was a sense of gratitude for his escape, that prompted the exclamation I heard as he went bumping past me.  Coiled on the rock above, and within reach of his face, were several large rattlesnakes, and he always insisted that one made a spring at him, as his hands gave way, and he put out for the basin into which he plunged.  He was a good deal bruised, but his escape from the poisonous reptiles reconciled him to that.”

CHAPTER XXV.

HEADED TOWARDS HOME—­THE MARTIN AND SABLE HUNTER—­HIS CABIN—­AUTUMNAL SCENERY.

We concluded that we would break up our camp in the morning, and drift leisurely back towards civilization.  We had tarried upon this beautiful lake until we had explored its romantic nooks, and we started on our return to our old camping ground at the foot of Round Pond.  We had refrained for two days from disturbing the deer, and our supply of fresh venison was entirely exhausted.  Just at the outlet of the lake we were leaving, is a little bay, towards the head of which are a great number of boulders, laying around loose, scattered about like haycocks in a meadow, only a great many more to the acre.  The water about these boulders is shallow, and the lily-pads and grasses make a luxuriant pasture for the deer.  Among these boulders, and concealed by one of them, save when his head was up, was a deer.  While he fed we could see nothing of him, but when he raised his head to look around him, that alone was visible above the rock.  Smith and myself were in the leading boat, he in the bow with his rifle.  As the current swept near the rocks where the deer was feeding, we let our little craft drift quietly in that direction.  As we came within shooting distance, say from fifteen to twenty rods, Smith adjusted his rifle, and as the animal raised its head above the rock, he sighted him carefully, and fired.  It was a beautiful shot.  There was nothing of the animal but the head visible, and the bullet, true to its aim, struck it square between the eyes, and it fell dead.  This shot, together with the glory of killing the bear, elated Smith wonderfully, and upon the strength of them, he assumed the championship of the expedition.

We drew the deer into the baggage-boat, and sent forward our pioneer to erect our tents, and prepare a late dinner, at our old camping ground, while we landed with the dogs on the island near the head of Round Pond, or Lake, to course whatever game they might find upon it.  They soon burst into full chorus, and dashed away.  The island is small, containing only a few acres, and the game could not, therefore, take a wide range After a single turn, a deer broke, like a maddened war-horse, from the thicket, and plunging into the lake, struck boldly for the mainland, five hundred yards distant.  We were near by with our two boats when he took to the water, and we thought we would accompany him as an escort to the shore; so we rowed up, and with a boat on each side, and