The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-26
A DEER's SURPRISING LEAP.
w. T. Haines Tells of One He Chased
Which Jumped Clean Out of Sight.
From the Lewiston Journal.


From the Lewiston Journal
That day my guide and 1 started on
| different routes. don't know just how
many miles ] had covered, but had been
out several hours, when right in front
of me saw two deer. They did not run,
or, in fact, seem to be at all afraid of me-
Even when 1 up with my rifle and sent
shot at one of them, still they linger-
ed, and making up my mind that if there
was any shooting blood in me l would
make a successful shot the next time, 1
turned up the sight of my rifle and drew
a bead upon Mr. Deer and let her CO.
The rifle spoke all right, but it did not
go much quicker than the deer did, and
| there was left, but with the firm convic-
ton that the deer had been hit, and, act
ing upon this belief, l started on after
him, and It was not long before it was
an easy matter to follow by the trail Of
blood, proving that / had been right on
on we went, at first the deers tracks be-
ing some each distance from each other
showing he was going at rapid bounds
Then l found he must have come down
to trot and then even to a walk, and
at last the tracks showed he had stopped I;
there was the end of his trail, but moth
ing else. No, sir! Not a deer or track
from this point
Perhaps this hunter was not dazed. He
said that he felt as if he must have been
following a spook. The earth was sound
so that he could not have dropped in the
bowels thereof and the best efforts of
the hunter could diVulge nothing to give
him q clue to his game, so with a feeling
of sorrow and dismay he started to re-
turn, following his tracks back a way,
and then, thinking that he could make
shorter cut, he started out, taking a
somewhat new course, which came very
nearly leaving the state of Maine without
one of the leading candidates for attor-
ney general. Now, it was not long be-
fore Brother Haines discovered that he
was lost sure, but he also recalled the
fact that the snow-storm of the day pre-
H. haI f.f.v1 u
by observing the lay of this white mantle
upon the trees and bushes, he found his
way out after travelling miles out of his
way. He knew that the camp was not
far from the lake, the shores of which
he had Travelled twice before, and so was
fairly familiar with the lay of the land
and this frozen body of water was an
other great assistance.
When Mr. Haines arrived back at the
camp he informed the guide of his chase
and was informed that if he had been a
little more patient and looked a little
longer, no doubt he would have found
that he had laid out his first deer, which
which are we'll known to the woodsmen
for their length and hight. And
the deer, which was followed nearly all
of that day and given up by the sports
stone dead some rods away from where
Mr.. Haines had been looking for him.
This. to a tenderfoot may seem a pretty
big story, but when you stop and think
how thick some of the runs of under
brush are, and how deer in death agony
can go at a bound nearly rod, it may
not seem quite so odd This was really
the most remarkable feature of the trip,
save upon the Friday before. when Mr..
Haines broke camp, the party all succeeded
in laying out a deer, counting each guide.
Mr.. Haines being thus fortunate enough
to have personally shot two. The great
slaughter took place upon the lowlands,
where the deer had no doubt planned to
yard for the winter, and were approached
! from the fact of a strong wind blowing
from the yard. Each man selected his an
imal, and each, before they could get
away brought him to the ground.
1t was here that Mr.. HaineS' curiosity
nearly lost him a finger as he wantel to
| count the teeth of the animal he had
shot. for, being somewhat up on horses,
he had an idea that he could tell to a
day just how old this deer of his was.
The poor deer's mouth was .pried open
successfully enough. and then in went Mr..
Haines finger, upon which Mr.. Deer
closed his teeth, just as he was remark
| ing that he believed this deer of his was
| lust three years five months and-great
| horn spoonsi how he can bite! Say, some
one, helpr' And this was the end of the
/ hunting.