The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-08

him when suddenly the buck snrang tc
his feet and went dnshing away toward
the river, with Cad astrde OF him and
clnging 10 his horns.
When the buck got to the river bank
which was several feet above the water
at that spot he stopped as il he had min
against stone wall. But Cad kept right
on and landed kersnuse in the river all
Of Ten feet from shore
When Cad cRme to the surface and
-pluttered the water out Of hls mouth, and
aug It out Of his eyes the buck stood on
he bank looking at him IA II he was D.
joylng the situation immensely, but he
bounded away into the woods before Cad
got back 10 shore
And from that time the big deer be-
came known a. Bikin's buck. and for
years II had been the ambition of the
hunters in that part Of Texas 10 bag him.
but he had proved TOO smart for them and
ou'generalled them all and here was |
IN unexpected contact with him. and all
the chances in favor Of my being the one
who WAS TO run him down al last
That youngster was an expert In hand
ling his boat and he soon had me within
safe shooting distance of tho swimming
buck and 1 fired. NV shot struck the
water lust ahead of the buck and splashed
!; in his face.
He turned md landed on little sandy
island. where he stopped and faced us. his
ewes glazing and his bristles standing up
on his neck six inches high The boat
ran upon a bar II few yards from 'he ISLAND
and stuck there.
stood up and bis2ed away al the de
fant deer Close az | was my bullet merely
cut the hair on his shoulder
You CANT hit i'm Cunnel" piped the
youngster. Nobody CANT hit Bitkin's
Before ] could give it another test the
angry buck charged ia with lowered head.
He struck the boat broadside. tipped IT
with the shock. and out Of II | went, heels
over head into the river
BY the time had scrambled TO my feet
and hshed my gun from the water the
buck was far ont in the stream, headed
toward an opening on the further bank,
half a mile away. while the youngster had
pushed his boat clear Of the bar and WAS
pulling Justify for the shore we had left,
leaving me standing knee deep in the river
staring after the departing buck
And a. ! stared. pun Of smoke and
the report OF gun came from the thicket
on the bank paAt which he buck was vim
ming Some one was firing at him. and he
turned and swan back toward the opposite
shore, headed for n brllshv point hundred
yardp or so below the little island on which
| stood dripping
-Splashing across the shallow channel
between the island and the mainland, |
made my way as rapidly ar | could To the
point on which the buck was plainly intent
on landing and got there Just AZ he was pull
ing himself out OF the water
My intention was to knock him down
with my dubbed gun. but he fell in the
bushes after taking couple Of steps in
nv direction and did not rise Stepping
to where he lay ! saw that he was dead
There was hole in his side. just behind
his left shoulder.
About the ime I had started from where
! stood IN the river TO head the deer of
man had pulled out in skin from the spot
whore the shot had been fired at the buck.
| couldn't figure II out any other way but
what | had merely driven Bitkin'7 buck
down to some lurking hunter. who had
given him the death wound and was COM
ing across to claim the prize he had won,
and If | wasn't a sick and sore man nobody
aver was
The man soon landed on the spot but
almost AZ the same instant who should
come in from the shore side but Jed Lang.
He glanced At the deer and then at me.
Got him. ! see said he.
Rak'n he amt, exclaimed the hunter
who had come over in the skif Not with
them buckshot o mine deep in the old fel-
ler's lights raik'n he amt got 'iml
Before any one knew what he was at.
JeJs def hand and knife had hayed the car
cass of the deer. and in vital spot beneath
the hole in the side be found something,
which he held up before the hunter. saying
BuckshOt, en- Ihis Is one OF EN-, l
raik n;
1t wa battered bullet from Win
chester fife
Hooa yl' yelled It's the one | fred
at him across the river, didn't fin him.
after all but put it right whore he lived!
'Shucks" exclaimed the hunter who
the deer How cud he swum
mile with bullet in his heart sides takin'
time To stop and wait fer you an butt you
out o. yore boat
He's Bitkin's buck, that's how he could
said
Bitkin's buck hollered the hunter
and Jed Lang both. "a they jumped to take
q closer look at the big deer.
He shore IT, by Crockett exclaimed
led after one brief look at the buck
The hunter with glance over his
shoulder at me If he were afraid Of me
hurried 70 his boat jumped in and pulled
-or the other side Of the river as II the Old
Boy were after him. The dead deer shore
VAS Btkin's buck.