Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-05-05
DEER WAS A FIGHTER
NOTHING "MilD-EYED" OR "TlM
10" ABOUT THIS BUCK.
One Hunter Decidedly Of the Opinion
That When Out for venison eau
ton 10 q Quality That 10 to
BE Highly Priced.

When anyone grows eloquent over
the "mild-eyed. timid deer" Jim Bar
low smiles knowing smile and shurgs
his shoulders. He knows better. for
he has lived for thirty years in the
bush and knows all about the fighting
powers and propensities Of the bucks.
When his father, who. with his elder
brothers, was getting out logs, brought
him to the bush, he was good-sized
lad. He had seen a few deer shot.
bled and hung up. but he had been in
the bush some months before he had
his own adventure. 1t was in the
early winter.
One day Jim heard his dog barking
furiously in the nearby swamp. He
seized his gun and went down. The
dog had a big buck at bay. and the
buck seemed to be enjoying the sport
quite as much as the dog. The dog
tried again and again to get a grip
on the deer. but its horns were always
in the way. Again and again the deer
rushed at the dog, but he always
lodged skillfully and snapped at the
deer's legs. 1t looked to Jim like a
case Of endurance; but the end came
with startling swiftness. Whether the
dog weakened or was caught OF his
guard Jim never knew. but, like
streak Of lightning the buck landed
on the dog with both sharp front feet.
There was a wild scream, and the dog
lay perfectly still. The deer continued
to leap up and down and cut the dogs
body to pieces with his knifelike hoofs.
Jim put his gun to his shoulder and
fired. The buck lifted its head and
charged. Jim threw another cartridge
into the old-fashioned rife and fired
a second shot. That brought the buck
down with a crash.
Jim drew his hunting knife and ran
to cut the deer's throat. He put his
knife on the deer's shoulder and had
barely touched the throat with the
knife when the animal sprang up. Jim
went flying into the snow over the
bucks head, and he lost his knife.
The deer whirled round, and as Jim
tried to get to his feet 1t hit him in
the back and knocked him down. He
tried to rise again, and was knocked
over again. The deer's sharp feet cut
through his coat and gashed his back.
Jim could see his rife, but 1t was on
the other side Of the deer. He felt
round in the snow, but could not find
his knife. He thought that he must
get his gun or 1t would be all over
with him. He tried to edge away
toward the rife, but the deer was on
him like a fash of lightning. The
sharp hoofs struck him in the side and
knocked him unconscious. Whether
or not the deer hit him again he never
knew.
Late In the afternoon Jim's brother
came In with a load of numbering sup
plies. He had his own dog with him.
He drove near where Jim lay, and in
running through the bush the dog
found the boy. Jim was unconscious
and badly frozen. and not far away the
big buck lay dead. The brother
picked Jim up. carried him to his
sleigh and hurried him to the shanty.
Jim was reused to consciousness and
told his story. but 1t was some time
before he was able to get out again.
The deer was brought in and
dressed. It weighed over two hundred
pounds. Jim got his rife. but it was
not until the snow melted the next
spring that he again saw his hunting
knife.-Youth's Companion.