The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-08
THIS DEER USED His BRAIN.
GALLANT FIGHT or BTTKIN'S
BtCk BEFORE mr. DIED.
Finish OF big TEXAS Deer AFTER lie Had
Thrown one Hunter Into tho River.
Fooled Pack OF Hounds and
Hamned Boat tnder Rlne Fire.

Thrown one Hunter Into tho River
Fooled Pack OF Hounds and
Ramned Boat Under Rlne Fire
/ ORANGE. Tex. Jan 81 raikn yore
fu4t shot only ies funed him. Cunnel'
When he heard 'ha, remark piped into his
enr by a thin little. voice tina, belonged 70
some one who stood iust behind him. Col
Hamp Stone of Beaumont shut OF tie
vigorous language he was using at the time
: and, turning round saw lank. grinning
younRster OF the Colorado River bottoms
standing az the bow Of one Of the rude
canoes the natives Use in navigating that
part II the stream
And i, shore IS Bnkins buok!' piped
the youngster
A Col. Hamp tels the story. that woke
him up and action began
led Lang had told me the dogs would
be almost sure 10 send a deer across the
river at that spot. saws the Colonel and
before got to the tree on the river bank
where was TO watch out big doe came
out OF the woods on the opposite shore.
flying from the dogs. jumped into the river.
swan it. and went bounding AWAY out of
sight
/ hurried on. for the dogs we're yelping
on the trail. although they had not come in
sight yet out Of the woods. had scarcely
got TO the river when out Of the opening
where the doe had sought It came a ire
mendous big buck. making also for the
water dropped quickly bchind a rock
that lav at the rivers edge. expecting OF
course that the buck would cross the stream
as ne doe had. and | would have an easy
short range shot az him az me lifted himself
from Tho water and turned TO take TO the
woods
But that buck knew trick worth two
OF that The doe mad taken her course
from the mainland straight ont upon
tongue or bar that shot into the river per-
haps twenty feet. and had eaped into the
river from the e1 iremity Of that
Tho buck took his leap from the spot
where the bar Joined the mainland. The
dogs had not vet broker from the woods
but | could hear them coming not far be-
hind 1vo or three rods from tho shore
on that side and ABOUT the same distance
below the bar big rock rose above the
surface of the water
Instead Of coming toward ME where |
lay n ambush waiting for him. the buck
headed straight for the big rock dropped
down close TO the side Of It next to me.
turned hs head upstream and remained
motioulees entirely hidden from the sight
OF anything on the side OF the river from
which be had come
He had scarcely got in that position when
the dogs came da-hing ont Of the woods.
followed the does trail to The tin Of the bar.
and with but an instani's pause with their
noses In the air. plunged IN and swan
toward the opening where was hidden
and where the doe had landed and dis
appeared in the woods That uncanny
buck remained motionless against the
rock until the dogs were well in mid
stream. their noses up and pointed il the
backed 90 the lower end OF the rock and
passed around it TO the opposite side. thus
hiding himself from any possible chance Of
discovery by The dogs when they landed
This maneuvring was so spooky in its
show Of reasoning and calculation that
the dogs had landed and gone baying of
on the does trail again before | recovered
from my wonder, which increased when
the bucks head the last sound Of the dogs
ha Wing died q way in the distance, began to
reappear slowly at he upper end of the
rock. until Al last he was peerng cautiously I
dtlbNN Nt llNflf IildililN ib scr " Nuf NohSl
were indeed clear Satisfied hat it was,
the buck swan boldly back TO the bar
As he drew himself ont upon it and /
paused To shake the water from his dripping
rkin came To- my senses took careful
aim and fired
The buck fell where he stood and lay
half in the water and half On the bar The
shot was long one and felt hat / had
-.
being when Mp Jumped the buck
He gave crazy sort Of whirl. dashed
back into the river and swan swiftly down
stream. | sent another bullet after him
ss he disappeared behind the rock and an
other one when he came in sight past lis
lower end but both fell short It was then
hat | was using some vigorous language
aud heard that thin voice pipe out IN my
ear
I raik'n yore f,Ist shot only ie-' filmed
him. Cuunel' And he shore j. Btkin's
huck"
Bitkin's buck No wonder he had been
So smart And waited 70 hear no more
The deer was pulling RAPIDLY away down
the river | hustled that youngster into
his boat 50 quick he didn't know what
had happened 10 him. and ordered him 10
row for all his life was worth TO get me within
range Of that deer. for not since Bitkin's
DUCK Ildfl iE-fIl Dllhlil > hlA'h iid'l any UlAf
ever before come 20 near bringing him
down ar even to find him finding as |
reckon YOU know. being the temporary
paralysis that the shock Of a bullet al the
base Of a deer's horn will subject the
animal TO.
The wav il had come about that this
big deer was Bitkin's buck was that one
day wears before Cad Btkin " the Dowdy
Creek bottoms jumped him mp and the buck
went down under Cad's first shot Cad
supposing he was dead went UP to cut his
throat. and was standing straddled over