Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/559

 In the Southern Field of Folk- Lore. 2 1 1

But Mr. Howard frankly confesses that he has sufficient supersti- tion in his nature to have inspired him with fear of the old man, and he begged him not to experiment upon him.

His host assured him that he could feel perfectly easy in his mind, as he would do nothing against the will of his guest.

Mr. Howard says that the old man's manner throughout these recitals was such as to inspire the belief that he was deeply in ear- nest in all that he related.

THE MYSTERIOUS DEER.

There is quite a prevalent belief among mountaineers in the exist- ence of a mysterious deer, of which they stand in no inconsiderable awe. I have heard of a hunter in upper East Tennessee, who claims to have shot at this deer, or one of these deer, under a misapprehen- sion. The bullet came back and lodged in his own leg, and he shows the scar in apparent confidence that the evidence is con- clusive.

Dr. A. S. Wiltse, who has for many years practised his profession in the Cumberland Mountains, and who takes a deep interest in the mountain people and their peculiarities, writes me this version of the deer myth, secured from a celebrated hunter named Jackson Howard. The language of the. original relator is reproduced as nearly as practicable : —

" El Moore is a good hunter, and a splendid good shot, too. But he got into a streak o' mighty ornery luck one time jes' on ercount er one er them thar white deer. He tole me all erbout hit with 'is own lips, an' El is a mighty truthful man.

" He said he war out a' huntin' one mornin', an' he come onter a white deer, an' hit war not more 'n fifteen er twenty feet frum 'im.

" He fired at hit, but never toch a hair. That deer jes^ stood still untwel he 'd a-wasted seven or eight shots on hit. Then hit run off, an' he tried his gun on a spot in a tree, an' the bullet went straight to ther mark.

" He got his dander up then, an' laid fer thet white deer, an' he wasted a powerful lot more ammunition on hit, untwel fin'ly 'e plugged hit in ther shoulder.

" But he was mighty sorry fer that, right then an' for a long time atterwards. He said hit made the sorrowfulest noise 'at he ever hearn in all of his life. An' from that day twelvemonth hit war im- possible fer El ter kill any kind of er deer whatsomever. He could kill o f her kinds of varmints all right ernough, but kill a deer he couldn't."

�� �