184 



FOREST AND STREAM 



early. Tberoad acrQS the country «s through the pines 

 and we took it leisurely, as we only had nine mih-s to make 

 ami were not Lo join our comrades until noon. We were on 

 Time, and as -we approached the valley we could bear ihe 

 "boys" chopping wi iod liofi iw ie> In 



B noke : curling above the tree-tops below. We soon joined 

 Ihem and found all in good spirits. John had a splendid 

 dinner of partridge and "Sough-gods," lo which we added 

 Marengo trout; and, as DOC sat down at, the head of the 

 " table" with the air of an old English baron, he said i 

 i his is what I call just as line as silk !" 

 We all agreed with him and stowed away that dinner un* 

 til John began to estimate the commissary stores and re- 

 keel in Chippewa to Back that he had better send out 

 pai Iser back to town for another sack ol Hour, as wo had 

 evidently underestimated our capacity. As this was our 

 first camp alter the party was joined together, a tree -was 

 and we named it " Catup Carpenter" in honor of our 

 criptain. 



, thing was again Btowed away in the batteaux. We 

 had two line ones. The largest was manned by Buck and 

 John and carried the passengers and baggage, while the 

 other Uok the supplies, and Stoddard and Whitebird fol- 

 lowed US with it. The camp chest formed a table in the 

 centre, around which we sat and played whist while the 

 boys polled along at the rale of four miles an hour. Dcca 

 sionallv Oar sport was varied with a Shot al a stray duck or 

 alunge fits. pickerel with the boat poles. Twoheauliful 



deer were startled from Hie tangled thickets and went leap- 

 ing into the forest, their "signal flags 7 ' waving us mockingly. 

 ,'cloCk in the evening, after paddling through six 



miles of meadow where the stream was sluggish, we pulled 

 up 10 the shore at a beautiful spot where a grove of young 



fif balsams sltOOd On a sloping bank like Orchard trees, and 

 wheie the ground was tliiet.lv carpeted Willi moss. A spot 

 was quickly cleared, the tent went up like magic, the camp- 

 fire lighted and the pots and kettles soon Steaming. Just as 

 we had got fairly sett lei! the report of a rifle brought every 

 one to their feet, and a dull thud told us that game had been 

 :i down. Doc'b hearty cheer settled the business, as 

 wit Inconsiderable pride lie brought forth his trophy— a fine 

 fat porcupine. WuiLnbird was detailed to skin him, and 

 siion his hide was nailed to fl I fee and undergoing the first 

 process of Indian tanning. " For," said Tine, "I here are lots 

 licago who never saw one. and 1 Will tie it to 

 my bell and pi iy Big Iujin when I go home." Camp "Sile 

 Humphrey" we named it, ami a jolly good lime we had 

 there, too. Doc aud Prince won every game of whist, but 

 Uncle and 1 beat them out of the " rations" at "seven Up." 

 On the morning of the 4fh of September we broke camp 

 ai seven o'clock and alt noon we reached our destination — 

 Camp "Charles Hallock ''—twenty-four miles above and 

 nearly sixty-rive miles op the stream above the lower land- 

 ing, the Way Ebe water runs. No sooner lauded than the 

 fishing tackle was out and Doe, Prince, Uncle Sile aDd I 

 were pulling out half-pound troutright from umlerthe boats. 

 ■.-,,. ;,■■ . making camp, aud John said he wanfd 

 fish for dinner, hence: our hasty action. In twenty n, mutes 

 we had two large fry-pans full of as fat and pretty trout as 

 werc , ■ . it such a dinner as John served us ! 



ll was fit ferfi.e Royal House of England. After all, 

 there is about as much real solid enjoyment in eating a good 

 , ■, i is In anything else in life. That dinner 



_ our nv . : ■; • r erp UaUock "—was over at last, though it 

 took as long lo go through if as it generally does a regular 

 Johnny Bull dinner. As we sat down to our pipe we could 

 hut recall thelii"- in I milk 



"We miv eve without, poetry, music ami art; 

 W u ne''. aselence, ami live without iieart; 



We in ef live «i i- ma? live wi t.li out books ; 



Hemay live wlttiout booSs— wbal la knowledgeUnt grieving? 



