LAKE MANDAN. 129 
and betray. Assuming strange forras—sometimes as 
trysting maid—sometimes as sweet voiced siren, or 
gay feathered hunter. Could it have been that when the 
young clerk Johnny McCleland, while as passenger on 
an up bound steamer tied up for the night on the 
Missouri’s bank facing this Island—-walked out on that 
star-hidden dismal night to meet the guiles of the watery 
nymp decked out as pretty maid, or was seized and 
dragged though morass—througn tangled willows and 
swaying rushes down deep in depths to the mysterious sub- 
teranian abode of the morose-faced but feathery dresse 
hunter? Be his fate what may, when he passed out be- 
yond the glare of the landing torches on that first night 
in November 1879, he glided from human sight forever. 
At cdd intervals for many years I journeyed to Lake 
Mandan for the otter that I usually found in some num- 
bers. Sometimes my trips were alone, but more oftex 
a companion ortwo accompanied me. Guppy, Trapper 
Sam, Diamond the Wolfer, made merry over many an 
event 8g camp fire there. 
In Decembcr 1820, a hunting, wolfing, owl and otter 
trapping party of five of us, making two camps, started 
for the lake and its environs to make an all winter camp 
there. The wiater was severe by spells, but snowy wea- 
ther and chinnock winds enabled us to keep the dinner 
pot boiling. This party Grisige of Eugene Farley, 
his brother John, A. B. Strickler and Minnesota Joe. 
Lawyer Farley the writing member of the firm, receiv- 
ed word from some Chicago furriers that the large snowy 
owl was in demand there and they wanted some nice 
birds shipped on atonce. A trip to the White Owl 
Mountains east of the Missouri was made for this purpose, 
