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Game Protection, Fish Culture, Natural History, Preservation of Forests, Rifle Practice, Yachting, Boating, 



the Kennel, and Sports of all Kinds. 



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 Ten Cents a Copy. j 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1876. 



( Volume 7, Number 17. 



\ 17 Chatham 8t.(CityHallMqr.) 



; . - 



THANKSGIVING TURKEY. 



VALLEYS lay in sunny vapor, 

 Aud a radience mild was shed 

 From each tree that like a taper 

 At a feast stood. Then we eaid. 

 "Our feast, too, shall soon be spread, 

 Of good Thanksgiving turkey.' 1 



And already still November 



Drapes her snowy table here, 

 Fetch a log, then; coax the ember; 



Fill your hearts with old-time cheer; 



Heaven be thanked for one more year, 

 And our Thanksgiving turkey! 



Welcome, brothers— all our party 



Gathered in the homestead old! 

 Shake the snow off, and with hearty 



Hand-shakes drive away the cold; 



Else your plate you'll hardly hold 

 Of good Thanksgiving turkey! 



When the skies are sad and murky, 

 'Tis a cheerful thing to meet 



Round this homely roast of turkey- 

 Pilgrims, pausing just to greet, 

 Then, with earnest grace, to eat 

 A new Thanksgiving turkey. 



And the merry feast is freighted 



With its meanings true and deep, 

 Those we've loved and those we've hated, 



All, to-day, the rite will keep, 



All, to-day, their dishes heap 

 With plump Thanksgiving turkey. 



But how many hearts must tingle 



Now with mournful memories! 

 Iu the festal wine shall mingle 



Unseen tears, perhaps, fr*m eyes 



That look beyond the board where lie? 

 Our plain Thanksgiving turkey? 



See around us drawing nearer 



Those faint yearning shapes of air — 

 Friends than whom earth holds none dearer! 



No— alas! they are not there: 



Have they, then,£forgot to share 

 Our good Thanksgiving turkey? 



SooiG have gone away and tarried 



Strangely long by some strange wave; 

 Some have turned to foes; we carried 



Some unto the pine-girt grave: 



They'll come no more so joyous-brave 

 To take Thanksgiving turkey. 



Nay, repine not. Let our laughter 



Leap like fire-light up. again. 

 Soon we touch the wide Hereafter, 



Snow-field yet untrod of men: 



Shall we meet once'more— and when?— 

 To eat Thanksgiving turkey. 



And though not, 'twere still ungrateful 



'Mid such warm companionhood^ 

 To forecast the future fateful, 



Finding there no balanced good. 



'Tis but a type of finer food, 

 This plain Thanksgiving turkey; 



Of higher gifts a quaint reminder. 



Then let the bounty do its best 

 To make us gladder, stronger, kinder. 

 Bid no ghost to be our guest, 

 But eat as those now gone to rest 

 Once ate Thanksgiving turkey. 



— Harper 's Magazine. 



Far Forest and Stream, 



te 



A reminiscence of folingsby, jr. 



f"*\UR camp was pitched upon a point of land jutting 

 ^■> / out into the calm waters of Folingsby Junior. A 

 few days before we had left Paul Smith's, and by the way 

 rt the St. Regis river had paddled to the spot where our 

 temporary home was now placed. At the time of which 

 I write Paul's was a hunting house; the St. James of the 

 wilderness had not reared its stately head with accommo- 

 dations for a hundred or more guests, and Saratoga, with 

 its silks and laces, and ladies' arks had not been transport- 

 ed bodily to the shores of St. Regis. A long, low, un- 

 pretending house, with its dozen rooms and a comfortable 

 piazza, where the sportsman could sit in the evening and 

 smoke his pipe, stood upon the well-known mound, and as 

 the day declined a few chosen spirits would gather togeth- 

 er to recount the varying fortunes of the hunt just finish- 

 ed, or tell how that old settler of a trout at the mouth of 

 the spring brook in the bay around the point yonder had, 



for the third or fourth time, twisted his line about the 

 snag, or tangled it up among the lilies and got off scot 

 free. It was a lovely spot in those days, before Fashion, 

 with her arbitrary rules, had voyaged so far from the bor- 

 ders of civilization; when the number of hunters in the 

 woods were not nearly equal to the deer in numbers as 

 now, and when the guide was an assistant indeed in the 

 hunt, and joined in the sport as much for the love he bore 

 it as for the remuneration he received, which happily did 

 not amount to more than double the value of all the game 

 that was daily killed, as is frequently the case, if not in- 

 deed the rule, in these degenerate days. 