323 . : ■ 5! «/«!' 



Bat where is liio man mar eau live wiiiiom dining J'- 

 While the boys were finishing the camp Doc and Prince 

 took the big halt eau and went up the river nearly a mile, 

 and Uncle and i, with Buck, went down stream with the 

 Other, To each baftcau we. had attached a box bored full of 

 hOles that floated alongside. Each box had a hole in the 

 cover, through which we put the trout when caught. The 

 fishing is done from the bow of the boat as we float along. 

 We soon struck the trout, thick and gamy, and had all we 

 could well attend to. Upon returning to camp at sis o'clock 

 our score stood sixty-three, while Prince aud Doc brought 

 in eighty. Nearly all were saved alive in the boxes 



"Camp Ha flock was one that had been occupied before, 

 thoui'h we gave if its name and rebuilt it complete. Our 

 big tent faced the west and the stream. To the right was 



the small le.nl for the slores, -while a larger one near by was 

 for the men. Buck had his own "shako down " surrounded 

 with frame week and covered with cedar bark. It looked 

 like an Indian gravee aud we dubbed it the "bone yard." 

 lu the square facing our tent a long table with shaved poles 

 for seats was erected, while on the left side a regular camp- 

 HiTonmled by tall Norway pines, completed John's 

 kitchen. In the foreground While River flowed "on to the 

 sea " making music with its eddies and ripples. Here the 

 bouts were tied to balsams that shaded the camp aud the 

 " lauding." Here, also, was a huge crate set in the river, 

 built of peeled cedar poles— a sort of large box m which to 

 keep Our trout alive, This was invented by Buck at the 

 suggestion ol Hunger, the well-known Chicago sportsman, 

 , , lied it oulv a month before. Outca,mp was heau- 

 til'ullv located, indeed, and was all lhat a sportsman could 

 desire. The boys had gathered balsam ami hemlock boughs, 

 ami each tent was supplied with a good "featherbed." 

 John was now in his element, and he served us like a Del- 

 monico, Weweie ail he i : and lOt a bit dainty, and we 

 kept aim busy. Doc was the champion eater, though I held 

 him a close race, for a " lil i. but I was forced to 



. r]ge thai ■'■'■" " ,;, e '-'-■ '■ '■ P : ' v - 



"i ai'ns '' Why, bless you, there never was such aplace to 

 swap lies as aro'iind a camp-fire, it inspires a man and gives 

 him anew imagination. Hours slip away before oue knows 

 it x^ lories told have pnlj roue half way round the 

 Circle Doe has only just commenced his experience on the 

 St. Clair Plats ; frince Uas only lifted a dozen live-pound 



trout out of the hington Harbor, Isle Itoyale ; 



Uncle .sile has but just commenced to spear suckers, down 

 in Illinois, and I bad only reached the first chapter on the 

 Wiscnuehl Brule, before Buck says, "Boys, you must turn 

 in for there is week for to-morrow." So we turn in. 



'Did you ever .sleep under a lent on a bed of boughs, a 



dense forest surrounding you on every side, the winds moan- 



; n „, n,,., ,,, ■ ,', : and gloomy pine tops and the Stars 



: epen spaces just as though they 



were ",., ■ e - Did you ever think 



and plan and dream, while the flickering camp-fire seemed 

 to keep company with your Hashing ideas as they leap from 

 one subject to another, until, like the dying embers, the 

 mind ceases to act; first Battering-like, just as the sparks 

 die away, go out and leave a blank— the darkness of sweet 

 slumber ? Never ? Why, man : there is no time when the 

 mind is so active and clear as amid such surroundings. The 

 music of the brooklet, the sighing of the winds, the weird 

 song of the pines, strike the heart-strings aud fill the soul 

 With content such as only those who have experienced its 

 soothing charms eau feel and understand. 



