The Republican journal., 1906-03-08
STORY OF A Deer CHASE.
BY HART L. wOODCOCK.


zero. A smart northwest wind was
blowing cold. | should say so. | was
glad to pull my thick cap over my ears.
The singing blast sent the blood into
nv face. as l stepped from the door OF
one of the log cabins at the Chase Pond
Camps. 1t was warm and comfortable
within, The boys had a hot fire in the
cook stove, and the iron heater was
fairly Jumping. as the drafts moved up
the funnel, putting and painting in mild
explosions, sounding, for all the world,
like a miniature locomotive; but both
made the camp none too warm, as the
lev blast had q way of seeking out
neglected or imperfect chinking be-
tween the logs. also have a suspicion
that boards and shingles would have
made tighter roof than the ceder
splints overhead; but We didn't mind,
we were jolly party of three, and
sleeping on Dough beds in our sweaters,
and with felts on our feet and caps OH
our heads was part of the fun. We
wouldn't have had it different.
Tucking my rifle under my arm. and
banging my hands together TO keep
them warm, | struck out into the
woods alone, leaving my friend Crle to
the tender mercies of Chadbourne, our
guide and owner OF the camps.
II would be warm enough when once
in the woods and | didn't have Tar to
90. tor the clearing about the camps on
the shore of the lake was not large.
Crunch crunch, crunch. went my
feet through the crust as plouded on:
the chances were all against me: it
would be almost Impossible to steal
onto deer when making SO much
n favor
however: it had showed during the
night. and there was Two or three
inches over the old crust: SO any tracks
showing must be absolutely fresh.
Can any place on earth be more
beautiful than these woods in winter:
And in all Maine, there is no location
more attractive than this township OF
Bingham. The evergreenS were lend
ing under their load of clinging fluffy
yGiteness. sleet had frozen into the
hard wood. all the twigs and branches
were sparkling and flashing IN the sun
light. the air was filled with floating
particles of frost the trees snapped and
cracked as they swayed in the wind.
Color was not lacking to add char
acter to the scene as many old leaves
were still cluging to the oaks and
maples;th dull red making charming
contrast to the blue and purple shadows
and the tender yellow OF the blrches.
To the north old Moxie lowered
above its fellows: the evergreen forests
and beetling cliffs on its SIDE drew
fantastic tracing through the spotless
white, which clothed 1t from base 10
summit. Pink blue and purple blend
ed delicately, as mountain after noun
tain stole back into the sGftening DIS
lance.
All about the snow lay unbroken.
Tracking deer under these conditions
would be child's play, that is, so far as
simply following the trail was concern
ed made into an old wagon sled
road running to the northeast, where
il Joined the Hale stream to the road a
mile farther Oh. 1t followed through
swamps and old choppings made the
winter before.
Here | felt sure of finding fresh
tracks crossing the road, made 10y deer
that had come down from the noun
tain side. where they had been feeding
during the night. AS swiftly as posi-
BILE pushed along, keeping ear ana eye
open for possible sight or sound OF
game.
was not the only one abroad this
crisp morning cartridges had crossed
by dozens, their trailing wings making
long scratches i'll the snow. Rabbits
innumerable had left their peculiar and
unlnistakable trails along the way. In
places they had leaped lelsurely along,
while III others, astonishing Jumps
told they had been startled at some
thing. The fox tracks all led up The
hillside. \ deer, wounded by some
sportsman, had died up there, evident
". III this forest everything seemed
busily engaged, and all the tracks had
a story to tell, from those made by the
frisking squirrel and tiny field mouse,
to the trail of the lordly buck ana
moose.
Soon i came to what l was looking
for: in fact, | found full more, for
within a distance of twenty rods, sew
eral deer had crossed the road, some
going up into the highlands, but more
coming down into the soft wood.
Selecting the one which in my Judg-
ment had been most recently made, L
turned and went into the bush, follow
ing the trail Itshowed so plainly one
could read as he ran. What should L
make of it? Was it buck or doe: Large
or small? A track just made, not one
hour old Was the game going quietly
along or plunging III alarm through the
forest9 Where was its destination?
Had it started out on tramp across
country, or was it SIMPLY seeking near
by place in which to lie down? All
these questions had best be answered II
! hoped to secure any game, and that
track, single footing 1T OFT into the
forest could alone answer them.
The snow was six or eight inches
deep. and the tracks went through them
to the ground. They had but just been
made; the sides were not frozen yet,
and the bits of crust which had fallen
into them, were still loose.
1t was large deer, The size OF the
tracks and the way they went through
to the leaves plainly showed they
could have been made only by heavy
animal: and buck beyond all doubt.
Signs which ! passed later on proved
that.
Crunch, Crunch. Crunch. | fol-
lowed on, making as little noise as pos
sibIe by sticking my toes down into the
tracks; but still, despite all my caution,
made far too much. Under these con-
ditions | could hardly hope for any
thing but d flying shot on the wing, as
it We're.
| well knew the ways of the beauti-
full creature ahead of me. Nature knew
her business when she gave HIM SUCH
long, slender limbs: a scent AS keen as
hound, big bright eyes, and large,
t,,. I'D