The morning times., 1896-12-27

the soil itself. deer in motion does not
give you much time to observe IL any
way, and, unless you are sharp. you see
nothing but a red flash with white end.
and that is the end of 1.-THE tail end; and
a minute so after, when YOU see the
hounds rush along the tran, the fact
dawns upon you that you have lost one OF
| the chances OF your life.
The runway upon which j was placed
would have been called a ''hummock' III
| Florida 1t was little knoll about three
| feet higher than the surrounding country
and thickly covered with chestnut oaks
As | stood waiting to catch the first sound
of the dogs, fox squirrel came down
| from his nest in a fine old oak and frisked
about within one Hundred feet OF me, and
shortly afterward bevy OF quail walked
across the path in Indian file. as stately
and deliberate as guardsmen on dress
| parade. But they did not tempt me bit,
and almost before they had passed l heard
! the music of the hounds far away on my
| right. 1t came nearer and nearer, and then
suddenly ceased altogether, and the next
| instant the crash of rifle told me that
| one of the party had got a shot.
knew who it was by the sound. for the
Oh OH Ciu heHtuthS -
very different from the ping" OF a Win
chester, and both can be distinguished from
the boom OF a buckshot Greener or the
snap of Henry or Martin 1t was the
Doctor who had fired. and he had evidently
missed, for two shots from q Winchester
| followed in quick succession, then, after an
interval of about minute, another shot
from Winchester was heard, and then all
was quiet.
I waited patiently, l suppose for about
five minutes, when away to my left l
heard music break out upon the morning
air that shocked me like an electric battery
1t was evident that the dogs had struck a
hot trail and were coming my way, and
instinctively knew the deer was away
ahead of the dogs and might be upon Inc
at any moment.
l was right. In less than it takes TO tell
it, heard the wigs cracking almost dead
straight ahead, and then the bushes Swayed
and out jumped a doe into the open, closely
followed by a buck. She scented me about
the instant | caught sight of her and
swerved off to the right, the buck follow
ing, and then L had a splendid view for
over hundred yards. Almost in line with
me was fallen poplar about two feet in
diameter, which the doe leaped so graceful
ly that Hogarth'slin of beauty would have
been noticed in every movement could it
have been possible to have flashed a kodak
on her In another instant the buck fol-
lowed, and as he rose to take the timber I
fired, aiming behind his left shoulder, and
he was my meat. The dogs were upon me
in an instant, Pet" and her running mate,
"Sancho,' and they took in the situation at
once, and after careful scenting of ther
prey they lay down beside it in full con-
sciousness of having done their duty.
Then followed details that are the same
everywhere. Bending down sappling
aad hanging up your deer; waiting for the
guide: carrying the deer to camp; congratu-
lations and then supper-.a supper fit for
the gods. The ortolone in little paper
boats that you can get at Delmonico's on
Broadway, or at Simpsons on Cheapside,
or at Gatts on the Strand, are nothing
beside fried deer's heart, and the pea
cocks brains of Nero or the quintes-
sence of pate de foie gras cannot compare
to deers liver fried i'll the kidney fat.
Oh, what suppers can be eaten after
successful deer hunt! Aud then the
yarns around the camp fire, ''doch a
doriS, or nlghtcap or moonShine whisky;
and then the sleep Of the Just.
Tennessee deer are fast becon,ing ex
tinct, and the fur-bearing animals that
were once o plentiful have nearly all gone.
1 have yet to meet a trapper or hunter
in East Tennessee who ever killed badger,
but still there may be some left. Beaver
still exist in one or two sections, but are
very scarce. Otter are by no means scarce,
and mink, raccC on, fox oppossum, wildcat
and marten are found in every well-watered
timbered district. The finest specimens
obtainable of che fauna of Tennessee will
be exhibited at the Tennessee Centennial
Exposition, that opens in May next atNash-
vile, and every student Of natural history
should see them. for it is more than prob
able that such collection OF the native