170 



FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



search among the old down trees a while and then look over 

 the two soft maples. 



I had kept up this search from 9. o'clock in the morning until 

 2 o'clock in the afternoon. When I was approaching the two 

 maple trees from the southwest side I readily discovered bees 

 going into the tree close to and just above a large branch or prong 

 of the tree which made it impossible to see them until the sun 

 was just in the right position to shine square on the place where 

 the bees entered the tree. 



In my younger days I always carried a pair of climbers and 

 a rope, so that when I found it difficult to locate the particular 

 tree that the bees were in, when they were in thick timber, I could 

 climb any tree no difference how large and locate the bees. This 

 would often save much time in finding a bee tree. I would often 

 climb a tree that stood in a favorable place on the bee line and 

 cut off the top of the tree and make the bee stand up 30 or 40 

 feet from the ground. This I found a great advantage in lining 

 bees in a thick, bushy section. That day is past with me for" I 

 am too clumsy to climb any more. 



When I got to camp, I found Smoky at work putting the 

 honey that was strained into cans and he said that he had con- 

 cluded to change his name from Smoky Jim to Sticky Jim. We 

 concluded to let bee hunting go for a day or two and set two 

 more bear traps south of camp, although we had seen no signs 

 of bear. Hear I will mention one of Smoky's dry remarks. 



We took two bear traps and bait for them following up a 

 hollow south from camp to the top of a ridge where there was 

 quite a large clump of green timber still standing. When we 

 came to the head of the hollow and near the top of the ridge 

 where we thought would be a good place to set a bear trap, I 

 pointed to a small scraggly beech sapling and told Smoky to cut it. 

 Then to cut off a piece six or eight feet long for a clog. Also 

 to measure the size of the ring in the trap chain and cut the clog 

 off so that when the ring was put down over the end of the clog, 

 sixteen or eighteen inches to a prong, it would fit the ring fairly 

 close. This would make the ring or chain secure to the clog, as 

 it would give the ring no chance to work about, while I would 



