The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-06-17
Meshack Browning; Maryland,s Greatest Hunter

story OF very hazardous deer hunt.
'On the morning when the first snow
fell that season. says Browning, II
rose early, intending to hunt on the
west side of the Great Youghiogheny
river. | went to the river. which being
pretty well up, the water reached about
halfway up my thigh. l took off my
pants and moccasins, waded over and,
after putting on my clothes, felt first
rate.
Il had gone but a short distance
when discovered the tracks of a very
large buck which had gone into thicket,
as | thought, in search of company, it
being then in their mating season.
LAS | concluded that he would not
stop until he found what he was seek
ing, did not think it worth while to
follow him; so l passed on and hunted
until towards the close of the day, when
finding the tracks of a large bear,
followed them to thick laurel swamp.
1t being very cold and every thing
being frozen hard, knew that he would
not feed until the weather moderated
at which time l promised myself to
meet him on the same ground if ne
should think proper TO come out.
with this on my mind | left the
feeding grounds and directed my course
for home, until l came to the buck S
tracks which had seen on my way out.
From what had seen of the movements
of the deer during the daY knew that
he was still in that thicket, of which |
took advantage as he could not run any
other way than through the river or
out by me.
81 went on toward the spot where |
thought he lay, when directly out he
came within range of my rifle. But as
| saw ! would have to fire at him while
on the run, for ne was badly frightened,
| let him come as near as he would,
when, as he was dashing on, | shot at
him. He kept on for some distance,
but at length stopped.
LAS soon as l fired | ran after him
with all speed, and when he stopped
was still within gunshot. Before |
could load, however, he went into a
thicket and in following his trail, |
found, by the quantity of blood after
him, that he was badly wounded.
Il had a frst-rate half breed grey
hound dog with me, which, finding that
| was going home, had crossed the river
but when he heard the report OF the
gun ne returned to me. ! sent him into
the thicket, when out came the buck,
with the dog close at his heels.
They passed me like a streak of
lightning and down steep hill INTO the
river, making such jumps as were real
ly astonishing.
when l reached the edge of the
water I could see neither dog nor deer,
but looking down the stream l discov-
cred them fighting with great despera-
ton. The river was so deep that they
could get no foothold, and they had
tioated down until they came to a ripple
at the head of a fall of at least 10 feet.
Immediately below where the dog
and the deer were fighting there was a
hole in the river about 20 feet deep, out
Of which it would be almost impossible
to get the buck il he once got into it, so
| concluded to leave my gun on shore,
wade in and kill him with my knife.
Il set my gun against a tree and
waded in, the water in some places be-
ing up to my belt and in other places
about half-thigh deep.
"On went until came within reach
of the buck, which | seized by one of
his horns, but as soon as l took hold the
dog let 60 and struck out for the shore,
when the buck made a great lunge at
me.
II then caught him by the other
horn, though he very nearly threw me
backward INTO the river, but | held on
to him, as | was afraid of our both be-