124 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[MABOH 18, 1880. 



"I don't brag about throwing along line, because it's 

 hardly ever necessary in fishing, but I can place a. fly as 

 straight as I can shoot ; and as for fish— ! " 



I remember meeting him one winter, in Philadelphia, 

 just after ho had heard that between the wolves and the 

 bad weather he bad lost— I Eorgel lio.v many of the fine 

 sheep be had on his place up the country. 



••Why. by Jove, old fellow! How are you? I am 

 very glad to see you. How are all the sheep coming on ?" 



"Oh pshaw ! sheep-raising is an infernal humbug. Do 

 you know I caught four thousand trout last summer ? " 



Dear old fellow. How strange it seemed that we, who 

 in times gone by had been so much together, should be 

 starting out in company for the first time in thirteen 

 years. Why, in the old days we had killed deer and 

 caught trout among the Adirondack lakes and streams ; 

 together waded and whipped the "Lock," bagged ducks 

 on the North Carolina sounds and taken pot shots at 

 bears in the Dismal Swamp, to say nothing of such small 

 affairs as the first day of the season and a warm corner 

 of the marsh, when the. tide was good and rail plenty ; 

 then we had been two years together in the army. 



It seemed to us both that it could not be for naught that 

 we should be start jug out that morning. It was the 21st 

 of November, A. D., 1879. The snow was fresh and just 

 right for tracking ; the wind bid fair to blow, for a* still 

 hunter likes it noisy overhead ; and then we had not 

 hunted together for" so long, and we had doubtless im- 

 proved in the long years of separation. Surely the old 

 luck would hang by us and we should return laden with 

 the spoils of the chase. It comes back to me now that a 

 year or so ago I wrote you an account of "The Rock 

 Camp," a description of "bear-hunting, in which I recited 

 the ordinary requisites for a hear-hunt, and showed, at 

 least to my own satisfaction, that one may have a very 

 enjoyable "hunt and delightful time generally, even when 

 Some one inconsiderable trifle— -in than case it happened 

 to be the bears — is omitted from the list. And now you 

 begin to hare a suspicion, a little bit of a speck of an 

 idea as to what is coining, don't you? You know how it 

 is in the sloi y bo.,ks, where the poor, aspiring but deter- 

 mined youth", in the lender, pensive, thoughtful (getting 

 up diatilerie, the; finale generally shows, and in this cai 

 it was the .vivo lied llo@B that floored -as) maiden stands 

 at the threshold of ■< ttion, as it. were, wondering, doubt- 

 ing perhaps : then admiring, wishing, hoping; presently 

 daring, and then, alas, experiencing. As yet, however, 

 for our illustration, only standing on the threshold and 

 looking out upon the wind-puffed clouds and the dark 

 blue-black horizon of the cruel, cold world, The horizon 

 of the future Ought to be blue, because of its vacuity, 

 and yet it is so oltcn rose-colored. 



Cold it was, certainly; the thermometer not yet below 

 zero, but low enough to make active exertion very agree- 

 able where we were. We were looking out on a very 

 blue-black horizon, the dark hemlock-crowned ridges 

 that marked the course of the Clarion, Instanter and 

 Straight creeks, 1 had not thought, about hunting, I hap- 

 pened to have a very good chance to visit the Captain, and 

 Eerhapa to eat my Thanksgiving Day dinner with him, 

 ut the snow, which began falling wliile I was yet flying 

 along in the comfortable Pullman car, kept at it all the 

 while, as, wrapped in ulsters and buffalo robes, we talked 

 over old times, the Captain and I, seated in a covered 

 wagon behind his black mares which put us over the 

 seven miles from the station to "home," and by morn- 

 ing had fallen in quantity just right for a " good track- 

 ing snow." t 



The Captain had killed several deer this fall already. 

 "Were deer plenty ? Yes ; the oil wells over about Ken- 

 zua, etc.. had driven the deer into this part of the coun- 

 try, and we were sure of great sport if the snow held. 

 "And how about guns?" "You take my Winchester. 

 You always shoot a Winchester. It will just come 

 right." 



