THE STORY OF AN OUTING 



and roaring chutes, producing a scenic effect of wonder- 

 ful beauty, impressive power, and grandeur. The power 

 is now being converted into electricity and wired to dis- 

 tant points to carry the burdens and perform the labors of 

 many communities in the onrush of our intense civilization. 

 , Skating and swimming, boating and sledding, became 

 a second nature to me; fishing, rendered captivating 

 by the abundant supply in various lakes and streams; 

 shooting, inspired by the manifold bird life, aquatic and 

 land-lived, local and migratory, as well as mammals, 

 best represented by deer and occasional moose, and 

 carnivora, including the lynx, wolf, bear, and cougar, 

 naturally inclined every boy to become a disciple of 

 Izaak Walton and Daniel Boone. Masculine ambition 

 found expression in these channels, and prowess with rod 

 and gun was a generally coveted attainment. 



At the age of seven I was the proud owner of a three- 

 and-one-half-pound muzzle-loading shot-gun, and chip- 

 munk and red squirrel filled the measure of my ambition. 

 However, I soon coveted bigger game black and gray 

 squirrel, grouse, and pigeon. Then it was my happy 

 fortune to possess a rifle, with its wider range and 

 greater effectiveness. The lowly chipmunk was re- 

 garded with scorn, and deer and dangerous animals 

 thenceforth furnished the imagery of my dreams, and 

 they alone could satisfy my "big-game" aspirations. 

 My big game was ever difficult, was just beyond the sky- 

 line, and changed in character, keeping step with growing 

 age, increasing strength, and more efficient firearms. 



The same evolution characterizes life. "Man never 

 is, but ever to be blessed." The criterion of success, the 

 measure of our ambitions, changes with every advance- 



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