CHAPTER XV. 

 Trapping and Bee Hunting. 



OMRADES of the trap line and trail, as every trapper and 

 hunter likes to know what other trappers and hunters are 

 doing, I will tell of some of my last season's (1908) doings. 

 Having been somewhat relieved from my old enemy 

 rheumatism I concluded to take a trip south and see if I could 

 not find a place suitable to my liking where I might escape some 

 of the rigorous cold of the Northern Pennsylvania winters. 



I went first into Southeastern Missouri. Here I found land 

 cheap, unimproved lands ranging from $3.00 to $15.00 per acre ; also 

 plenty of timber for fuel and building purposes ; plenty of fish of 

 various kinds, some deer, a few wild turkeys, no bear, some mink, 

 plenty of raccoon, a few otter and fox; with minor other fur- 

 bearers, which was all quite satisfactory to me, but I did not like 

 the water. 



From Poplar Bluff, Missouri, I went to Kenset, Arkansas, 

 where I found the conditions as to the price of lands satisfactory, 

 although the country was much less broken than Southern Missouri. 

 As to water, well, there was water almost anywhere; in fact, you 

 could hardly cross the streets without wading in water. The 

 people who were natives of that country informed me that the 

 water in the streets was not always so plenty, as they said that 

 there had been very heavy rains of late. Here I found game of 

 all kinds quite scarce, although I was told that southeast of Kenset 

 game was quite plenty, including bear, deer, turkeys, quail, etc., 

 and that mink, otter, coon, opossum, also a few wolves, were to be 

 found. The water gave me the chills in three days, so I concluded 

 to move to other parts of the lower St. Francis River, in Lee 

 County. Inere appeared to be quite a plenty of mink, otter, coon 

 and some bear, but the cane brakes were pretty thick in the 

 bottoms. 



162 



