The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-10-01
THE LIFE OF A DEER.



the Hunters Bullet.
Away back in the deep forests of
northern Maine young deer was
born. He was a tiny little fellow,
and his coat was spotted. His kind
mother had selected a dense clump
of young spruce for his early home.
For time he lay quietly on his bed
of dry leaves, only standing up at
such times as his mother came to
him and reused him. But as he
grew he began to frisk around and
began to want to 60 out, but his
mother made him understand that
he must obey and taught him many
things. She taught him that when
danger came he must drop down
fiat in the bushes and leaves and lie
perfectly still, not making the least
sign, and he, being so small, the
enemy would not see him, and he
would escape. Then she taught him
that if she left him at any place he
must never move from that spot, so
she could find him on her return.
He obeyed her and so lived and
grew through the summer and was
fine, large fawn. He wintered
with his mother and many others
in the deep spruce woods. Some
times deep snow covered the ground,
and it was very cold, but he was
strong, and the wild creatures knew
we'll where to look for food.
Then spring came, and new wild
blood flowed through his veins. He
went out alone into the woods and
finally left his mother alone to care
for another young brother. He
learned many things, one of which
was to fear man. While feeding
with others he had heard sharp
crack, and a big buck that was feed
ing near him had sprung high in the
air and fallen dead. He fled to the
woods, but, lacking the caution of
age, had turned and walked softly
back and peered through the bushes
to see why the big buck should fall
and lie so still. He saw man hur-
ry out of the timber and cut the
bucks throat, and while he stood
trembling with fear the man pro-
ceeded to skin and mangle the buck
in a horrible way. Then he fed on
and on, not stopping until he was
very tired, so as to get as far away
as possible from such a horrible,
cruel creature as that man was. He
never forgot. If he heard that sharp
crack, he always fled at once. Soon
he began to have a soreness in his
head, and finally his horns broke
through. Two "spikes" they were,
but still horns, and were for battle
and defense. He was proud of them,
but they soon got him in trouble
with older bucks, who would have
none of his lordly ways in their pres
ence. But he still grew and waxed
strong, and the next year he won
some hard fought battles, and he
had his mate with him till spring
came again.
Now he was full grown and had
a magnificent head of antlers. There
was not larger or finer buck in
the forest. He had many battles
and was always victorious. His
fame spread abroad, and hunters
went far into the forest to slay him,
but he was quick of sight and keen
of scent and, with all his bravery,
had learned caution. When his keen
eye or keener nose told him that
men were near, he fed and would 20
deeper back into the forest and stay
for days and weeks. Then he would
venture back cautiously and would
not appear in sight till he knew that
the man had gone. So he lived on
and was monarch of all that coun-
try. He had become such terror
to the other bucks that hardly one
dared fight him. His pride was at
last his ruin. On a bright fall day
he came to the side of the lake with
his herd to drink. All was still.
Man had not been seen or smelled.
and no danger was in the air. On a
high bank a young buck stood in the
warm sunshine. He did not move
when the old giant came in sight.
This made him mad, and he charged
upon the bank, and the young buck
fled. Then he marched in lordly
style to the top of the bank, raised
his head and snorted forth his note
of defiance to all the world. Crack
went rifle from the lake below,
and the noble animal leaped high
forward, and few more jumps and
down to earth he went, with the
hunters rifle ball through his heart,
and the famous buck of the great
forest was no more.-Forest and
| Stroar