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Article SCENES IN AMERICA. ← Page 2 of 8 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scenes In America.
them a gigantic-framed bare-headed old man ; dressed in a light-blue hunting shirt and leathern leggins ; his hands covered with blood , and in one of them a large butcher-knife . My hair stood on end , and my horse , still more alarmed , sprang hack and nearly threw me . " Get off , man ; " said he in the most familiar and careless manner imaginable . " What have you been doing there ? " I demanded . " Hitch your nag thar' to that saplinan' come down herean' I'll show
, , you as fine a fire prong as ever h'istcd tail . " " You have killed a buck then ? " said I , as I dismounted . " But we had a tough time aft'r him , not happ ' nin' to have a dog along . " I tied my horse securely to a limb of the sapling indicated ; and then penetrated the bushes with the old hunter , to the spot where the immense buck lay , still bleeding from a large wound in the throat—such as are inflicted , by these men of the wilds , to reach the animal's heart ; an operation which they term sticking ,
" That is a fine buck : " said I . Giving a grave look of satisfaction , as he shook the head by one of the deer ' s horns , he answered with a slight pause between each word " Yon may say that . It an't every day , in these Barrens , you'll down sich a feller . " " Is there any water in this sink ? I am excessively thirsty . " " Thar' an't , not a drop of nmnin' water nearer this spot , than the grove . "
I found some consolation , however , for the want of water , in the refreshing coolness of the sink . The spot where we were was an open space of ten or twelve feet , free from tinder-growth , and so protected by the thick foliage of the overhanging trees , that the direct rays of the sun hacl not , perhaps , for years entered it . It was , consequently , as cool almost as an ice house . I took off my hat to enjoy it more fully , and sat myself down on a stone ; while the old hunter was deliberately preparing , with the aid of his belt , to hang up the buck b y the hind feet to the limb of a small tree , in order that the blood might fully escape . " I thought you said— 'We had a tough time with the buck ? ' You are alone . "
" Oh ? why they ' re gone back for a horse ; an' Jack 'ill soon he hack , foi he ' s a tearer rimnin' an' ridin' . You see , "—pulling up the buck— " he'd make a body ' s back ache a spell to toat him over the grove sich a day as this . " " Shall I assist to hang him up ?" " Why I don't keer if you do gi' me a bit of a lift—he ' s a whapper . Take keer of the blood ; jist hold on to the limb . A dead , limber animal makes an unhandy lift—you can ' t get no purchase . "
We presentl y had the buck swinging from the limb . I resumed my seat upon the stone ; and the old hunter , after wiping his bloody hands with leaves , threw himself full length upon the grass and weeds , to wait leisurel y the coming of the horse . There he lay , with a countenance immovable as an Indian ' s . His face was remarkably large , wrinkled , and tanned ; ivith bright blue eyes , overhung by enormous gray eye-brows , which were almost continuous ivith thick hair of the same colour , hanging so as to cover nearly the whole forehead . Looking carelessly up at me , he began the usual introduction of such persons to a regular attack of inquisitiveness one of the attributes of a back-wood ' s-man . " Trav" lin' fur , stranger ?" " To Nashville . "
" That ' s over in Tenessec , an ' t it ?" " Yes . " " Well ; now , how fur do you call it from here abouts ?" ' It is , perhaps , a hundred miles . " " Your nag ' s purty wild , an ' t it ? "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scenes In America.
them a gigantic-framed bare-headed old man ; dressed in a light-blue hunting shirt and leathern leggins ; his hands covered with blood , and in one of them a large butcher-knife . My hair stood on end , and my horse , still more alarmed , sprang hack and nearly threw me . " Get off , man ; " said he in the most familiar and careless manner imaginable . " What have you been doing there ? " I demanded . " Hitch your nag thar' to that saplinan' come down herean' I'll show
, , you as fine a fire prong as ever h'istcd tail . " " You have killed a buck then ? " said I , as I dismounted . " But we had a tough time aft'r him , not happ ' nin' to have a dog along . " I tied my horse securely to a limb of the sapling indicated ; and then penetrated the bushes with the old hunter , to the spot where the immense buck lay , still bleeding from a large wound in the throat—such as are inflicted , by these men of the wilds , to reach the animal's heart ; an operation which they term sticking ,
" That is a fine buck : " said I . Giving a grave look of satisfaction , as he shook the head by one of the deer ' s horns , he answered with a slight pause between each word " Yon may say that . It an't every day , in these Barrens , you'll down sich a feller . " " Is there any water in this sink ? I am excessively thirsty . " " Thar' an't , not a drop of nmnin' water nearer this spot , than the grove . "
I found some consolation , however , for the want of water , in the refreshing coolness of the sink . The spot where we were was an open space of ten or twelve feet , free from tinder-growth , and so protected by the thick foliage of the overhanging trees , that the direct rays of the sun hacl not , perhaps , for years entered it . It was , consequently , as cool almost as an ice house . I took off my hat to enjoy it more fully , and sat myself down on a stone ; while the old hunter was deliberately preparing , with the aid of his belt , to hang up the buck b y the hind feet to the limb of a small tree , in order that the blood might fully escape . " I thought you said— 'We had a tough time with the buck ? ' You are alone . "
" Oh ? why they ' re gone back for a horse ; an' Jack 'ill soon he hack , foi he ' s a tearer rimnin' an' ridin' . You see , "—pulling up the buck— " he'd make a body ' s back ache a spell to toat him over the grove sich a day as this . " " Shall I assist to hang him up ?" " Why I don't keer if you do gi' me a bit of a lift—he ' s a whapper . Take keer of the blood ; jist hold on to the limb . A dead , limber animal makes an unhandy lift—you can ' t get no purchase . "
We presentl y had the buck swinging from the limb . I resumed my seat upon the stone ; and the old hunter , after wiping his bloody hands with leaves , threw himself full length upon the grass and weeds , to wait leisurel y the coming of the horse . There he lay , with a countenance immovable as an Indian ' s . His face was remarkably large , wrinkled , and tanned ; ivith bright blue eyes , overhung by enormous gray eye-brows , which were almost continuous ivith thick hair of the same colour , hanging so as to cover nearly the whole forehead . Looking carelessly up at me , he began the usual introduction of such persons to a regular attack of inquisitiveness one of the attributes of a back-wood ' s-man . " Trav" lin' fur , stranger ?" " To Nashville . "
" That ' s over in Tenessec , an ' t it ?" " Yes . " " Well ; now , how fur do you call it from here abouts ?" ' It is , perhaps , a hundred miles . " " Your nag ' s purty wild , an ' t it ? "