San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-01
TOUGH HUNTING STORIES.
Dangerous Experiences Related by
Two Old Hunters, as Actually
Occurred TO Themselves.

oue Vi the IllOSJ T6ilfdTkdDl0 0X-
periences L ever had," remarked
an old hunter, in front of the court
house the other Cay "was in 1860 in
the mountain regions of Ken
lucky.
"Then was only 16 years old,
and one day while out hunting
with an uncle we discovered the
tracks OF a deer in the sand and
along the banks Of a small stream
and followed them up until we
came to thick clump Of bushes
where we were almost certain the
deer had hid.
"Near this clump of bushes was
a rail fence about six feet high" he
continued "behind which my uncle
stationed me to watch for the deer,
IL when he scared him out from
his hiding place he came my way.
"As 1t happened the deer was not
in the clump of bushes we sup
posed it to be in, and while my
uncle was trying as he thought to
run him out, the dogs scared him
from his hiding place In another
bunch of bushes, just the opposite
from where we supposed him to
be.
Upon hearing the barking of the
dogs raised up to see the cause
when the deer leaped the fence
back of me, and my raising U
brought me directly in front of tn
deer, and as it had already mad
the leap, 1t could not stop, where
upon its front feet struck me Just
between the shoulders, and as they
are almost as sharp as knife, it
came near killing me, but as it was
was only laid up for few days.
L still carry the scars left on my
shoulders from that deer's front
feet, and l never think of them
without a shudder, as | we'll knew
il its feet had struck me lower in
the back, instead OF on the shoul-
ders they would have killed me as
quick as stab from stilleto. But"
he added dryly "my uncle's rifle
cracked by the time the deer had
picked itself up from the collision,
and | had the satisfaction Of tast-
ing that deer's meat anyway"
After hearing the above story re-
lated, an old gentleman standing
in the crowd, who has had some
remarkable experience, and mar.
row escapes while trapping and
hunting in the forests when a
young man, stepped forward and
asked the crowd il they would like
to hear Of an experience he had
with deer when a young man.
or course every one exclaimed
'let us have it," whereupon he
consented to tell 1t, After rehlling
and lighting his pipe, he began.
81 was trapping and hunting In
the Allegheuies In the SOS, and
one day was out with my dogs and
a gun, looking for a deer, when
all Of a sudden, just as I ca me to r.
large pool II wate~kn the rsvfn9,l
down which 1 was walking, L
heard the dogs barking, and also
heard the breaking of dry twigs as
IL something was running over
them.
ain few moments, through an
opening in the underbrush 1 saw
the dogs close on the heels of
deer which to get away from them
was heading directly for the pool
of water by which / was standing.
81 stepped behind tree resolved
to let 1t enter the water and then
take a shot at ii, but when it en-
tered the water the dogs were so
close that l could not shoot for fear
OF killing them.
"Wken it got into the water it
turned and faced the pursuing
dogs, and as they came near iu
would duck them under or hook
them with its antlers, and was
about to kill all OF them, when /
threw off my coat, waded into the
water aud caught the deer, which
was large buck, by the horns,
thinking the dogs when once they
saw / had come to their help would
pitch in and soon kill the deer, but
was mistaken. As soon as L
caught the bucks horns the dogs,
now thoroughly frightened, let go
and swan to the bank, and 1
could not coax them to enter. it
again.
81 now realized that l was in
Derilous position il | turned the
Infatuated buck loose
ne would certainly kill, or injure
ne badly.
81 tried to put his head under the
water and hold 1t there until he
drowned, but he was too strong for
ne and l was compelled to hold on
20 the antlers, which as you all
know have little knots all over
hem, until my hands were bleed
ng, and it seemed as IL this strug-
gle would never cease, as the long
,r I hold 0nto tho horns tho mora