The morning of Ihe second day at camp found us all up 

 at daylight, aud ready for a full day's spoi t. We had made 

 all cm plans the night before. Buck was to take the large 

 batleau, and with Doc and Prince go to the head ef naviga- 

 tion on the stream and work down to camp. Humphreys 

 and I were, to take Stoddard and the smaller batteau and as- 

 cend the stream two miles and work dowu, stopping at 

 camp for our dinner, and then fish the stream below as far as 

 we could go and return at six in the evening. Our fish 

 boxes were put into the boats, aud we got started just as the 

 sun rose above the horizon. We all started together, and 

 the hoys poled up stream as quietly as possible, Upon 

 reaching the lower ford we parted company, our boat, with 

 Uncle Sile in the bow and Stoddard in the stern with his 

 long pike-pole to hold the boat ia position, while I sat in the 

 centre ready to take care ot the trout and bait the hooks. 

 Our fish box was fastened to the side within easy reach, and 

 operations commenced. In ten minutes Humphreys was 

 bringing the trout into the boat about as fast as I could lake 

 them, and when he got tired I changed places with him, and 

 thus we floated along until we reached camp at noon with 

 over one hundred live trout in our box, besides several dead 

 ones in the boat that had been hooked too hard to save. 

 Here we stopped for dinner and then off again down the 

 river, where the same fine sport was continued. We had 

 emptied our box into the crate at noou, but on our return 

 we added ninety-six more, making our total catch one hun- 

 dred and ninety-six. Doe aud Prance had not returned, and 

 came in late. About seven o'clock we went to the landing 

 to meet them and learn their success. They had two hun- 

 dred and sixty in their boat and box, and were as tired a set 

 of men as ever lauded from a boat. Doc had blistered his 

 hands handling his rod, and Prince said he did not wish to 

 see another trout in a month. The work of unloading their 

 ce commenced, and, as it was crowded, many were 

 found dead. The boys were soon at work dressing them by 

 the light of birch-bark torches, and those that we're alive 

 were lifted into the crate with a landing-net. The dressed 

 trout were put into sugar pickle, and Buck packed them 

 nicely in firkins for Doc's friends in Chicago. Our total 

 catch for the day was four hundred and fifty. Weighing an 

 average lot of dead fish demonstrated that the average 

 weight was half a pound each, or two hundred and twenty- 

 five pounds. It was a glorious (lay's sport, and we felt proud 

 of it. We had over two hundred and fifty trout alive in the 

 crate, besides those pickled in sugar. Certainly we could 

 sleep on that. The great distance from home had made it 

 impossible to bring ice with which to keep our trout fresh, 

 so we had decided to build a huge fish boat fourteen feet 

 long, secure as many alive as possible, and float them down 

 the river with us to the lower landing, where the learn would 

 meet us with ice, and we could kill and pack them fresh, and 

 save them all. For this purpose we had brought along 

 boards for top and bottom, and Prince and Buck were to be 

 the Noahs and build the ark. 



Next day Buck, Doc and Prince began work, while Sile 

 and 1 went fishing. We returned at noon with forty- four 

 more trout, all alive but three. These were added io the 

 stock in the crib. The ark was soon finished and launched. 

 It was a success. Doc and Prince went up the stream again 

 in the afternoon and returned with another fine catch of 

 forty-two, which were secured. During the night a large 

 number of the previous day's catch had died in the crate 

 owing to being too far gone when put in. These were all 

 taken out and packed in pickle like the others. 



As the weather had become unsettled and the stream 

 muddy from the rain of the previous night, we concluded to 

 start home. So, late in the forenoon of the fourih day, we 

 placed our live trout — over two hundred in number — i'n the 

 ark and started. Our total catch was five hundred and 

 thirty-six, besides those taken in the Marengo and the first 

 noon' at Camp Hallock ; weight, two hundred and sixty 

 pounds. 



Just as we started it commenced to rain again, so our rifles 

 were put into their cases and stowed away under the rubber 

 blanket. And this carelessness cost us a fine deer, for, just 

 as we turned a beud in the river a few rods from our land- 

 ing, a noble buck walked leisurely from a little marsh, and, 

 slopping on the bank not over three yards away, looked at 

 us for fully two minutes, when a movement made for the 

 rifle sent him flying through the thickets. It. was a fine shot, 

 but lost, of course. It is needless to add that our guns were 

 kept handy after that. We had to content ourselves with 

 duel: aud partridge, however, for we only caught a gh'mpse 

 of oue more deer on our trip down. Toward night the 

 weather cleared, and just as we reached the meadows the sun 

 went down amid rose-tinted clouds. Here we went into 

 Camp Welcom. 



