86 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[August 81, 1883. 



track, larger than one scarce ever Bees, and I knew its maker 

 mus! be a famous member of its race. If T could secure him 

 it would crown my hunting with satisfaction; but such 

 bucks arc much more secure in hand than when afoot in the 

 v. nods, I pursued on his track with animation and a sharp 

 lookout, and the old fellow led me a deviout course and long 

 among and over longs and around masses of tree tops, then 

 he dived Into the standing timber among the hemlocks, 

 Crooked about, returned to the edge of the slashing, his gen- 

 eral course luckily taking me in a home direction. He 

 apparently maintained a steady walk and seeme:. to be look- 

 ing 101 compa.iy. He could "not be far ahead, but I was 

 disgusted with the crooked and villainous course betook 

 me," through difficult places, amid and over obstructions, 

 besides he would shortlv pass to thick and continuous forest 

 where my chance.-, with him would be lessened. I desired to 

 turn aside to the locality of the numerous tracks, where 1 

 thought lay my best chances for success, and I abandoned 

 his track and all hopes founded on his capture. 



And just here lei me introduce a woid about the rifle with 

 which] was doing my northern hunting — a muzzle-loader, 

 weighing' seven and a half pounds, made by thHt eminent 

 gunsmith the late Win. Billinghurst, 28-inch barrel by 

 Remington, percussion pill lock, the conical ball, which 'I 

 generally useoL weighing ninety-nine grains, behind which I 

 put fifty-four grains" of powder— a very neat gun, which, for 

 accuracy, penetration and effectiveness as a hunting gun, 

 I never have seen surpassed, f.nd with which I have tumbled 

 over more than the half of thirty deer on a single trip. 



My final hopes of success were now bounded by a very 

 narrow compass. I turned abruptly toward the beech and 

 . hemlock and just off its borders halted to look and listen, as 

 was my habit to do every few rods or steps, when I sud- 

 denly discovered a deer ahead with head raised and staring 

 wildly at me. It stood, apparently, close on the further 

 side of a large pine log which lay no great distance away, 

 and all but the head, neck and fore edge of shoulders 

 covered by the butt end of an elevated overturned tree. 

 Never sha'll I forget the strikingly dark color, gazelle-like 

 attitude and look of this deer/ .i picture Audubon would 

 have coveted. The view was open, not a branch inter- 

 vened, and I slowly and cautiously brought up my rifle lest 

 that wild figure should be startled too soon, which 1 more 

 than half expected it would. But I did not consume un- 

 necessary moments, and when the rifle rang out the deer 

 sprang away, keeping in view for a few rods but making no 

 special sign" of being hit. Ball in guii, I hurried forward 

 fuel over the log to see the track und note the evidence of 

 result, But to' my surprise I could not find it, and was 

 puzzled, when I struck off apparently out of all proper 

 bounds and ten rods further on fouud it, near to twenty-five 

 rods from where 1 cad fired. Very often is the hunter thus 

 deceived in the distance at which he estimates this game at 

 the first glance, which is riveted to the game aud fails to 

 take considerately the measure of the intervening space. 

 Barely a trace of "blood showed where the deer first started. 

 but after two or three rods his course, on the side upon 

 which he received the ball, was marked by one almost com- 

 plete blood-stained and clouded sheet of snow nearly ten 

 feet in width. A fierce and continuous torrent had beei 

 spirted out for several feet, which, rapidly spreading in tin 

 soft snow, had greatly enlarged the display, and this tre- 

 mendous show of" blood continued into the timber, where 1 

 found the deer stretched lifeless about a dozen rods from 

 where he was shot. Evidently he had gone down hard, for 

 his last two or three jumps plainly showed that he had hard 

 work to keep on his course, he having plunged about fear- 

 fully. Alas! fleet courser, his days in the woods were 

 over. 



The shot was a very accurate one. the ball entering the root 

 of the neck obliquely at the edge of the shoulder, cutting the 

 great artery upon that side not far from the heart, and it 

 was this that spouted out the life current so fast and far. 1 

 returned over his course to view again the astonishing sight 

 of blood, which I had never seen equalled. 



Until 1 came to the deer lying 1 thoughtit a doe, butl now 

 saw that I had a princely buck, three or four years old. On 

 account of the distance and the dark color of hia antlers 

 blending with the forest a few rods beyond, I had not seen 

 them. Pulling off my coat and rolling up asleeve, I quickly 

 had him dressed for hanging from some tree, for safety, 

 until I could send for him. The job was a much neater one 

 than usual, for all the blood had run out of him. It was 

 ever a difficult affair for me to hangup a deer, my strength 

 being inadequate, but I never left the matter half done. A 

 huge overturned hemlock lav a. rod away, its roots filled with 

 soil and rising near ten loot high ; to one Of the little hemlocks 

 growing on it I bent and tied a neighboring tree, dragged 

 the deer up and tied him to it, cut the fastenings, and" the 

 ':-i-,- i; jjiiir ncd away to place, bearing the buck high and 

 safe from all four-legged prowlers of the woods. "Whdc 

 tugging away on the top of the root with the deer a rifle was 

 fired, seemingly but a very short distauceaway, in the woods 

 below me. which I regarded with suspicion. From my ele- 

 vated position I might be being sighted for game and I 

 hailed, but received" no response, and, singularly, no after 

 evidence indicating the presence of any one. 



ll was now neartO sunset; 1 had but one short hour of 

 further opportunity, aud 1 promptly proceeded to improve 

 it. Anyway, 1 was now secure against that miserable feeling, 

 the sting of failure. Some good ground lay in my direct 

 route homeward, and in that line I set forth at a pretty rapid 

 walk. Presently I was passing through a slightly lower 

 tract of woods where the evergreens were chiefly scattered 

 firs and the traveling a little, difficult from frequent over- 

 turnecl otd frees, mostly the never decaying evergreens, sup- 

 ported by their stiff and now stubbed branches well up from 

 the ground, und which stuck out at you like spikes of steel 

 in every direction. The track of the big buck had proceeded 

 this way, and I was not unmindful of an eye for him. I had 

 just climbed noiselessly over one of these spiked trees and 

 left it a rod or two behind when a glance on my left startled 

 me with the vision of half the broadside of a deer of such 

 dimension-; that 1 instantly knew it must be the great buck. 

