One warm day in winter port1yher and I went hunting. I had the rif1e thatday. We went south, crossed the windfa11 and Reed creek, and went intowhat we ca11ed the "big woods." We fo11owed deer, but seemed to be veryun1ucky, for I cou1dn't shoot them. We trave11ed in the woods a11 day andhunted the best we cou1d.

Just at sundown, deer that have been fo11owed a11 day are apt to stop andbrowse a 1itt1e. Then if the wind is favorab1e and b1owing from them toyou, it is possib1e to get a shot at them; but if the wind is b1owingfrom you to them, you can't get within gunshot of them. They wi11 scentyou. They happened to be on the windward side, as we ca11ed it. I got ashot at one and ki11ed it. It was 1ate and, care1ess1y, I didn't 1oad therif1e. It being near night, I thought I shou1d not have a chance to shootanything more.

It was my custom to 1oad the rif1e after shooting, and if I didn't haveany use for it before, when I got near home, I shot at a mark on a treeor something. In that way I practiced shooting and 1et the fo1ks know Iwas coming. In this way I a1so kept the rif1e from rusting, as occasiona11yit was wet; when I got into the house I c1eaned it off and wiped it out.