Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-08-01
AL CLAYTON was the son
of a sportsman; that is TO
say, although his father,

4NtN lOih ldWgcl, II was Ills "
go with his family every year into the
Adirondack woods, where for about
two months he could enjoy the hunt
ing, fishing, rowing and tramping
which that wild and picturesque re-
gion afforded him. His son, Hal, in
herited his fathers love of outdoor
sport, and was already n fairly good
fisherman and q very good shot, and
he enjoyed the Adirondack life quite
as much as did his father.
Hal had little room of his own at
home, which he called his study, and
which was furnished according to his
own ideas. There were a good many
pictures on the walls, but over his desk
was vacant space where it was Halls
ambition to hang the head and antlers
of deer which he himself should
shoot. His father encouraged him in
this ambition, and gave the boy on his
fifteenth birthday fine new rifle; it is
certain there could be no greater en-
2ouragement than this.
A few weeks afterward Mr. Clayton
md his family were established in their
camp in the woods. Early one bright
morning Hal and his father started
out on their first der hunt. Mr.. Clay
ton was a good woodman, and needed
no guide to the ordinary haunts of the
game in the vicinity of his camp. AT
ter a walk of three or four miles he
and Hal came to the edge of an arm
Of lake. Here Mr.. Clayton stopped.
Now, Hal" said he, Il am going to
leave you here to shoot your first buck
that is, il you should be so lucky as
to see one. That open space down
there about 200 feet away, is place
where the deer come out. Settle your
self behind this big, fat rock, and wait
until buck comes down to drink. The
wind is all right, so he will not be apt
to discover you If you lie hidden. Then
you will have an opportunity to show
whether or not you are a good shot.
am going off to another spot for deer,
and l think l shall be back about
noon"
When Mr.. Clayton had departed Hal
began to prepare himself for work.
Laying his rifle on a depressed portion
of the rock, where it was concealed
from view, he settled himself comfort
ably where he could look over the rock
without exposing more than his eyes
and gray felt hat, which was nearly the
color of the stone.
He had heard n great deal of deer
hunting, and he knew very well that
in order to get a shot it was often
necessary to wait long time at place
where deer might show themselves;
consequently he had brought his cam
era with him. He was very fond of
taking photographs, especially Of out
of-door scenes.
The first thing he did with his cam
era was to take picture Of the spot
where he hoped deer would appear,
and having done this he watched and
became tired of this he took a photo
graph of another pretty scene near by.
| For about half an hour after this he
sat behind the rock and waited and
watched, and just as he was beginning
to think it would be well to take an
other photograph in order to beguile
the tedium of this very slow sport he
saw decided movement Of the leaves
in q mass of bushes at the edge of the
wood near the place his father had told
him to watch He laid his hand upon
his rife and held his breath.
J Now from the bushes q head ap-
| peared. then a neck, but it was not the
/ hnnl 11nnI- fo,. yuh hirl ho had hnnp
waiting and hoping: it was the head of
q doe, on which grew no branching
antlers. But it was n beautiful head,
and Hal was near enough 10 see the
beauty of the large, lustrous eyes.
Out into the open space between the
woods and the water the doe stepped,
revealing the whole of her graceful
form. She looked to the right. she
looked to the left then she looked out
! over the water, and when she had
made these prudent surveys she turned
her head toward the bushes from
which she had Just emerged.
| Then in an instant, as if she had
said, ut is all right; come along my
dearn out skipped little fawn. He,
| 100, raised MS small Ieau, iOOkeu 10
the right, TO the left, and out over the
water as if he wished to assure him.
self that his mother had been correct
in telling him he was quite safe to
leave the shelter of the forest.
The mother deer now walked down
to the edge of the water and lowered
her graceful head to drink. The fawn
trotted after her and lowered his grace
full little head, but he merely wet his
nose; he did not seem to care for water.
The doe, after taking another look
about her, deliberately walked for a
short distance into the shallow water
and then stopped and looked back
ward, as If inviting her son to come in
and see how nice it was to stand in the
cool water.
But the fawn had no fancy for any
thing of the kind. He pricked up his
ears, he stamped upon the ground witt
his tiny Eoofs, and he moved impa
| tiently, backward and forward ALONG