my feet. Then rising, he motioned
me toward the canoe. Slowly, caut1-
ously, without the stirring of a leaf,
we swung ourselves down the bank
and out on to the log. Billy screwed
the jack into the bow of the canoe,
and placed some blankets for the
Colonel to kneel on.
"Now get in there without sound"
he said in my ear.
Splash ! on the opposite shore of
the pond. We held our breaths.
"By George, we've jumped deer, :"
breathed Billy.
With redoubled caution, we got into
the canoe, in the middle, the Colonel
at the bow, rife in hand. Not a
sound had we made, we never even
turned our heads, and only knew
when Billy had knelt in the stern by
the canoes shooting out into tho
lake.
That hunt was wonderful thing to
me. We drifted through the water SO
silently that it seemed as though we
were constantly lying motionless. I
looked above me-nothing but stars
and rifted clouds. l looked below
me-down into the clear water, and
saw reflected there the dark heavens
again, star for star, cloud for cloud.
With this was such death like silence
that seemed to be floating, suspended
between two worlds.
Itwas beginning to be like languor-
GUS dream, full of flowers and earthly
odors, and heavy eye-lids, and soft.
black darkness. And then it began to
be like something else-the forest
swan before my eyes and fell asleep.
Yes, l did, before could help it. L
tried to. rouse to shake it off. 1 would
get one eye open just far enough to
see the dim light of the jack, and
then it would close again and my head
fall forward.
don't know how long this went on.
1t may have been hours, when sudden
ly 1 awoke all over, every nerve alert.
A noise near the shore, and slight
snuffing as of some animal with its
nose in the water. Did Billy hear it?
Was he making for it? The canoe
was certainly motionless-everything
seemed dead-but perhaps the two
men were silently biding their time.
was beginning to get very much
excited when l saw something that
electrified me. The ColonePs head
Could it be possible?
I leaned over and gazed, breathless.
Yes, the Colonel was sound asleep, his
head down on his breast, and his noble
form as limp as linen rag. felt
better now that he was asleep, but
there was that deer What was the
matter with Billy? looked around,
and, triumph upon triumph, there was
the tired Billy fast asleep.
could have shouted hurrah, but L
hadn't time. l poked the Colonel
vigorously with one toe; he came to
slowly with long sigh.
"Billy's asleep, l breathed," and
there's deer on the other shore.
The Colonel was awake in an instant.
He thought second, then he rocked
the canoe. There was such violent
start in the stern that we nearly
laughed aloud.
"Billy, there's deer in the marsh,
and before the words were well out OF
my mouth, the nose of the canoe
swung around and the lantern was
headed straight for the shore.
We listened intently; the noise was
still there. Billy steadied the canoe.
"Open the jack" he whispered
The Colonel touched the lantern, and
instantly powerful stream of light
flooded out across the dark water
and there in its path, shining like
Goals, We're two great burning eyes
a deers eyes-fascinated by the light.
Bang Bang!!
Two shots in quick succession from
the Colonel, scarcely kick IN the
shallow water, and the deer lay dead.
They took me to shore, then returned
and got the deer. 1t was buck with
magnificent antlers. They dragged 1t
N%IL nal