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avenues which the deer lays out for himself. All animals are
creatures of habit, and, unless under good and sufficient reasons,
the herd usually adheres to its ordinary pathways. But these, in
a very large tract of forest, are apt to be numerous, and to require
a large number of hunters. Our present drives , however, were
small ones, and soon covered. There were no hunters in our pres
ent party, but the Major, Ned, myself, and the overseer, a spright
ly and intelligent young fellow named Benbow. In all probability
the name was that originally of an old English archer, and was
corrupted and contracted from Jack, or Dick, Bend the Bow, to its
present narrow and unimpressive limits of two syllables short. A\ e
had all of us stands , each watching his avenue. Sam, the negro
driver , put in with the dogs, some three quarters of a mile above
us, eating his way through all the denser coppices of a thick mixed
wood of scrubby oak and pine, having a close underbrush, and
sundry good feeding places, from which the tire was carefully kept
out. But I must not linger on these details. Every body nearly
knows what is the usual deer hunting among the gentry of the
South. There is little about it that is complicated ; its success de
pending upon a knowledge of the drives, the stands, a cool head,
quick eye, sure shot, and occasionally a keen spur to the flanks of
a smoking courser; for it is no small accomplishment to know
how to head a deer, and to succeed, by a swift circuit, in doing it.
Let it suffice that we had not long to wait. The dogs soon gave
tongue—theories thickened—anonl heard a shot from the Major,
who was just above me, and a few moments after, head forward,
tail up, streaking away for dear (deer) life, at about eighty yards
to the left, I got a glimpse of the victim, a buck in full feather, i. e.
with a noble pair of branches. It was instinct purely —a word
and a blow, and the blow first. I popt away at him, and saw him
describe a short turn, setting his head in the opposite direction. I
concluded he had got it, but could not afford a second glance, as I
caught sight of a couple of does following steadily his course,
though a little nearer to me than he had been when I first shot,
and almost in the same line. I had another barrel, and bestowed
it successfully. Down dropt one of the brown beauties, and I
sounded. The dogs, meanwhile, began to glimmer, on full foot,
through the leaves. My horse was hitched twenty feet behind
me. It took but a minute to unhitch and cross him, and I pushed
for my victims. In a few moments the M*qor came dashing up,
like a fiery boy of eighteen, shouting out—
“ Well, Dick, what’s the sport. I fancy you’ve wasted lead, for
I gave it to the old buck that passed you, and I never miss. But
you emptied both barrels.”
“Here’s one ot my birds,” I answered, pointing to the doe, from
which we drove oft’ the dogs, setting them on the track of the
old buck, who had shed a gill of the purple fluid within fifteen
steps of the place where the dead doe lay.
“ Do you see that, Major,” I said, pointing to the crimson drop
lets still warm upon the yellow leaves of autumn.
“ Yes ” he, “ a mortal hit! frothy; from the lungs’! Push
on, Benbow, or the dogs will tear the meat. But lam sure that
he cunies my lead also. I never missed him, Dick ; couldn’t do
such a thing at my time of life.”
Well, sii, \\( 1] see. 1 can tell you, when the buck was near
ing me, he didn’t show signs of hurt! There may have been
two.”
SUPPLEMENT TO SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE.
Steam Power-Press of Walker &
u No ! only one! I’ve surely hit him. I’ll stake a cool him
dred on it.”
And we rode forward, Ned joining us meanwhile. The deer had
left him entirely to the right. He had seen nothing of eitb r
We soon found the old buck, just dead. The shot that killed him
was mine, given directly behind the right forequarter, as he pushed
obliquely from me. But the exulting Major discovered other
button holes in the jacket of the beast, to which lie laid confidant
claim. It was not a matter which could be proved, so, according
ly, it was not exactly the matter to Ik* discussed. We all readily
recognized the claim of the old man to have certainly made his
mark, if he had not exactly made his meat. It was admitted
however, to Ik* quite a feather in my cap, that, fresh from the
dingy chambers of the law, and the ponderous volumes of the frosty
wigs, I should still have had my nerves and senses in such good
training for the sports of the field.
“ The law luus not spoiled you for a gentleman and a hunter vet”
quoth the Major encouragingly. “And that is saying something;
for many’s the pretty fellow whom I’ve known it ruin for all pro
per purposes.”
Our hunt was over by two o’clock, and our game bagged.
When we reached “ the Barony,” we found it full of guests. Se
veral fine spirited fellows were there, the Porcher’s, Ravenel’s,
Cordes’, and others, as guests to dinner; and they were all full
mouthed in their reproaches that they had not lK*en summoned
to the hunt. We made up a party for another day, and adjourned
to dinner. Night found us still at the table, for the Major’s wines
had a proverbial smack ot ancient magic. They were such as Me
phistopholes himself could scarcely have made to spout out from
the best timber in the Black Forest. Whist that night, and whis
key punch in the library, kept us busy till twelve, when, by com
mon consent, we called in Morpheus to light us to our chambers.
CHAPTER VIII.
INTRIGUE AND LOVE SHUFFLING TIIE CARDS.
Days and nights pass with singular rapidity at a southern plan
tation. Visitor succeeds to visitor, dinner to dinner, and every day
is employed, during the winter holidays at in preparing for
the recreation of its successor. What, with old acquaintances to
be seen, and the promotion of Ned s affair , 1 was incessantly em
ployed. Besides, the Major’s circle was perpetually full; and I
was frequently detained at “the Barony ” engaged in seeing visi
tors, when liotli Ned and myself desired to lx* abroad. Ihe day
alter the hunt, after making a circuit and two or three calls, “
found ourselves, at one o’clock, once more at the Girardin estate,
where 1 left my triend, to make another visit to the stately Ma
dame Agnes-l lieresa. Ned, meanwhile, wandered oft to the
grove between the two places, an anxious waiter upon that friend”
ly Providence which is supposed generally to take the affairs ot
love in hand, balk of true love’s course not running smoothly!
Ihe fact is, that, after certain consideration and a certain experi
ence, I am assured that few true lovers ever have much reason to
complain. Love has an instinct in discovering its proper mate,
and suppose there are obstacles ? These really heighten tin.