" Then what will you use?" " Oh, I'll take rny light 

 fihot gun and use buck shot." 



Did I wish for my own gun? Possibly you may find 

 out presently. I shot an 1873 model with 20- inch barrel 

 and father coarse Bight, but I generally know just about 

 where it will shoot and how much of" the front sight to 

 allow. The Captain's gttu, which I was to use, is an 1866 

 model, long barrel, using only two-thirds the powder of 

 the other, and with a new front sight put on only a few 

 days before mv arrival. I had no idea how the gun would 

 hold up. Moreover, the cartridges had run out and all 

 that could he had in Wilcox were old Henry cartridges, 

 with little powder and pointed ball. I was idiot enough 

 to march off without trying the range of the gun. 



" Look here ; do you want me to go on and give you 

 au account of our doings? All about them ? Because 

 you know we on—" 



" What 1 You do not mean to say that you two people 

 — mighty hu uters— w cut out on that snow for — for — how 

 many days was it, and only— on-l-y— a— a -ah— I— " 



Exactly— certainly we did ; just so. You have hit it 

 ** to a T " (hit it belter than we did). We went out as 

 long' aa the snow lasted, you know, and that was for — 

 f or _what-you-may-call-il— a— and— and then— we had 

 to come home every night, you know, because the Cap- 

 tain could not lie out at night on account of his health ; 

 and SO we only got a little while to hunt each day. We 

 would strike a track about 9 a.m. and had to stop hunt- 

 iug bv 3 I'M. to get home, 



How many deer did we get? Why, as I said, we only 

 _»_we didn'i— a. That is- a— 



This is worse than the Rock Camp. I will write you a 

 letter and 1 ell you about it. You don't like people to be 

 long-winded, go I will put it in your correct style. See 

 now : — 



WILCOX, Perm., NOV. 29M, 1S79, 

 Editor Foreut and Stream ;— 



Just start for home to-day, after a hunt with your 

 friend the Captain. Went out ou the 21st. Scored good. 

 I Winchester; Captain, shot-gun, Started doe before 

 rye saw her. Followed. Captain got running shot; 

 teg. Followed on Met a dog ; dog had caught 

 , ,.;:> n.istevtiadacooteaQHwitriM. r 

 ihim to road where he had bucked it and- 

 Went out on the 22d. tracked up a big buck 

 he had walked, I hen fed. Caution, "Shi Heres 

 where he went." " Dm ! hm I All right Co easily. 

 "Stt St!" •■What is it?" "See one there,' (ma 

 whlspei; "bx WMit by Shitf big h?i:ilock ECey i:;w 

 he's hot far " A-pause, then t^ Captain with subdued 

 amotion, "Look at his horns over that log." '• By Jove, 



lost him. 

 big buck ; saw where 



he's a whacker." There he was twenty Bteps off, I stood 

 on tiptoe ; could not see his head, only the bonis and 

 ears. We could hear him sniff in a suspicious manner. 

 1 raised the {run. " Bring him out of that." " Ma— a !" 

 said the Captain. Up jumped the buck, a veritable hand 

 Grata, and I— as a certain Philadelphia Lawyer once said, 

 "Think of it, gentlemen of the jury, it might have been 

 murder 1" — missed him clear and clean. The captain 

 took a running shot, and the buck left unharmed. 



We went out on the 24th. Huge old buck and big 

 doe. Could not separato them. Saw them standing to- 

 gether after awhile ; estimated, one hundred yards ; 

 brushy. I fired at buck standing ; gave half the front 

 sight. Buck left in peace. Doe jumped a few steps to 

 left — further than we thought ; mistook ber for fawn. 

 Captain cried, "Kill the fawn." Could not see her. 

 Handed him the gun ; he fired five shots in quick suc- 

 cession. Heavy cartridges, all undershot. Doe left. 



Followed on. After a while saw the buck standing 

 watching back-track. Snapped at him. Tried to throw 

 out cartridge and pump in new oue : extractor sbpped 

 off cartridge. Tried again. Deer saw motion ; vamoosed. 

