The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14


ting a snapshot when the deerjumps. That Is
their only opportunity. and as the undergrowth
II almost invariably thick. the shot never
n 'aGf SboSt e the %S Ssst t9 ,Snt q 81 sn a. ut, II Is 2 sihISSTls n
a man who stands with a tree at his back and
viii never see his foeman. whereas man who
The trunk Tor a shot viii tSe seen instSntiy. The
animal sweryes like a flash and in another fash
has vanished. Consequently all OF the men on
the. stand are erect. with large pines or oaks
at their backs. They make no motion at all
bnnasld SPS : sp sod " shrpT Tnas 20 s Is9 sh9p riae The
the, slightest, movement, once the. deer IL
within seeing distance, would be fatal 70 sue
three. or four hours. is trying. There are men
who will not do IL at all.
II has its compensations. however. So far as
human com panionship is concerned, one would
as well be In the heart Of equatorial Africa. Tho
breeze Sits through the tops Of the tall trees
with the peculiarly mystical mourning sound
which air makes when whispering against the
pine needles. The woods are. vocal with the ju-
bilant songs OF the mockinR bird and the thun-
derous rut-tht. OF the giant woodpccker. Spur
Irels bark and chatter and scamner about or
throw pine cones AT the watcher. The flirting.
rhucons voiced bluelsy, is everywhere, This
according to negro belief, flies to hell bird.
sysTy fourth oq rin fEridRSy; SaT5yinE IN his 6o4k seven
tames. make them seven times hotter. He
has been doing this since Adam was evicted.
Perhaps a raccoon will. steal. stealthily by on
his way u water. or a fux's. keen nose may be
thrust over the brow OF a hill for a moment. 1t
Ia possible even at times TO see the whippoor-
will. brown and small. crouched close in some
aarG mock WITH its large eyes closed against
But after ali the dog music is the thing. A
half hour has passed since the hunter took his
close by his hand and SO disposed that no CLINT
inE sunbeam hltering through the leaves may
smoke. He has breathed even with caution.
Being a green hand, he does not know at what
moment a deer may stalk out OF the cayernopns
up to him and bite him. suddenly upon
his right and far. far way the air Is smitten
Infinitely melodious. far carrying. sweet as
the minor chords Of the guitar, resonant as the
organ sTSdi' In that instant Az bird sounds
Animated nature has heard the booming signal
ofthe chase. There Is death on the slow-wander;
a chorus rises and rolls among the trees. II
comes down the wind. changing and clamorous.
thrill with it. The leaves stir to its pulsings.
The rich growl Of the deepest bass, the rotund
mouthings Of tbs baritone. the pathetic strain
highest tenor are all there. blended. harmon.
lied completely. 1t rises and sinks. swells and
recedes. but there is never a moment when it
The. man, feels his blood leap. The slot has
been found. still damp with the dews Of the
morning. and thirty hounds have opened on
the trail. The deer is oedded. possibly, a mile
further on. he has fed upon the young grasses
and the sweet inner bark OF the sugar tree, and,
he would rest but when the clamor comes TO
him he rises from his couch. glances mildly
nANLAA MAJ AiNh- " vans on khli -
lie down within nifty yards and take such SUM
her as he may. They are not after him. he
Eied, or the dogs are, pursuing a fox or wildcat.
pack Is within ffty yards. then bound in air
any black and tan thing hat runs in Louisiana.
end II is TO his speed that he will trust. That
limit Of his speed. for the ro "a OF the shotgun
and the whistle of buckshot will tell him when
he rises, that he has more dangerous foes than
The man on the stand hears above the sing,
ing OF the pack. that Is now a mile away and
fiercer clam9r 81 the tongues The deer has
There is no winding Of the horn. and therefore
he has missed. There is a big dog with the
G gss6 .. and a. his Sss name sos i Tb Bull "a and ? ii his nGt s. is as
in her second year. and her name is Sweet
lips; and she sings 9 feminine soprano.
eaf. and ado tS hear roie eea Of a'FaP eSs tw @uS Of
them merge into one honeyed paan They
f betw tesssFti h seess l1ws' ann Gnf t haTe But Bq6t iSg y1 aSd
Another gun speaks; and there is no winding
coming down, the new-cut road. maybe. Or,
maybe, he will try the Iath that runs along the
water is not more than a hundred yards away:
The dogs have swung in and are beaded
0 f%yision, but they are a half mile distant.
With his white belly within two feet OF the
ground, his head high. his graceful horns tilted
back, his dark. prominent eyes set in the stare
OF dreadful effort. and his great heart pumping
with e~xertion and fright. the deer bursts into
view upon the bayou path. His leaps follow
each other faster than a man can count. II Is
moro flying than running. His sharp hoot
log. as il he were a thing with wings. That
log is five feet through. and he has cleared it
by a yard. He has not seen the man on the
stand. who is hattened against the trunk OF a
sober-colored pine. but the eyes OF the man arc
fastened. upon him with an insensate glare.
Drops OF Precipitation are on his forehead, his
face is white. his hands are convulsively clasped
in front OF him, he trembies and he looks and
looks. He has the buck ague.
The long wait and intaE en- breath and the
music Of the dogs and the shots aud the rush
ing phantom OF brown. that beautiful picture
OF strength and speed that has burst out Of the
woods, have proved LuU much for him. In an-
other instant the deer has disappeared. The
whole business could not have taken more than
half n second. 1t was like a maRic-lAntern hR-
ure when the plate is rushed across the slide,
The man comes to. He sees the shotgun lean
dogs stream past. noses down and the mellow
voices ringinG Every tail is up in air and they
are crazy with Joy. They pay no sort Of atten-
tion 10 him whatever; do not know TINT he is
in the world. The driver pulls his lathered
horse to the launches and .yells Why'nt you
shoot?' and plunges onward. .
Missed fre!' says the man on the stand,
with ready invention.
PROM 10000 TO 10.