June, 1S93.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



89 



Dropping down on their hands and feet, 

 they crawled to this shelter, and then, lying 

 on their stomachs, took a long and careful 

 aim at the great birds. 



At the crack of their rifles all the birds 

 arose on the wing except one, whose head 

 fell forward in the water, and after swimming 

 about in a circle for a few seconds, lay still 

 in death. 



The report of the guns, as it reverberated 

 over the water, caused thousands of Ducks 

 and Geese to take to wing ; the air was 

 black in every direction with great circling 

 flocks. Dropping down in the thick flag 

 my opportunity soon came, and as a big 

 flock of Mallards came circling over me I 

 arose to my feet, and bang ! bang ! each 

 report followed by a Duck tumbling headlong 

 to the earth. When the Pelican was ob- 

 tained it was found to be shot through the 

 body at the butt of the wings. It was a 

 wonderful shot ; the distance was greater 

 than 200 yards. Each party claimed that it 

 was the other that killed the Pelican, and 

 to this day (they are both yet living, very 

 aged) they will have it that way. 



It was now night, and we busied our- 

 selves cooking supper, of which venison steak 

 formed a part, dressing the game, which con- 

 sisted in removing the entrails of the fowls 

 killed and piitting a handful of salt on the 

 inside. 



The Deer was half skinned, and treated in 

 the same manner. By the time supper was 

 over and the camp for the night made com- 

 fortable, we were ready for something else. 

 An outing to this famous region was never 

 considered complete without a Coon hunt. 



We had provided for this sport by bring- 

 ing with us two good dogs, somewhat noted 

 for their skill in hunting the Tree Fox. So 

 far we had kept them chained in camp, |.>artly 

 to guard it and partly because, if allowed to 

 go with us when hunting Deer and Turkey, 

 they would be all the time treeing Squirrels, 

 and would frighten away the larger game liy 

 their noise. 



We were now ready for a Coon hunt, and 

 the two dogs were more anxious to be off 

 than we were. 



Going around to the north side of the 

 lake where the fishermen had been hauling 

 their great seines we rightly supposed the 

 Racoons would be allured to this side, to 

 feed upon the refuse fish that lay along the 

 shore. We had scarcely gotten well upon 

 good Coon ground till the dogs announced 

 something treed. A few minutes work with 

 our axes on the leaning, soft maple brought 

 it crashing to the ground, and a minute after 

 a terrible battle was going on between our 

 dogs and a large Coon ; but our canines 

 were experts in this kind of business and 

 soon had put a quietus on Mr. Procvoii 

 lotor. Suffice it to say that we returned to 

 camp, after tramping four or five miles, bear- 

 ing with us three large and fat Coons. We 

 were thoroughly tired after our day's work, 

 but so well pleased with its results that we 

 scarcely thought of the fatigue. 



As we crawled into our bunks the wind 

 was whistling and moaning through the trees, 

 the sky was overcast with threatening clouds, 

 and the weather was growing colder every 

 minute. Winter was evidently going to 

 break in upon us, and sure enough at day- 

 break next morning it came with a regular 

 blizzard, — snow, rain and sleet all mixed up 

 together. 



We had intended staying over another 

 day. At daybreak the seniors of the party 

 started to do up some more of the Turkeys, 

 while 1 was left to guard camp and shoot 

 Ducks, and shoot them I did ; they were 

 flying through the air so fast that, after kill- 

 ing about a dozen, I desisted, deeming it 

 useless to slaughter so many ; besides I had 

 hard work to keep my fingers from freezing 

 in loading and handling the cold gun. 



In an hour or two the Turkey hunters 

 came back, having killed but one, which fell 

 to Cameron's gun. They announced that 

 hunting in such a storm was no good, and 

 after a council we all decided that home was 



