The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23


EsEss Zz8EzzzEZss
roundings Deer were still plentiful
but Cliff, in spite of his equipment, had
failed to get a shot. From. time to
time, the ~neighbors had sent in veni-
son. How good it tasted Even Ma
bel liked it, although she insisted with
tears in her eyes that it was cruel to
kill such beautiful animals.
The days wore on. A party Of hunt
ers had come for a few weeks stay.
1t was beautiful afternoon and Ma
bells father and Cliff had gone off with
the guests for an afternoons shooting,
taking the carbine and the new breech-
loader. Cliff had removed his big re-
volyer and laid. it on the fireplace man.
tie in the sitting room. Mabel was
alone in the room. She shuddered as
she looked up from her seat at the
window and caught sight of the dread
ed pistol, She picked up a paper and
tried to read, but she could not wholly
fbrget the revolver, try as she would,
it seemed so unusual to have it
about
AS she sat nervously rocking to and
fro, she heard the faint baying of a
hound. The sound grew in volume rap
idly, and she was soon conscious that
the dog was much excited. A
moment later, the wild cries
floated down from the hillside. She
looked out indifferently then start
ed to her feet as she saw, half a mile
away, a big buck coming straight to-
wards the house with frantic hound
close upon his heels. Mabels heart
beat like a trip hammer as she rushed
to the open door. On came the deer
like thunderbolt, taking the rail fence
in the pasture at one magnificent
bound, but the dog gained rapidly and
few moments later was swapping at
the heels of the frightened animal, or
jumping for his throat The buck hes
itated for. moment, then stopped,
turned on the hound and made a dash
with lowered head but the nimble tor
mentor slid to one side and gave a
vicious. nip at the bucks flank as he
passed. The deer charged again and
again in rapid succession with the same
result then, turning. bounded towards
the house again. Almost before Ma
bel knew it, he had jumped the six
foot fence surrounding the cattle pen,
adjoining the barn opposite the house,
and was standing in one corner of it
facing the hound threateningly. his
dark eyes glowing like fire, froth drip
ping from his mouth, and the hot
breath shooting out from his dilated
nostrils in little white Jets of steam. His
sharp hoofs cut the hard earth as he
struck out furiously, and his keen horns
We're lowered, ready to toss his pur-
suer into the air should he approach
too near. The hound whined ana
howled madly, but being unable to APP
proach the buck from the rear was
powerless to do more than keep him at
bay.
All this time Mabel had stood like a
statue, her mild eyes wild with excite
ment, and her rudy face pale She
thought of Cliff and her father OH if
they were only therel Suddenly she
remembered how good the vension had
tasted and that some one had said that
a buck was worth thirty dollars In
her perplexity she glanced UP the road.
As she did so, she caught sight of Mr..
Skinf1int hurrying towards her, carry
ing a long gum She knew in an in
slant what it meant M. Skinfiint was
a misery man, whom her father de-
tested. He would kill the buck and
carry it away, Quick as a fash she
realized that she must kill the deer.
The very suggestion staggered her, but
the sight of the approaching man gave
her strength. There was no time to
lose. InstinctiveIy she turned and
StdHttQ .dpOut the IOOili. AlillOSl III
stantly her eyes fell upon the pistol.
She grew faint, and hesitated but only
for a moment. Stepping to the man
tie, she pulled the weapon from its
holster and glanced timidly at the
chambers. The blue, greasy bullets
looked out at her wickedly. She hur-
ried out of the house, across the road
to the fence, close up to the deer, which
occupied with the hound, neither saw
nor heard her approach. She vaguely
remembered hearing Cliff explain that
necessary to pull on the trigger. She
recalled how he had illustrated the
statement when the chambers were
empty. Then suddenly her courage
failed She turned and was about to
dash back into the house, but at that
moment caught sight of Mr.. Skinfiint
not far off, coming on the run, and
shouting wildly, Wait! Wait. The
turned quickly, grasped the pistol tight
deer as pest she could, closed heI eyes
Nth, mic terrific re5ort foliowed and
there was a spiteful tug at her hands
Without opening her eyes, she dropped
m, ms slhohllg WEAPON and, turIliIis' IaI
road ,,, and into The house she slammed
and bolted the door in nervous haste
and sank into q chair weak and trem-