Trail and Camp-Fire 



a tall, lank, but powerfully built man, standing 

 with his back toward me. I threw some more 

 wood on the fire, and as it blazed up, and 

 seemingly in acknowledgment of my subdued 

 laughter, a grizzled face was turned toward 

 me, and its owner added, "but, of course, you 

 don't want a very big raft." 



This was my first acquaintance with Cherry, 

 an acquaintance which has ripened and be- 

 come closer with years, and on which I have 

 never ceased to congratulate myself. What- 

 ever I may know of woodcraft and hunting is 

 due largely to his tuition. For many years 

 we have roughed it and smoothed it together ; 

 found game and found none; and day in and 

 day out he was the best partner it has ever 

 been my good fortune to meet. He possessed 

 the invaluable faculty of always being around 

 when he was wanted, and was ready for what- 

 ever might turn up, from trout fishing to In- 

 dian fighting; he had an inexhaustible fund of 

 good humor; was always on the alert, game 

 to the core, and willing to endure any hard- 

 ship. Cherry was a born sportsman, and a 

 living exposition of the noblest innate rules of 

 the art; but he had his foibles and weak- 

 nesses, and of these only I speak. I think his 



52 



