SOME MICHIGAN TRIPS. 131 



not allow him to do his cussedness Jong before we would put a 

 trap in the way. ' % / 



We would sometimes have the parts of a deer taken down by 

 a lynx where we had hung up venison so that it would be conve- 

 nient to use for bear bait. We never objected much about it for 

 we were willing to trade venison for a cat almost any time, for 

 deer were very plentiful. 



In April, when we were taking 'up our traps and getting ready 

 to start down the river as soon as the water dropped so that we 

 dare start, we were going onto a stream one day to take up three 

 or four traps that we had set for beaver, our route led us across 

 the point of the ridge. The point faced to the southeast, and the 

 snow was off in spots on this point. When we went over this 

 point in the morning we saw many deer run from these bare 

 spots, so when we came back along in the afternoon we were as 

 careful as possible and kept the highest ground so as to get a good 

 view on this bare point to see how many deer we could count. 

 There were upwards of forty in sight at one time. How I wish 

 I could have had that picture. 



We did not dare to start down the river until the first of June, 

 on account of the high water. We had been told that there was 

 a camp on the head of the river where they were cutting wood to 

 be burned into charcoal. While we were waiting for the water to 

 drop we took a knapsack of grub and some fishing tackle and 

 started to find the wood choppers' camp, which we did on the 

 second day after leaving camp. We stayed ten or twelve days at 

 this camp, and while there a Frenchman invited me out to a lake 

 two or three miles from their camp and fish for bass. He said he 

 would take along a couple of traps and we would have some rats 

 for breakfast, as we were going to camp at the lake over night. 

 I did not say much about rats for breakfast, as I thought the man 

 was joking. But sure enough, we had rats for breakfast, also 

 plenty of fish. 



Well, after the man had argued and plead the case of the rats 

 from all points of view, and I had done a" good deal of snuffing 

 and smelling, I tasted, yes, I ate a piece of muskrat and I must 

 confess it was of a fine flavor and would be splendid eating if it 



