The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-03-02
gsoM BUCK TO BsAs AND BACK

DtlH LNLtfs sAb fts eftf 'h'N' 49, =
gray hsFn baif.snelosins iu brish', untid
faamysrd uond or the TOP Of the sneio'if
hll. sh.rs ,vsfy .waei frest Wind ecu
bias YER Il uighi ard day
Fitl8s of oats, buck wh,al and pots'of
c me CD all Kbua, II over the slopes 81 u
hif; and iis only garden WAS spsciou
"a eh ~ cabbage and "ssrdsn ssues" ihr
or fur hundred ysfds down toward ID
e1ge OF the forest, where pockot OF fie
black losm hsa specially Ifylttd 80 ,Iperi
meat 10 horticulture.
T.ik. mDst bsckwoods farmers, sam i
e1 h,d been went 10 look With large fc1ri
o. sucb petty interests - gsfd,tits ou
eaantrV show down at the settlement hs'
converted him. ard now bis cabbsee patel
as the chief oil CT 81 bis solicllude III
had proud dreams Of prz 10 be son q
be next show--how not three weeks
sbesd.
IL Was bic habit, whichever be hsrnes'tc
up tie team for 4 drive into the settlement,
20 turn bis head the last thing btfJro lehs
lng and east long, grstfi d look down
over the cabbage ps ch, ,its cool, clear green
standing out sharply sgainst the yellow.
brown OF the surrounding fields. Ga this
particular morning he did not turn for that
look till he had Jumped into the wagon and
ss bercd up the reins. Then, as be gsz d.,
a wave Of Indignation passed over bis good
nsturtd face
| There 10 the middle OF the precious csb.
blges, biting with sort OF dainty eager
mess at first one ard then another, and wan.
tonly tearing open the crisp heads with I'm.
patient strokes Of his kniie-edged fore
boofs, WAS a tall, wide sntlertd buck.
Sam Coxen dropped the reins, sp arg
from the wagon, and rushed to the bars
which led from the yard to the back field
and the horses for the iske Of bis dignity
be always drove the pair when he went iD
TO the settement--fell to cropping the
short, fine grass that grew behind the well
In spite OF having grown up In the back
woods, Ssm was lacking Ia blekwcods lore.
He vas no hunter, ard he cared as little as
he knew, about the wild kindr,ds Of the
forest. lie had vague, general idea that
all deer were "skeery critters; and II any |
one had told him that the buck, In mating |
-eason, was not unlikely to develop fine
mill ant sphi', be would have laughed with
scorn.
Cllmli ( upon the bars, he yelled fur
iously at the msrauder, expecting to see
MIN vanish like red streak. But the buck
merely raited his beautiful head and stared
In mild surprise at the strange, noisy figure
on the fence. Then he coolly sashed open
another plump csbbsge, and nibbled at the
firm white heart.
Very angry, Coren yelled again with all
the power Of healthy lungs, and waved bic
arms wildly over bis head. But the vsunt.
"a authority Of the human voice seemed In
: me rtxplcsble way TO miss connec.
ton vi the backs consciousness. The
saving Of those apgry arms, however, made
an imp,os ion upon him He appeared to
AXE It as challenge, for he shook bis
, NJ iful antlrs stamped his fur feet
eff ,nlly-and shattered yet auoher pre-
'ious caboag.
Wrath Struggled with astonishment in |
, IN Coxen's prim i've soul. Then be cor-
,luded hat sbst he wanted was not OILY
,rpgencc, but supply Of deer's meat 10
, mpeDsste the lost cabbage.
Rushing lnto the house he snatched down r
lis old mt N e-loader from the pegs where 0
I b ung on the Kitchen wall After the q
,sck woods fashion, the gun was kept load
d with a general utility charge Of buckshot
nd slugs, such as might come handy in e
s.e a bear should trv to steal the pix Be- 3.
no sportsman, Coxen did not even take
he trouble to change the old percussion
sp, wi III bad been on the tube for six
months. 1t Was enough for bin that the 0
,espon was loaded.
Down the Other slope OF the hill, where y
he buck could not see him, Coxen hurried o
{ run and gained the cover If the thick
'oods. Then, stlll running, he sklrttd the q
elds TIL the cabbsge patch came once more o
D sight, with the msrsuder still enjoying
imseli In The midst Of IL.
At this point the long dormant instinct u
I the hunter bsgsp to awake 10 Sam Coxer. "
Very thing 'bat he had ever heard about 9
tslking big game nished into his mind, and u
G wanted TO apply II all at once. He not. D
d the direction tf the wind, and wss de-
GIFTED TO fod that 1t came to bis nos,rils u
irsisht from the csbbsge patch. o
He went ,tealthil,, lifting ard setting - =
,wn his heavy booted feet with q softntss
: shlch be had never guess, d himst II cap
Bile He b,gan TO forget his II Indignation -
I'd tbluk only of the prospect OF bsRgitg
'e Rant--so easily do the primsyal 10.
ile;s u rifg To HE 10 a mars brain. Pre- =
.ttly, Hhen within about q hundred yards
the place where be bfp d to get fair =
rot. Ccxen redoubled biz caution, He went
teepii z beliod the densest GOV
Ther, growing still more crafty, he
u oos D AID b'kan 10 scvance on all
us
n II cbsuesd tbst Ssm C"Yeh's eyes
ere Rot tieo y pres which hsd found IN
.'s, In lbe ra tuCk'- proceedings A l
rae tlAcs tar. sstderife jast within iie :,
I,l.er oi ib, itiest, tsd fptd the tuck IN =,
e cper, ard t,ins ca'iou,, sfier the fash. :.
l. L.. A. n "A 4. tt
wa ca be demolition Of the c,tbsge.
He bad no serious thoughts Of buntirg ~
r big buck, knowing that be would be ~
.rd to catch and troublesome II caught. :,
" he was Of tha, investigating, Iugra- =. =
qua, meddiesoms mood which 1. apt to - -
ize al old male b, ar In the autumn. -
When lhe bear caught sight OF Sam Cor. y
-, crawling, steal'hy figure, not two -
tmI