The Van Buren press., 1898-04-16

thought he hadn't seen or shifted me,
and was only crossin' the pond.
didn't want to be run down and walked
over by no deer, and so | turned square
around and hollered at him. NV, what
had that consumed deer ought to up
and done? Aecordin' to the gener'l idee
of the natur' o deer, that buck ought to
been scared half to death then and
there, and turned and bounced away
like gale o. wind. Did he do it? If
he did, amt heerd of it yet. No, sir,
he didn't. Inste'd of turnin' an bound
in away, like a real, law-abidin' deer
ought to done, he riz up the bristles on
his neck till they stood five inches high,
and, givin' snort like a mad bull, he
come for me like a locomotive.
"'"Ilere," says, THAT back acts to
me as if he had an idee o dom some
hookin'."
That's what he had, too, and as he
come tearin' where l stood | jumped to
one side. The deer was goin' so fast
that he went on by me more'n so yards
fore he could stop and turn. didn't
calculate to stand there and be hooked
into shoestrings by that buck, and
away l dug for shore, hopin' to git
there and climb tree fore the buck
could ketch me, if he was rantankerous
enough to foller me. He was antanker-
Gus enough, all right and he follered
me, but | didn't climb the tree. | have
always kind O. looked up to deer, John.
I've always sot deer down as bein' crit
tiers that was high feelin' and wouldn't
stoop to do anything low.
But want to tell it right now that
I'm disappointed in deer! They amt
what I've always cracked 'em up to be.
If that buck had been of the natur' I've
always sot deer natur down to be I'd
clumb that tree. But he wasn't, and
jest as had grabbed the trunk o. that
tree, and was goin' up it like red squir-
rel, that buck reached up and fastened
onto me with his jaws just below where
my hind gallus buttons is hitched to my
trousers, and sloshed me down agin so
quick that | can't never tell you now
which end o. me hit the snow first!
Fastened onto me jest es if he was
| nothin' more than sneakin' snarlin'
sniffiin', sheep-stealin' dog, inste'd of G
bold and boundin' roebuck O. the noun
tains! Disappointed? l was never SO
disappointed in my life!
Then what does the deer do? Moth
in only chuck me clean back on the
pond ag'in, an come a follerin' me as
| tight as he could come He came SO
tight that he stubbed his toes on me,
| and went all in heap on the ice HIM
self. l was up fore he was, and l want
to tell you was mad.
"'"This is goin' leetle too fur!"
says. 81 hain't got no objections to
you havin' the hull O. that pond to your.
self if you want it," l says, "b'!t there
hain't no deer ever lived kin sneak VI
and bite me like a durn onery sheer
dog without me hittin' back!"
) 1.-The deer was a-comin' for me head
on ag'in, and | knowed from the way he
looked that he was p'intin' to hook mt
down and then churn the innards Out
G. me. I'd a turned and lodged him an6
got up the tree this time if he hadn't
bit me t'other time. That was more'r
I could stand, and when he comes a
| prancin' up to me with his head down
to scoop me, ketched him by the
horns, whopped him over on his back
and run my knife across his throat fore
he ever lnowed what he had run ag'in
Did 1? Well, do you s'pose I'm goin' tc
let deer bite me and then set down anC
let him hook and stomp me into hasf
besides? Not this year!
"'Well, sir, the first thing l knowet
this mornin' Gabe Sawyer, the con
stable, comes over here and says t.
me:
"'"Joe," says he, 1--WE got war
rant for you, and I'll have to yank you.
"'"Yank mel" / says. "What fur?'
"'"Killin' deer outen season." b,
says.
81 was so took back that couldn'
say a durn word till me and Gabe go
down to the 'squires. Then l up anC
told 'em jest how it all happened, bu
ii the squire didn't bind me over t.
pear fore the grand jury, you kin hav'
my hull blame clearin'. Now | jes
want to know what we be comm to? |
the day O the month amt right you've
got to lay down and let deer chaw anC
horn and stomp the daylights outer
you, and leave your wife wilder o.
else be held for the grand jury! go
that durn sheep-stealin' dog of deer
carcass hangin' out here in the barn
Come and see it,
81 went out to the barn. The dee
was a big one and no mistake. 1 won
dered how in the world Joe could hav
whopped it ON its back so quick. By ant
by, looking the carcass over found
hole in its side, just behind the lief
shoulder. The hole was fresh, and
could put my forefnger. all the way il
it. The hole was bullet hole, sure a
guns.
"'Why, joe said, here's bulle
hole in this deer.
Joe came around and looked at il
He stood a minute as if dumb witt
amazement. Then he struck his ifs
against the side of the barn ant
shouted:
"'I'll give $50 this here very minut
to know who plunked that bullet in tina
deer. No wonder that deer bit me
No wonder he wanted to hook ant
stomp the daylights out o me. l TAX
il all back. That bullets what done il
Some prowlin' bushwhacker socket
that bullet into that deer, and the pail