"
"Hard hit, is he! why, did you get a shot at him?"
"A fair one," Jem replied; "not three rod off from me; he jumped up out
of the channel of Stony Brook, where, in a sort o' bend, there was a lot
of bushes, sumac and winter-green, and ferns; he skeart me, that's a
fact, or I'd a killed him. He warn't ten yards off when he bounced up
first, but I pulled without cocking, and when I'd got my gun fixed, he'd
got off a little piece, and I'd got nauthen but fox-shot, but I hot him
jist in the side of the flank; the blood flew out like winkin', and the
hounds arter him like mad, up and down, and round and back, and he a
kind of weak like, and they'd overhauled him once and again, and tackled
him, but there was only four on them, and so he beat them off like every
time, and onned again! They couldn't hold him no how, till I got up to
them, and I couldn't fix it no how, so as I'd git another shot at him;
but it was growin' dark fast, and I flogged off the sluts arter a deal
o' work, and viewed him down the old blind run-way into th' swale eend,
where I telled you; and then I laid still quite a piece; and then I
circled round, to see if he'd quit it, and not one dog tuk track on him,
and so I feels right sartain as he's in that hole now, and will be in
the mornin', if so be we goes there in time, afore the sun's up.
Pages:
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248