The Progress., 1896-06-24
How Deer Pursued by Dogs FL
fectcd Its Escape.

scent is we'll known 10 all WO0dSmcn.
said Mr.. ). +. Fordham OF this city
'brt it has rarely happened that any
of them has been favored with sight
Of deer and its movements Will" il
was thus ManOeuVr1s TO escape from
the hard-preSsing Savagery Of the pur'
suing hounds. saw Il deer one day
demonstrate the possession Of this
wonderful instinct. The sight was
beautiful beyond description.
1T was in the Saranac region. near
Harricstown. Damming the outlet Of
SaranaC lake had tloOdrI the country
bordering the stream to such an "N-
tent that the stream itself had become
a lake. II was in some places nearly
q mile wide. Dead trees stood thlcklY
III this cWpanSc of WHtcr-trccS Killed
BY the flooding. In one of these trees.
ucar the western border. platform
had been built for the use Of hunters,
who, from this perch, watched IL"
coming Of deer into the water, that
they might be an easier and NOR" Ger
tain mark. This tree was also Il want
Ggc point on a runway for bounded
deer. as they were apt 10 pass that
way to escape their purSucrS. so the
guide put me UP in that tree. on this
days hunt. to wait for the possible
driving that way Of deer
II had been there half an hour or
40 when ! heard the dogs. away OF
among the hills on the eastern border
Of the outlet They were bringing Il
deer 10 the water. or. rather. 4 deer
was fleeing to water in hope Of escar-
ing them. Hounds and quarry wer"
coming fast. for the nervous music OF
the dogs grew louder and clearer with
every beat of my heart, and my heart
was beating rapidly. Presently. out
of the woods. with tremendous leaps,
bounded a magnificent buck. There
was nearly mile of distance between
us. but through the pure atmosphere
of that rare autumn day every move
ment of the deer was as plain as if he
mad not been hundred yards away.
With a few leaps he cleared the space
between the hill and the water. PallS'
isg on the edge Of the outlet for an in
slant. as if gathering himself for a
mighty effort. he shot through the air
and struck the water at least twenty
tive feet from shore. The water
splaShcd up on every side OF him.
and for moment hid him again with
sparkling spray. When | saw him
again he was making all the speed he
could, not swimming toward me. as |
supposed he would. to become my
trophy, if my highly-strung nerves did
not send my shot amiss. but straight
up the outlet parallel with the shore.
His fOrefeet and legs threw the water
in the air in front Of him like the
Prov of boat sailing swiftly. and it
fell In showers over his glossy back.
proudly, as if he knew he was gaining
n victory over his hard-pressng foes.
He splasned along through the water
for perhaps a hundred yards. Then
he turned and wadcd quickly back to
the shore. Once more on the land. he
was away ike the wind. and soon dis
ab3eared within the safe cover Of the
forest.
"All this time ! could. hear the dogs
in full cry OF on the hill, but the buck
had been ont of sight a minute or
more before they burst ont of the
w6H(.s on the trail. and saw them
rllsh along with their keen noses to
the ground, following it to the spot
where the buck had gathered himself
for his great leap into the water.
Then they showed plainly their dis
Omtiture. Up and down the outlet
.5ey ran excitedly. their noses on The
ground and then high in the air Seell
ing traces of the lost scent. Then tleg
began running around in circles. Witil
TIE spot where the decr'S last track
WAS n the center. The circles gradu
ally widened Ny sympathips now
were all with the deer. whose wonder
full play If strategy | had witnessed.
feared that The circle. widening with
every one. would at last extend so far
that tHa dogs would strike the trail
where it began with the bucks return
to the shore, and I watched the ma.
nOeuyring It the hOl.lds with painful
suspense. The circles grew wider and /
wider. Two or three more would have
brought the dogs once more on the I,
trail. | could hardly cont.in myself.
perched there above the water, with /,
the fear that possessed me that the /
hounds would regain the trail When .
the dogs were within one circle of |
hiding the lost scent. tehy gave up the
search, and went yclping in dsap-
DOintment back to til old trstH and dis !
appeared. | was so glad that | could
nave given three cheers. don't know
INT l did.'-New xrrk Evening Sun.