Forest leaves . A splash in front makes me start, so that the lightboat rocks. A dark head swims away in the track of light. Whats thematter? whispers Frank—only a rat; sit still! I obey, but that ratmade me quiver. I hear a deer, again whispers the voice. The boatstops. I listen, and faintly in the distance I hear, or think I hear, a splash-ing. I tremble as if in a chill. The boat flies through the water. Tt halts, FOREST LEAVES. 25 turns, and the broad light revolves, but though the lily-pads are bruisedand the reeds are broken, we see no deer. He may be watching now fromthe bank ; but usel
Forest leaves . A splash in front makes me start, so that the lightboat rocks. A dark head swims away in the track of light. Whats thematter? whispers Frank—only a rat; sit still! I obey, but that ratmade me quiver. I hear a deer, again whispers the voice. The boatstops. I listen, and faintly in the distance I hear, or think I hear, a splash-ing. I tremble as if in a chill. The boat flies through the water. Tt halts, FOREST LEAVES. 25 turns, and the broad light revolves, but though the lily-pads are bruisedand the reeds are broken, we see no deer. He may be watching now fromthe bank ; but useless it would be to remain, and without a sound the boatmoves on. A slow, trembling, rocking movement has the boat; it fairly quiversunder the paddle. We have left the lake and are bearing down the riveramid the many voices of the night, the waving trees calling from thehigh banks and the rustling reeds answering from the river. Sometimesa winged shadow falls across the streaming light, like the wild bird with. human soul that Renan says he will be, seeking the church-door and find-ing it not. The rain is now falling heavier, yet still it is not much worsethan mist. The river bends and we come to a broad, shallow bay. A deer! deer! whispers the guide. I feel my heart beating like atrip-hammer, yet my head is cool and I know that my hands will obey mywill. I strain my sight, and surely ahead a gray mass is moving throughthe water. It springs forward, then turns, rushing quickly, and movesnoiselessly yet rapidly for the shore. I cover my quarry steadily ; the boatis held fast; I pull the trigger—a flash, a report, and something is Strug- 26 FOREST LEAVES. gling in the water, but only for a moment, for as we reach the deer he isdead. The wild stag will speed no more, and in spite of my triumph I canfeel a sorrow for the death of this noble deer. We lift him in the boat andthen to camp. No longer expectant, I sit dreamily in bow and listen towind rushing down the river; for the
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