We had been driving the morning of the day I have in- 

 troduced the reader to our camp, but our hunt had been 

 unsuccessful, and one after another the dogs had dropped 

 in and coiled themselves up near the fire to sleep off the 

 fatigue of their run. The sportsmen were engaged in va- 

 rious ways, and one, D., had taken his boat and gone a 

 short distance to fish for trout for supper, and to keep 

 himself steady in his chosen place had firmly tied his boat 

 to a stake, while he stood on one of the seats to cast his 

 flies in hopes of alluring one of the sly creatures below to 

 the tempting bait. 



Suddenly a slight splash in the the lake close to the 

 shore nearly opposite, caused every man to start to his 

 feet, for there were men there who knew well the sound 

 the deer makes when entering the water, and all eyes were 

 earnestly looking for the fir3t view of the game before 

 starting in chase. The afternoon was far passed, so the 

 lake along the opposite shore lay hid in the shadows of 

 the overhanging woods. But a few moments of suspense 

 were passed, and then the wide antlers and head of a gal- 

 lant buck came into view, as the animal slowly swam out 

 of the shadow into the light; A rush was made for the 

 shore, each one to his own boat, such of the guides as 

 could leave their, occupations following rapidly. "Gently, 

 boys, gently," said one; "make no noise, let him get well 

 out and we are sure of him." By good luck my boat was 

 not on the shore, having been left floating when I arrived 

 at camp from my stand. My guide jumped in quickly, 

 and taking the oars we were off, followed by George with 

 his guide, his boat having been left next to mine. The 

 others came straggling after, but it was evident that the 

 race was going to be between us. As we passed where D. 

 had gone to fish, we noticed that he was working mauf udy 

 at the knot made in his rope when he fastened his boat to 

 the stake, but he had tied himself up so securely that he 

 only succeeded in getting released just before the deer re- 

 ceived his quietus. Away we flew, each guide exerting 

 himself to the utmost, George and I aiding all we could 

 with the paddles. The boats were almost side by side, 

 and the water curled up into a wave of foam as each sharp 

 prow cut through the still lake. The deer had not per- 

 ceived us, but as we drew nearer the noise of the oars told 

 him of our approach, and then raising himself he turned 

 his graceful head toward us with ears thrown well for- 

 ward to catch the direction of the^noise that was so rapid- 

 ly increasing upon the water, and satisfying himself with 

 one earnest look, he turned and struck out valiantly for 

 the shore. It has always astonished me to witness the 

 speed with which a deer can swim. It seems impossible 

 that the slender legs can propel the heavy body so 

 rapidly through the water. His broad throat was encir- 

 cled by a wall of foam, and the waves followed in his 

 wake like those raised by a boat sailing with speed. If 

 possible our efforts were increased, and it was soon evi- 

 dent that we should overtake the deer before he could re- 

 gain the longed-for shore. The paddles were now taken 

 in and the rifles brought ready for the start. As the boats 

 glided nearly abreast I admired the splendid antler3, as 

 they stood out wide from the head, and I called to George 

 to notice how large beseemed. "I think," I continued, 

 "they are the biggest pair I have ever met with in the 

 woods." "I think so, too," he replied, and I tell you 

 what we'll do; you are nearest, you take the first shot, for 

 there is no use in our both firing together, and if you 

 miss then get out of line and give me a chance; but just 

 mind, old boy, you had better shoot your best, for I don't 

 mean to give you a second chance, and 1 think you had 

 better begin shooting at once." "All right," I replied, and 

 telling my guide.to swing the boat a little out^of line so as 

 to give me a better chance, I put my rifle to my shoulder. 

