The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1925-01-22

We saw different herds of deer but
being encountered with cur loads, we
! did not get a shot at them.
Finding a situation for camp and
it clouding up and threatening rain, l
went to work in great haste to con-
struct a shelter for our provisions,
and we worked with all our energy
until the boys said they were hungry
+ and would eat dinner, camp or no
! camp. l told them l would look fol-
a suitable tree to split into puncheons
and l soon found it and we COM
menced to cover the cabin. 1t had
commenced to rain slowly. Though
I had not eaten anything since the
morning of the previous day, and
night was near at hand, yet l deter
mined not to eat until l had a little
sport, so | took my gun, told the boys
that l would go up the bottom, shoot
deer and have a roast for my sup
per.
l had thrown off all my clothes in
order to be at full liberty to work,
and had on only thin lindsey hunt
! ing shirt together with pair of new
buckskin moccasins with stockings,
and in order that l should see my
game more clearly l left off my hat,
as was always my practice when the
sun did not shine. l intended to re-
turn in an hour or two at the farth-
est. I hunted with care and judgment
and soon found the tracks of large
herd of deer which had so recently
passed that l expected to see them
every moment. | soon found that it
was where several old bucks had been
chasing lot Of young deer and that
the smaller ones were afraid of being
oyertaken by their pursuers.
Browning relates that it came on
to rain and he got lost and night ov-
ertook him and he had to lay out all
night.
l went in search of some place for
shelter but could find nothing better
than crooked old hemlock, which had
been injured many years previously,
and which the bears gnawed so much
| that there was a great quantity of
resin plastered over the whole side of
| the tree which was much fattened by
the injury it had received in the years
gone by. | chose that tree for shell
ter and set about building a fire.
The rain having ceased TO fall so
fast, l rested against the tree, and
fell asleep. Being tired, l slept very
soundly until it ceased to rain and
commenced showing and freezing and
| the cold became severe and the fire
having died away, l grew chilly and
awakening attempted to mend the
| fire, but found the hair on one side of
my head sticking fast to the tree.
At first, my temper being pretty
well tried, and my patience having
failed me, | was as mad as a bear
shot through the belly and bawled
out, as if twenty persons had been
looking on; "What ether curse is on
me now?" l soon Gained and putting
my hand up to find what held me, |
discovered my hair fast in the pitch
| that had been heated by the fire. l
had laid my head in it when it was
soft and running and had slept until
the cold had chilled the pitch with
my hair deep into it.
| then began to try to release my
head, but not one lock would come
out except by pulling off the pitch or
pulling the hair out of my scalp, so
| sometimes took the one and some
times the other plan, as it happened,
until at last got my liberty. then
mended the fire.
After that l reasoned thus: "Now,
| have not eaten one mouthful since
the day before yesterday, and it was
nothing but foolish desire for sport
| that brought me here"
At last daylight appeared and ev-
erything was covered with ice and
snow, the bushes being bent down
with it. hunted for bushes that had
leaves on which l dried over the fire,
| and putting some in my moccasins,
put my feet in on the leaves, crammed
in leaves around them until l could
get no more in, then tied them up and
was ready for the snow.
started out from my warm fire
into the snow. soon scared up four
deer, but did not see them until they
ran off. Moving on 1 saw a deer
standing looking at me and though it
wa sa long shot and a bad chance,
cracked away at him. The snow was
falling so fast that it was difficult
to see any distance and as could not
discover the deer after my gun was
discharged l went to examine what
damage had been done. 1t seemed
as if there had been twenty deer
there, all running and fighting, for