54 With Rod and Gun in New England 



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and it was decided by lot that I should procure it. In compliance with 

 this decision I started early in the afternoon for my nocturnal hunt, accom- 

 panied by two of our guides who carried one of our canoes on their shoul- 

 ders. Our objective point was a small lake some four miles distant in the 

 wilderness, where it lay completely surrounded by mountains. It was a 

 famous locality for deer, but was extremely difficult of approach, the path 

 leading to it being of the roughest character imaginable, and an ascending 

 one nearly all its length, besides. I am a fairly good pedestrian, but my 

 enthusiasm was at a low ebb before the tramp was ended, and I have always 

 had a doubt concerning the length of those alleged four miles. However, 

 we reached the outlet of the lake at last, although it took us until dusk to 

 accomplish it, and we began preparations at once for the night. Placing 

 the canoe in the water, one of the guides lighted a small fire and boiled the 

 tea kettle, while the other and I picked hemlock boughs and laid them for 

 a bed. It took but a short time to accomplish this, and as soon as our 

 supper was disposed of and we had a brief but enjoyable smoke, we were 

 ready to begin the hunt. It was now quite dark, there being no moon and the 

 stars shining but faintly through the thin haze which arose from the water. 



" The ' jack ' is a lantern very similar to some of the carriage lamps in 

 ordinary use ; it is attached to a staff in the bow of the canoe, and fastened 

 behind it is a brightly-polished reflector which causes an intense light to 

 be thrown in front of the hunter in an ever-widening swath, leaving him 

 and the boat in obscurity. 



" Our lantern was lighted and placed in position, and we embarked, I 

 sitting in the bow of the canoe with my rifle laid across my knees, and one 

 of the guides taking his place in the stern. The other man not being 

 needed with us, remained at our camping place. As we moved like a 

 phantom through the outlet and upon the lake, impelled by the silent 

 paddle of the guide, the scene was weird and beautiful in the extreme. 

 The foliage, illuminated by the brilliant light of the lantern, gleamed like 

 silver against the dark background of the forest, every leaf standing out 

 bright and distinct. The gnarled and twisted trunks and limbs of dead 

 trees assumed many singular and fantastic forms, and ever and anon some 

 wild bird or animal, alarmed at our presence, rustled away through the 

 woods as we passed by. Occasionally a muskrat swam alongside the 

 canoe and inspected us, evidently wondering at our being in that retired 

 spot. Twice we passed through families of wild ducks, our craft almost 

 touching them as we went by, and once we drew so near a great blue 

 heron, which was standing on a jutting point of the shore, that I could 

 easily have touched it with a trout rod if I had one. The lantern gave 

 none of these wild creatures the least alarm. We had floated along the 

 shore for nearly a mile before we heard our first deer. He was evidently 