 Near night: bear track ; on the jump; somebody scared 

 him ; no use following. Gone away over to Driftwood. 

 Gave up and went home. Dinner, glass of wine, pipe, 

 letters and papers, bed. 



There you have it all. Game in plenty ; deer thick ; a 

 good many hunters in the woods. Two "friends of yours 

 were out for several days, and got — [ Come, that will 

 do.— Ed.] and got— [That will do.— Ed. J All right. 



C. Clay. 



LOST IN THE MAINE WOODS. 



WITH dog, gun and blankets I left Bangor the 30th 

 of October, 1879, via E. and N. A. Railway, arrrived 

 at Jackson Brook station, and by Manly Stevens' line of 

 stages for Princeton was conveyed as far as Waite, where 

 I took convevauce to the house of Stephen W r . Neal, 

 where I was kindly entertained for the night. 



On the 31st, after breakfast, with Mr. Neal as guide, I 

 set out for West Musquash Lake— more than five miles — 

 where I was to join Mr. A. H. Benson, the well-known 

 ticket agent of the Maine C R. R. in Bangor and ( ecr^e 

 Thornton, of Jackson Brook, as guide and cook. 



On the second day of November we agreed for a hunt 

 as far out as Ory Lake, some two miles, in the hope of 

 finding ducks on lake and grouse on wav to and from 

 lake. 



Soon after leaving camp, 10 o'clock, my clumber 

 spaniel started a covey of grouse. Following some 



i befo 



ads, I F 



ne. tin 



ed thre, 



tfr, 



id x 



Shoot 

 has 



e will i 

 -vhieh I 



ross which a 

 n road, on I 

 nd Ory Lake 

 attention es- 

 >n and 



their flight into the dark 

 Benson and guide passed 

 to Mr. Benson : "Why not help ta.i 

 partridge." " Oh 1 he enjoys it ve 

 joined us, had bad luck yesterday ai 

 blehim." Following up" the wood o 

 rades had passed, I came to a branch 

 tree had fallen. Seeing a trail up t 

 went, unconcerned, expecting very so 

 and my companions. It is true I ga 

 pecially to the spaniel, for it was a 

 the birds were out in force, and I occasionally bagged 

 one, thinking little of distance. Finally I reached the 

 lake, where, to my surprise, no person was to he 6een. 

 The lake was small and I walked around it, taking a short 

 rest, and turned my steps for camp at 3 o'clock. To my- 

 self 1 said, I will not return by the same road and brook, 

 but beat up a new route in hope of more game, and I 

 turned to the rigid for a short distance, and then well to 

 the left to bring myself out at the road and brook as I 

 n eared my camp. Climbing some quite high land I saw 

 a lake in the distance over ihe forest. Not for one mo- 

 ment did I question that it could be other than West 

 Musquash, upon whose white sand beach one camp was 

 situated. To myself I reasoned : you are turned about, 

 that is your lake, go in direction of what you can see. 

 Here was my fatal mistake, though I pushed on heed- 

 lessly in direction of lake seen. I came out to the lake 

 at dark after a long and tedious tramp, and to my great 

 surprise it was a water I had never before seen. After 

 discharging my breech-loader quite a number of tir 



t that I 



tment 



emplal. 



• built, 

 md be- 



tny situ- 



ivhich to meet 



without answer, I became fully al 

 was lost in Maine woods. Darkn 

 settled over me alike, and sullenl; 

 of a mile from the lake, built a 

 and by light of all I selected a spt 

 side the last fire built I sat down i 

 ation and take stock of my resoul 

 the contingencies. I had a box of matches, about thirty 

 in number, five ruffed grouse in hunting-coat, small 

 pocket-knife, dog, gun, watch and some fifteen cart- 

 ridges. 



Hunger had made close acquaintance with me by this 

 time, as no dinner had been served before leaving cam]). 