The fifth day we made the head of the rapids at noon and 

 took dinner at Camp Prince. And then came the excite- 

 ment and struggle of running them. The river was rising 

 rapidly aud the rocks were ugly and lashed the water into a 

 seething foam and endaugered our boats every minute ; but 

 Buck and his men were skilled boatmen, aud, while we had 

 hairbreadth escapes, we reached Camp Fifield, half way 

 d»wn, in safely that night. 



The scenery of White Biver is grand and beautiful beyond 

 description. "Especially is this true of the rapids, which are 

 a succession of cataracts and waterfalls for over twenty-five 

 miles. The forests that line the banks are a mixture of pine 

 and hard woods. The river is very crooked and the views 

 are in endless variety. It also contains many beautiful little 

 islands, and numerous branches come pouring into the main 

 river at intervals through high, blufly valleys, charming in 

 their green and goldou foliage. It is a grand trip to make at 

 any time daring the season, but especially in August or 

 September. 



The sixth day from our arrival at Camp Hallock, and the 

 tenth since leaving Ashland, we reach the crossing at noon 

 with our boat all right—only one dead fish in the ark. Doc, 

 Prince, Uncle Sile" and I walk into town, arriving home 

 early in the evening. We sent the team out for the boys in 

 the morning, and they came in with the camp outfit and the 

 trout which they killed and packed nicely in the ice sent 

 Ihem. We exhibited our trout during the forenoon and 

 then distributed them among our frieudB, 



And thus we end our sketch of our trip up White Biver 



m September, 1878. It will at leant give your sportsmen 

 readers an idea of what there is in-our'Northern Wisconsin 

 land to interest them. 

 Ashland, March 34, 1879. 



For Forest and Stream and Rod and Uun. 

 AMONG THE HARES. 



^/^ETup, you lazy loon ! Get up ! How about being all 



^J ready tostart at half-past three?" And, finally, by dint 

 of kicking and thumping, our friend B. appeared at his door, 

 looking for all the world, in the pale moonlight, like a pugilis- 

 tic ghost, whose conk had been well pounded. However, 

 after swabbing himself down, and diving into various miscel- 

 laneous articles of apparel, he was dressed, no! taking longer 

 in the operation than that proverbial gentleman, who 

 '< Befog minus a vast dud coat, 

 Used to button Ms pantaloon; op to his throat." 



We then shouldered our guns, loosed the two hounds- 

 Bluebell and Scout-rigged out the buggy, aud were soon bowl- 

 ing over the road to Mr. C 's farm, some six miles distant. 



It was a glorious November morning, the new moon paling 

 slowly before the early streaks of light, and the fields aud 

 trees looking weird and white under their hoar-frost mantle • 

 not a sound to be heard but the bark of the sheep-dog, the 

 crow of the cock, or the clink, clink of our trusty little mare 

 along the hard, crisp road. 



By the time we reached the farm the gray dawn made all 

 things visible, at the same time not giving sufficient light to 

 shoot by, so, putting our nag up, we sat down to warm the 

 inner man, and then systematically proceeded to get outside 

 of a package of sandwiches. Just as we werc finishing the 

 last piece, Bluebell, who had been gently feathering around 

 the barn, opened on the hill-side that ran down from the farm 

 buildings into a narrow 7 valley, overgrown with brambles. 



" Whooo-ah! whooo-ah! huie, huie! to her. Scout?" and, 



notwithstanding poor B 's despair (his benumbed fingers 



refusing to adjust the caps), I hastened after Ihe hounds, 'and 

 look up a place of vantage at the end of the ravine, 



B soon facing me on the opposite bank ; but whether 



the frosty ground refused to hold the scent, or whether the 

 dogs went on the principle lhat " a good beginning makes a 

 bad ending," they lost their first hare. 



