The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-08-01

crossed over Into the next glade aud |
then pushed steadily up the mountain =
toward the summit just at the very
brow was continuous grassy bluff
over which any animal seeking the mp
per shelter must pass; and on this i
threw myself down ! had no breath,
and could not nave aimed my rife
to save my life. so I devoted my whole
strength and attention for few mo- /
ments to regalnng some steadiness Of /
respiration In the valley way below |
three tiny spots Of buf, the deer family |
l had intercepted, were crossing |
through the grass TO a wide bed of |
willows that marked the hlled-in site
of an old beaver dam. Down at camp
everything was still, and the absence
of smoke told that the sleeper was still
dormant. The raven cawed impa-
tiontly.
l became suddenly conscious that
there was deer in the trees eff TO the
right and little below Inc. How long
he had been there / do not know but
I am certain that my eye had rested
on the spot and It's surroundings a mo-
ment before and saw nothing. l slipped
down off the grass and into the trees
and worked very cautiously in that
direction. A shot downhill is so de-
ceptlve that hitting is pure luck, and /
sought q place on the same level.
A stately buck he was, stopping for a
final lunch on the tender shoots Of a
clump of vctch vines on the edge of
the stream. His black nogtrils were
. wet and shone with the high polish Of
new patent leather. His form was well
rounded, his coat was smooth and
glossy, and his spreading antlers full
grown In the motions Of his eating,
every muscle moved and qulvered The
sight was so superb that it almost pre-
! cluded murder and l sat with ride
half raised and watched for fully a
minute. His nostrils caught a breath
Of hostile odor, and he flung his head
high poised for flight, but not quite
sure which way the danger lay. He
: remembered the alarm downhill and
! turned to look that way. The white
l. bead of the front sight rested against
his curving neck, just back of the head,
! and the white bead rested in turn on
/ the lower rim of the circle of the hind
q peep-sight The sight was perfect
and the finger crooked against the
J trigger almost without conscious voli.
Z ton.
y A 1910 bullet in the cervical verte.
y brae sluf's out all power Of motion as
II though it were the fame of n candle
It There was never struggle, just a
u sudden collapse, and the beautiful ami
d NAL lay in limp confusion sprinklinG
K blood upon the verdure where he hat
u Just been feeding. The hunters work
II was done and what remained was mere
~ butchery. The rough surgery Of the
III hunting knife must let out the BLOOD
~ in a foaming torrent before the hear
u ceases beating, and with the same flow
H. release the remnant of life which still
10 showed dimly in staring eyes Thel
III must follow the smeary task of dress
Vi ing the carcass, which had been a dee
eu and was now veniscn. The raven fiey
y from his perch and brushed throug
ils the trees above. 1t seemed as thoug
VI the sound of the shot had summone
Sc all the smaller pedatory birds, the MAG
"a pies and gray-jays, and l could hea
81 their harsh cries approaching thrOug
az the trees, as they futtered closer an
up closer in short flights. Before m
hs CORY task was done they were bus!
oI without fear for me, picking the daint
Iu flecks of suet from the entrails, Will
two or three other ravens had joine
~ the pioneer and were scolding frol
oW the tops Of the trees because was S
lol slow in completing my work and lea
&c ing them a clear field [ hung Il
venison in a tree, protecting the e.
EN- posed meat with boughs, and washC
re- hands and arms in the waters Of Il
Ut rill Then I struck out for camp. u
my der the tall grass red-leayed plan
u Rugged the ground Drops of dew III
'ne fallen on some of them, making Il
n'S homeward path seem through tr;
q of fresh blood. The sun shone dow
yea on the valley hot and ungentle.
out seemed as though the whirring graS
luc hoppers unduly extended their figL
me- to escape my presence. A startl
egs grouse, breakfastlng in a bear-ber
II ! bush, instead of rising to the neart
orr tree, whirred away clear across to t
his foot Of the mountain, where it happ
u d deep into a tree as though murder W
10 behind it. AS I came up into car
lull the horses scented the blood and sno
,ulu ed as IL l We're some strange wild a
neu NAL and moved uneasilY on their pi