The Anaconda standard., 1896-02-02
a DEER's SURPRISING LEAP.
W. T. Haines Tells of One He Chased
Witch Jumped Clean Out of sight.


From the Lewiston Journal
That day my guide and ] started on
different routes. l 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 10 he at
all afraid of me. Even when | up with
my rifle and sent a shot at one of
them, still they fingered and making
up my mind that If there was any
shooting blood in me / would make a
successful shot The next time, | turned
up the sight of my rifle and drew
bead upon Mr.. Deer and let her go.
The rifle spoke all right, but it did not
go much quicker than the deer did,
and there ] was left. but with the
firm conviction that the deer had been
hit, and, acting upon this belief.
started on after him. and II was not
long before il was an easy matter 10
follow by the trail of blood. proving
that | had been right. ON, on we went
at first the dcer's tracks being some
distance from each other showing he
was going at rapid bounds Then l
found he must have come down to a
trot and then even to a walk, and at
last the tracks showed he had stopped,
there was the end of his trail, but
nothing else. No. sir, Not a deer or
a track from this point"
Perhaps this hunter was not daZed.
He said that he felt as II he must have
been following a spOok. The earth
was sound. 50 that he could not have
dropped i'm the bowels thereof and the
best efforts Of the hunter could divulge
nothing t. give him a clue To his
game. 50 with a feeling of sorrow ami
dismay, he started 10 return, following
his tracks back a way, and then,
thinking that he could make a shorter
cut, he started out, taking a some
what new course, which came very
nearly leaving the state Of Maine with
out one Of the leading candidates for
attorney. Now, IL was not long before
Brother lIaineS discovered that he vas
lost sure, but he also recalled the fact
that the snow storm of the day pre-
vios had blown from the west and SO.
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. lie knew that
the camp was not far fo n III" lake,
the shores of which he had Travelled
twice before. and 50 was fairly iairil-
lar with the lay Of the lani AMI this
frozen body Of yater was another
great assistance.
When Mr.. Haines arIi yad back at
the camp he informed The guide of his
chase and was informed that if ho had
been a little more patient au1 lpol.cd
a little lonPer no doubt n would have
found that he had laid out his tirst
deer, which had taken one or two
death leaps" which are well know n
! to the woodsmen for their length and
height. And the deer, which was iol-
lowed nearly all of that lay and given
up by the sportsmen IS spool. was
the next d ~ founI stone dead some
rods away from where Alr Haines
had been looking for him. This, To a
tenderfoot, may seem a pretty strong
story. but whcl .ou stop anl tEirk
how thick some of me runs Of uc-
derbrush are. and how deer In death
agony can go nearly a r)d, II may no.
seem quite so odd This was really
the most remarkable feature Of th'
trip. save upon the Friday before
when Mr.. Haines broke camp. the par
~ all succeeded i'm laying out a deer
counting each guide Mr.. Hain"s hoirf
thus fortunate enough TO have person
ally shot two. The great slaughter
took place upon the lowlands, Wh"r,
the deer had no doubt planned 10 ware
for the winter and We're approached
from the fact OF "a strong wind l'CW
ing from the yard. Each man select
ed his animal and each, before the,
could get away, brought him to th'
ground.
1t was here that Mr. Haines' curios
ity nearly lost him a finger. as h.
wanted to count the teeth Of the ami
nal he had shot for. being sOmcwhA
up on horses he had an idea that b.
could tell 10 a day just how old thi
deer of his was. The poor deer
mouth was pried open successfully
enough, and then In went Mr.. llainc-
finger. upon which Mr.. Deer closed hi
teeth just as he was remarEing tha
he believed that this deer Of his wa
Just three years. five mHnths and
great horns spoons. how he can bite
say, some one. help" And this va
the end of the hunting.
FACTS ABOUT OUR COINAGE