A Novel Muskrat Hunt. 



Sitting alone in my library tonight, my thoughts ramble 

 back to a time more than twenty-five years ago, and this turn 

 of memory's wheel brings to view the records of a few weeks 

 spent in Calhoun County, Iowa. It was some time early in 

 the month of March and I drifted into the little prairie town 

 of Lake City, in Western Iowa. The term "drifted" is well 

 suited to the occasion ; for, as the train whirled along towards 

 the end of my railroad journey, I looked out of the car window 

 across the boundless level prairie to the northward and it 

 appeared as though at least one-half of the country was under 

 water. I had written to a Lake City party to have a team 

 meet me at the nearest railroad station, knowing that the stage 

 only made the trip once a week, and when I stepped off the 

 train at Carroll I found my man waiting for me at the end of 

 the platform, with a good, strong spring wagon and a pair of 

 big mules. I immediately began to kick on the mule part of 

 the outfit, as, at that time, I harbored a sort of grudge against 

 these long-eared slurs on horseflesh, but the driver said, "Why, 

 man, there isn't a horse team in the state that could take us 

 through that twenty miles of mud, water and slough in as good 

 shape as these little mules. Why, I can drive them through a 

 slough where there is nothing but long grass to walk on and 

 only their ears in sight." And before we reached our destina- 

 tion I found that my Jehu's judgment was good and the little 

 long ears as good as his judgment. 



Striking out across the trackless prairie, we stuck to the 

 highest ground as much as possible, but, even then, were at 

 least a third of the time in water. Several times the mules 

 were off their feet and had to swim for it ; but they showed no 

 fear and never refused to go where guided. We drove up to the 

 hotel in Lake City at 9 o'clock that night a cold hungry pair, 

 but a hot supper and a good bed put me in shape; and when I 

 looked out of my little window the next morning while dress- 



[39] 



