Htmting Lore. 449 



From its very nature, the life of the hunter is in most 

 places evanescent ; and when it has vanished there can 

 be no real substitute in old settled countries. Shooting 

 in a private game preserve is but a dismal parody ; the 

 manliest and healthiest features of the sport are lost with 

 the change of conditions. We need, in the interest of the 

 community at large, a rigid system of game laws rigidly 

 enforced, and it is not only admissible, but one may 

 almost say necessary, to establish, under the control of 

 the State, great national forest reserves, which shall also 

 be breeding grounds and nurseries for wild game ; but I 

 should much regret to see grow up in this country a sys- 

 tem of large private game preserves, kept for the enjoy- 

 ment of the very rich. One of the chief attractions of 

 the life of the wilderness is its ruoraed and stalwart democ- 

 racy ; there every man stands for what he actually is,* and 

 can show himself to be. 



There are, in different parts of our country, chances 



to try so many various kinds of hunting, with rifle or with 



horse and hound, that it is nearly impossible for one man 



to have experience of them all. There are many hunts I 



long hoped to take, but never did and never shall ; they 



must be left for men with more time, or for those whose 



homes are nearer to the hunting grounds. I have never 



seen a grisly roped by the riders of the plains, nor a black 



bear killed with the knife and hounds in the southern 



canebrakes ; though at one time I had for many years a 



standing invitation to witness this last feat on a plantation 



in Arkansas. The friend who gave it, an old backwoods 



planter, at one time lost almost all his hogs by the nu- 

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