 I relieved a grouse of a coat of feathers, roasting over the 

 fire with the aid of a birch stick. Nothing was left of 

 that bird, as the dog sat near to catch every bone. More 

 wood was gathered for fire — thirst came — and by the aid 

 of fire I found a frozen shore of the lake and took a slow, 

 but long, deep drink. Returning to the fire 1 arranged 



: i !: i k for a bed, and placed ray hunting-coat under 



mv bead for a sleep, Soon after a sensation of something 

 burning canio over me, I Sprang up to find the sleeve of 

 my hunting-coat well on fire, and a lively and repeated 

 stamping only made that enemy of my apparel and sleep 

 go down". Thirst again overcame sleep, and a second visit 

 was made to the lake. After this another partridge was 

 introduced to the fire in the sarin; manner as before men- 

 tioned, and at 2 o'clock on the morning of Nov. 3d I left 

 my lire and bv the aid of the nioon took a course to the 

 east. I had thus far supposed myself upon the same 

 chain of lakes, and thought if I only could reach the 

 nexi lower lake I would find camp. Had been traveling 

 about one hour when my dog gave voice, an unusual 

 thing for a clumber spaniel, and I moved up in the hope 

 of meeting something worthy of buckshot ; but before 1 

 had proceeded far, the dog returned to me rubbing bis 

 face upon the leaves. I found some hedgehog's quills in 

 his lip., which I soon removed. Pushing on Eorneafly an 

 hour 1 concluded to try my voice, in the hope that some 

 one might be within sound and answer. True enough, 

 there came au answer ; but such a yell ! I was startled 

 above measure ; and while in the attempt to fix the 

 character of my respondent, a yell deeper and more 

 thrilling than the fust came, and my mind was then 



busily engaged in settling the. question as to length of 

 claws, tooth, kind of fur which this monster must pos- 

 sess, when again came this unearthly veil, so frightful 

 Ibis time that I left the thought of "animals, claws and 

 teeth, believing that nothing under the heavens could 

 Bend out such tremendous screeches — the last always 

 more hellish than the former— but a screech owl. 



At 4 o'clock the moon settled down, leaving the woods 

 dark, and I built a fire and rested until dawn, continuing 



east by stars and sun. Finding a road, 1 followed 



the same proved to be a corduroy built for the most part 

 over the brook, though in some places the brook was over 

 corduroy. This terminated in an awful swampy bog, near 

 the lake evidently, though I was disappointed in not- 

 seeing the lake, and was obliged to retrace my steps, 

 which cost me a hard walk of several miles. In this deep, 

 dark swamp I found a deer path, which I followed for a 

 mile, corning upon higher swamp laud. Here 1 climbed 

 a tree, and from the top, which was only reached after 

 great effort. I beheld a great swamp of spruce woods 

 with a ridge of hardwood far in the distance on either 

 hand. Descending, I changed my course to the south, 

 and after a very long tramp I passed over the ridge of 

 land in the hope of finding the lake. Upon the side of 

 the ridge, at 11.30 A.M., I came Upon an old camp more 

 than fifteen years old. I halted to roast a grouse and rest ; 

 water was at hand, and myself and dog both showed signs 

 of great fatigue. The grouse devoured, I wrote a notice 

 upon some birch bark : — 



I am lostl for God'saake find me— 



dating and signing same. All of the day, so far, I had 

 left trails as plain as possible, well knowing that my 

 friend Benson would never quit the woods without 

 ridingB of me in some fonu. I had fully comprehended 

 my situation, my chance of finding my way out, of be- 

 ing found, and "of remaining and wandering about in 

 this meat wood for weeks, and finally, when all else 

 should fail me for food, of eating mv" faithful spaniel, 

 and of the awful death by starvation if all should fail 

 finally. It was not a frivolous question, and no smile 

 overcame my countenance as I sat in the sun bv the fire 

 that day. Here let me say. that in years past I had in- 

 vested in my own wares, in life insurance policies, to the 

 amount of $£6,006, and remembering my wife and chil- 

 dren, in view of my condition, it was a' source of con- 

 solation to me t hat" provision was made for them in the 

 event of the worst before me. 



About 12,30 1 reluctantly left the old camp, and within 

 an hour came to a wood road which had the appearance 

 of having been used within two years by lumbermen. 