However, better luck next time, so we began to walk inline 

 beating the bushes as we went. " Wh-i-s-h 1" Out came 

 bunny at thirty miles an hour, dodged behind a tree, and was 

 gone. "Loo! Loo! hie on to her!" but the two hounds 

 were already on her trail, racing with one another, and giving 



tongue at every bound. " Now, B , if you will go farthe* 



downthe gorge Iwill stay where 1 am." B— — hurried off, an d 

 I was left to enjoy what, lo my mind, is oue of the chief 

 charms of rabbit hunting, viz , the quiet enjoyment of nature 

 in her early winter garb, to the accompaniment of that 

 sweetest of all music— tho bay of a hound— while the 

 chances of the game turning at auy moment in one's di- 

 rection keeps one sufficiently on the qui. viee to afford a 

 pleasant excitement. I sat still for some ten minutes, the 

 voices of the hounds growing fainter and fainter in the dis- 

 tance, and then all was still, save the monotonous "chip. 

 chip" of the red squirrel, and the harsh cry of the jay, as he 

 Hew from tree to tree. 



Hark I "Whooo-oo! whooo-oo!" They are at it again, 

 and by the sound they have worked her around to the bottom 

 of the ravine, and she is running iu our directiou. " Whoo-uh- 

 oo-ah I" By Diana, how little Bluebell is rattling her ! 



Suddenly, a hundred yards below me, I hear ' ' bang 1 bang! " 

 a pause, and then renewed baying. " Halloa! what is that 



disappearing behind yon rock ? B must have missed her, 



and, sure enough, puss reappears, squats for a minute, listens' 

 and then comes cantering leisurely past, her whole thoughts 

 evidently taken up by the hounds. For a second or two I 

 think of Cooper's " Tiney," 



" Whom tionndi! did ne'er porsno, 

 Norswitt.or greyhound foUow; 

 Whose toot ne'er tainted mornln? dew, 

 Nor ear heard huntsman's halloo," 

 and felt inclined to spare her life on a day like this, but some 

 how or other the gun is raised, goes off, and, with a convul- 

 sive quiver, puss yields up the ghost, and before I can get to 

 her Bluebell and Scout are mouthing her with rapture. And 

 now the fun grows fast and furiouB j we put up haro 

 after hare, at times bringing one to hand, and, to vary the 

 bag, while slowly walking through a snug lying copse, a 

 "wh-i-r-r" is heard. As I live, a covey of quail! 

 But it is well nigh noon, so merely knocking over a brace 

 of birds, we turn toward home. Upon reaching a thick briar 

 patch, some sixty yards from the farm, the hounds began to 

 whimper. Out darted a gray and white object. "Bang!" 



wentB . Miau-au! "What was that?" he yelled ! "Sh-o-o-h, 



silent be, it was the cat." Sadly, then, did we enter our 

 buggy, and drove home with six or seven rabbits and a brace 

 of quail. Leptjs. 



Duncan, Princeton, A'. T. 



HOW FISH SPAWN. 



' West Hobokbn, March 6, 1870. 



Me. Editob : — The general belief seems to be, if I under- 

 stand it right, that the spawn is fecundated by the male on 

 the spawning-bed after its extrusion from tho female. This 

 theory 1 have always doubted. First, because it could be but 

 imperfectly done at best; and secondly, because there could 

 be no sexual pleasure iu doing so. Having, finally, many 

 times witnessed their intercourse in their natural element and 

 on the spawning-bed, a few lines may perhaps prove interest- 

 ing to some of your readers. 



Away up in the wilderness of Pike County, Pennsylvania, 

 lies a beautiful sheet of water called the "Big Pond of the 

 Knob," whose ever pure and crystal waters can be penetrated 

 to a great depth. The lake is shaped like a horseshoe, aud 

 on the western shore the beach is sandy and gravelly. Years 

 ago, when game was plenty, I have lain for hours on the 

 rocky bluffs, waiting for the noble buck to take his last fatal 

 swim, and with nothing to occupy my mind except to listen 

 to the far-off hound, I often watched the spawning of the fish 

 beneath me, and cannot but assert that the spawn is fecun- 

 dated before it ever leaves the female. 



The fish appear on the spawning-ground m pairs. A suit- 

 able ground is selected aud worked, until it takes tho ap- 