 As I did so I noticed George was going through the same 

 maneuvers, and I knew I must hold straight if I wanted to 

 call that head and horns mine. As I drew the bead on the 

 neck of the plunging animal about fifteen yards ahead of 



me the motion of my boat prevented me at first holding 

 the rifle steady, but in a moment I sighted the right place 

 just below the head, and pulled the trigger. When the 

 smoke cleared away the deer's head was under water, and 

 he was making his last struggles. The impetus the boat 

 had gained soon brought us alongside of the animal, and I 

 seized him by the horns. At this same moment George's 

 boat came up. "It is lucky you held the rifle light, for I 

 was ready for him if I had not seen his head go under 

 when you fired," he said, and then we consulted how best 

 to get the deer ashore. He was a very large buck, and al- 

 though we could have taken him into the boat, we thought 

 that as we were two of us in alread}*-, it would be better to 

 tow him to camp; so grasping the horns I drew the head 

 up to the stern, and passing an antler on each side of me 

 (the spread was so wide as easily to permit my body to 

 pass between the beams) we commenced our slow progress 

 to the shore. We were soon joined by the other boats, D. 

 having at last succeeded in getting away from his attached 

 post, and we formed a triumphal procession to camp, where 

 all the hounds met us barking and howling their welcome, 

 they having become greatly excited by the chase they had 

 seen; but could not join. The deer was soon hung up on 

 poles, and various criticisms passed upon him. 



"Yes," said George, "he is a big one; -but he isn't any- 

 thing like as big as the old fellow I. saw this morning op- 

 posite to my stand. He was a big fellow, and as gray as a 

 badger. He'd been hunted before this, as I knew by the 

 way he bothered the dogs down the river, and the cunning 

 old rascal, when he struck the lake opposite to where I was 

 waiting for him, instead of swimming right out and over 

 to me like a gentleman, only made a little turn, and went 

 back to the shore, and ran along a little way, then into the 

 water, and back on shore again about two rifle shots from 

 me, and there went off into the woods. I put the dog on 

 his track, and I think he went away to Quebec Pond. At 

 all events this isn't he, for that buck was all gray, and big- 

 ger than this one, too." 



"Well," Isaid, "if I draw the lot for first choice tomor- 

 row, I'll go back to your stand and perhaps I may get a 

 chance at your old gray buck." 



Around the fire that evening we made the woods ring 

 with song and story, and quizzed D. a good deal about 

 fastening himself so tightly to a post that he could not get 

 away, even with a deer under his nose, all of which he bore 

 with undisturbed good humor. Those cheerful autumn 

 evenings in the woods; how many pleasant recollections 

 are brought to me, as separated by miles of sea and land, 

 I think upon the camp fires, alas long since gone out (but 

 to be kindled yet again it is hoped), and the merry com- 

 panions gathered around them. Fighting our battles over 

 o'er again, and looking forward to the time when we 

 can engage in others, are among the happiest of the sports- 

 man's memories and anticipations. Before the dawn of 

 the next day we were summoned to prepare for breakfast, 

 and on drawing lots for our positions during the morning's 

 hunt, as luck would have it I gained the first choice. "I'll 

 go down to the foot of the lake where George was yester- 

 day," I said, "and I am going to bring back the gray 

 buck." "You won't see him," answered George, "he isn't 

 such a fool as to go over the same course twice in two 

 days; however, here's good luck to you, and may you get 

 him." And with that we all started for our different 

 stands. As I rowed the light boat along towards my des- 

 tination I thought over my chances of meeting a deer. It 

 seemed probable to me that if this buck was an old hand 

 at the business, as imagined by George, he possibly was ac- 

 customed to run over the same routs, and as the river which 

 formed the outlet of Folingsby, Jr., to the St. Regis, was 

 very crooked, he probably had frequently succeeded in 

 throwing off the dogs by swimming and wading its waters. 

 At all events I had made my choice and must abide by it, 

 let the result be what it might. I was not very long in 

 reaching my stand, and drawing the stern of the boat 

 slightly upon the shore, I prepared lor my long watch , 

 The sun was just rising above the tree-tops as I stepped on 

 shore, and having filled my pipe, I sat down upon a fallen 

 tree to .enjoy the morning smoke and the beautiful scene 

 before me. There was not a breath of air stirring, and the 

 kind of bay on which I looked was without a ripple; the 

 dew was glistening upon the leaves, and shining like dia- 

 mond clusters in the sun's rays, while the trees of the for- 

 est as they rose before me on an opposite mountain were 

 robed in all the hues of the lainbow, the bright yellows, 

 orange and reds standing out clear and sharp against the 

 deep green of the cedars, Occasionally a trout would la- 