 The road led me from my course westerly, but I resolved 

 to follow, and, if possible, get sight of the lake, trudg- 

 ing along with eves upon the ground to pick out good 

 footing, and thus' save the wear and joggle of the hody 

 as much as possible. Reader, imagine my joyful sur- 

 prise when, casting my eyes tip and forward, I beheld 

 two men. A moment told me they were lumbermen, in 

 the act of hewing a sled bar. Walking up to the nearest 

 man I said with much feeling; — 



"If I was ever thankful to see the face of mortal man, 

 it is to see yours." 



tie gave me such a look that I at once told him my 

 story. He invited me into his logging cam]) just at hand", 

 making tea for drink and giving me plenty to eat. My 

 heart was light, and so full of joy and 'thankfulness that 

 I could eat but very little then, To mv tost quet 



Wll£ 



"How can 

 plied, "By 

 This wash 

 since I wa; 

 friends ree 

 1 1 us plan v 

 Moore, pr 



I?" he answered, "On Scraggiy Lake." 

 I return to West Musquash Lake ":-" He re- 

 Iftko, ten miles ; and thirty by wagon road." 

 ideed interesting news, but all was bright now 

 5 no longer lost in the woods. My newly formed 

 ommended a return by water principally, and 

 ,-as adopted as most feasible. The two brothers, 

 iprietors of the camp, agrei d to accompany me 

 as far as the house of Dock Wooster, on Pleasant Lake. 

 About 4.30 o'clock the canoe was carried from Junior 

 Lake across to Scraggiy Lake, say a mile, and three of 

 us, with the dog, all in the canoe, went the length of that 

 long lake, arriving at Cedar Rapids Carry at dark, and 

 as the Messrs* Moore did not have knowledge of the carrv 

 we did not find the path. After an hour spent in the 

 vain effort to find even a passage by the stream, about 

 and in whirh we floundered, we gave the ease up for the 

 night, built a lire, went into the woods, and with the aid 

 of an ax constructed a bueh camp and made B huge fire, 

 which was kept bright all night. The night was cold and 

 snowy, and notwithstanding fire and camp we suffered 

 much ; myself much more than on the previous night 

 without any shelter — the -weather had been growing 

 colder. 



On the morning of Nov. 4th we left camp at light. 

 Some snow had fallen, and the day was dark and disa- 

 greeable. The guides took the canoe upon their shoulders 

 and on we went. It seemed a very long distance, and I 

 felt as though we were turning too" much to the left, but 

 I did not offer any suggestions, since I had thus far 

 proved myself the lost man. A mile brought us to tho 

 lake, and soon the canoe was launched, all stowed away 

 and away we went. We had proceeded about two miles 

 when one brother said to the other : "Gideon, we are on 

 Scraggiy Lake." Landmarks soon convinced Gideon that 

 his brother was right, and about we turned, I was care- 

 ful not to make any unpleasant remarks about this mis- 

 take, feeling that I was in their hands, Again we landed, 

 and the brothers took the canoe up with a will, not 

 allowing it to go down until launched in the waters of 

 Pleasant Lake, about one mile. This mistake on the part 

 of the guides will be fully appreciated when it is known 

 that these men had for years lumbered upon these very 

 waters. At Pleasant Lake more trouble presented itself; 

 the wind was blowing squally, and with three men, dog, 

 gun and ax in our birch, I did not deem it prudent to 

 attempt to cross the lake, therefore we skirted Die shore 

 until the wind had less rake, and then shaped our course 

 to the landing in front of the house of Dock Wooster. 

 Walking up the landing, I saw a large, tall man, with 

 close out features, fine blue eyes, and Tight hair reaching 

 to his shoulders. To him I said : "lam one of Ihe lost 

 tribe of the children of Israel." Comprehending at once 

 my situation, he took me into his log-house, where 1 met 

 bis wife anii eight children. Here 1 got thawed out (for 

 ice was upon all in the birch), something for no, 

 guides to eat, and paid them well for conveying me to 

 Wooster'e. About 10 o'clock Dock Wooster announced 

 himself ready, and by canoe took me to a point in the 



