136 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



of some object jumping from a knoll to a log where it was partly 

 concealed behind some trees, so that I was unable to make out 

 what it was. I was sure that -I had never seen anything like it 

 before, either in the woods or out in civilization. I could get a 

 glimpse of the thing as it would pass between the trees, then it 

 would disappear behind brush or a large tree for a moment, then 

 I would get a glimpse of it as it would move. 



Sometimes it would appear white and then a fire red. I 

 could see that it was coming in my direction. As I always wore 

 steel gray, or what was commonly known as sheep gray clothing, 

 which is nearly the same color of most large timber, I stepped to 

 a large hemlock tree, leaned close against the tree, set my gun 

 down close to my side and stood waiting to see whether the thing 

 was natural or otherwise. 



It was not long before I could see that I had been frightened 

 without any real cause, for it was a hunter who had dressed in 

 fantastic array to put a spell on or charm the deer. He had on 

 a long snow white overshirt and had tied a fire red cloth over his 

 hat and a black sash was tied about his waist. I stood perfectly 

 quiet against the tree until the man was within a few feet of me, 

 I could no longer keep from laughing, and I burst out with 

 laughter. The man jerked his gun from his shoulder as he turned 

 in the direction in which I was standing and gazed at me for a 

 moment and then said, "You frightened me." I replied that I 

 guessed that he was no more frightened than I was when I first 

 caught sight of him. 



Well the man explained that he always dressed in that manner 

 when the underbrush was loaded with snow, as the deer would 

 stand and watch him with curiosity until he was within gun shot. 

 When in New Mexico many years after I had tied a red handker- 

 chief to a bush to attract the curiosity of the antelope, and it re- 

 minded me of the hunter that I had seen working the curiosity 

 dodge on the deer. 



That night when I got into camp, Bill had not got in but 

 came soon after, and he had hardly got the shack door open 

 when he began roaring with laughter. I inquired what it was 

 that pleased him so. "Pleased me so?" "I guess I was pleased, 



