The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-31

I any especial danger. She was so accus
toned to seeing deer-it had happened
/ sometimes in the winter that the crea
lures had been driven by hunger to come
within the barnyard Enclosure and ca
with the farmers cattle-that even th'
hostile appearance OF this giant buck die
not terrify her. When she discovered
that the animal was not afraid OF hel
and seemed determined to dispute tht
right Of way in the path she began &c
| think OF stepping aside, but before she
had made UP her mind what was best &c
! do the buck saved her the trouble oil
| coming to a decision.
With a snort and a bound that took
! him of his four feet. he threw himself
| with such force against the perplexed
little girl that she dropped at full length
into the leaf-covered path. and as soon
as the shock permitted her to open her
standing directly over her. his thin legs
| two on each side OF her. holding her like
pinions, his wild eyes staring into hers,
and his great antlers thrust into the leaf
bed and soft black earth underneath.
Jerry realized that she was unhurt. but
she realized that she was in peril. and
feared that the next move Of the mad
dened buck would be to strike her with
his sharp hoofs.
Did she scream? No. By this time she
was far too frightened to call for help.
although it is quite probable that had
she done so her captor would have been
alarmed for his own safety and would
have released her. For full three min
utes the deer maintained his position.
and Jerry did not move a muscle for fear
that the slightest movement on her part
would result in more serious trouble for
her.
At the close of that dreadful three min
utes-it seemed to be an eternity to the
imprisoned little victim-her courage be-
gan to return to her and her training be-
gan to assert itself. Quick as a flash it
came to her that within the pocket OF
her jeans dress was her means OF deliv-
erance, could she but avail herself of it.
In the pocket of that dress was a large
jackknife, which she had borrowed from
her brother John that very morning with
the intention of stripping the sassafras
roots which her brothers had dug In the
woods. She knew that John had sharp
ened the big blade recently and that II
was strong enough to kill a pig. for 1t
had been put to that use more than once.
With that knife in her hand. she assured
herself confidently, she should be able
to make matters interesting for her cap
tor. and she determined to try TO get It
out of her pocket.
Very slowly and cautiously, she began
to draw her arm in the direction Of her
pocket, undeterred by the fact that at
every movement on her part the deer
snorted warningly and stamped viciously
on either side Of her. Fortuna tely, his
hoofs did not strike her and. at last. to
her great Joy, she held the weapon in
her hand.
It took a good deal Of patience and care
to open the knife, but finally. after many
failures, she accomplished IL, and then
she summoned all her courage for the
browning stroke which was to free her
from her awkward position. She knew
that she must make a quick and thor
ough job Of It; that It would never do 10
wound the furious animal slightly, but
that she must strike for freedom with
one mighty thrust She observed that
the bucks throat was within her reach.
and il seemed to her that it would not
be difficult to reach a vital point through
his delicate skin, through which she
could almost trace the veins swollen in
rage.
With a prayer for deliverence and a
mighty upward thrust, she plunged the
keen blade into the animals neck, and
the gush of warm blood which poured
down upon her told her that she had not
made a failure. When the dying animal
began to stagger and relax, Jerry
brought all her strength TO bear against
his topping body, and he fell at her side,
without any injury to her.
How she reached home Jerry never
could tell, but it is Just as certain that
she never forgot her adventure with the
buck as it is that the Fairchilds had VEN
ison that day for Inner and for week
afterward.
Copyright. lsIl. By the American Literary Press)