 I could see his body from about the last ribs back to his 

 hips, through a cluster of leafless ash, beyond and beside 

 which he stood, the rest of him being masked by the trees. 

 He W8S evidently standing on the lookout, his vision ob- 

 scured to the danger, and within four rods of me. Heavens! 

 said I to myself, if he will but give me a. moment. I am oc- 

 cupying time and space in describing, but. when I saw that 

 sight my onward moving foot was instantly set down, my 

 rifle quietly but immediately came around, my body cau- 

 tiously turned to the proper face, and with aim to get the 

 ball as far forward as the trees would allow, my rifle cracked 

 aud the buck instantly but heavily, like the movements of 

 all large animals, jumped away, I" saw him for a few jumps, 



when he was lost to view, but I listened attentively to the 

 sound of his running and marked well the direction till it 

 died away, for the scant snow on some grounds and the 

 shadows of evening now at hand, might render his pursuit 

 difficult. I noted that he had an injured look and hugged 

 his tail, the last an unerring symptom of serious injury. 



Putting aside my usual caution to instantly load, I went 

 at once to his track and examining his first one or two jumps 

 a slight trace or two of blood. The old fellow when I 

 approached was lying beside the cluster of ash. as his bed in 

 the snow plainly told, and hearing my coining had arisen 

 and received the ball before moving further or seeing his 

 pursuer. He bad turned aside into this unfrequented spot 

 to rest for an early nocturnal ramble, and I had happened to 

 meet him. Thus accidents, withom the. power of care to 

 avoid, are ever happening along the course of every life. 



My gun loaded, i took up his track, going cautious and 

 looking sharp. I found scarce a half dozen traces of blood, 

 and these the merest trifles, aud feared the ball had not gone 

 forward of the intestines, in which case, unless some im- 

 portant vessel was cut, I would probably have to manage 

 well if 1 got him to-night, or even at alL I knew he had 

 lain down, and if not pretty "sick" would be wary of giv- 

 ing me another shot. Circumstances showed that'if he. was 

 bleeding it must be internal; the longer he laid the -tifferand 

 perhaps weaker he would get and the more disinclined to 

 move; therefore I must be careful ami had better not push 

 sharply, and I lingered for a little. 1 was yet on the road 

 of chance. But. the shadows of night were gathering fast, I 

 would soon be unable to pursue, and moved cautiously for- 

 'ard. 



I came upon him unexpectedly soon, a little more than 

 forty rods from where he received the shot. He was close 

 by when I first perceived him, lying down naturally in an 

 open space, his head up and turned from me, and expressed, 

 1 fancied, a sombre look, and I wondered I did not discover 

 him sooner. I judged he was badly off, and deferred action, 

 standing still and looking at him. Presently his head alter- 

 nately drooped and raised a little, and I slowly drew near 

 and stood beside him, with gun in readiness to' prevent his 

 escape or resist an onset should he attack. He was indeed 

 a noble deer, a giant among the foremost of his race. He 

 bore symmetrical antlers of five prongs, was massive, yet 

 elegant of build, and his hair was line. The noble monarch 

 of the woods had no pride now; he continued to droop and 

 then feebly bold up his head in the weakness and conscious- 

 ness of approaching dissolution. He was conscious of my 

 presence, his eye was yet undimmed, but his noble nature 

 manifested no fear nor'expression of revenge, even no recog- 

 nition of the presence of his mortal pursuer. I stood beside 

 him for some time, feeling deeply pity and remorse. But 

 inexorable night was deepening its shadows fast, aud, alas 

 1 shot him again to end the scene, dreading and shuddering 

 at the act. 



With all the haste I could exert, night had fully settled 

 before 1 was ready to hang him up, but the sky was cloud 

 less and a bright moonlight fell upon the 'dark, heavy 

 forest. I had hunted out a tree at the outset, selecting the 

 first good one 1 could find, which was a dozen rods away, 

 and now proceeded to bend it down for use. While 1 am 

 relating deer hunting I may as well tell it as it occurred. 

 My tree was a very tad and stiff beech, for this purpose, the 

 upper half of which had sometime been violently bent well 

 down to the earth by the fall of a large tree, and never but 

 partially reacted, but for which I would never have thought 

 of its subjugation. When I had climbed well up, the top 

 bent to the horizontal hut would not come down, and I 

 hung from its under side by my hands, dangling in a pre- 

 carious condition. If I advanced further and the tree did 

 uot go down I must lose my hold and drop, with a fai 

 chance for a broken limb, alone and afar in the woods in tin 

 freezing night, for I would not have strength in my arms to 

 retrace nor "to swing my feet up to assist; but, for a moment 

 only I hesitated and then took the venture, as so many times 

 before in the perils of life; and when I reached the extreme 

 top and continued to hang on, the tree reluctantly yielded, 

 slowly, slowly, until 1 tip-toed on the ground, and made it 

 fast to a small hemlock. By the hardest work, aided by 

 the snow, I drew the deer to the tree, and setting him up 

 with pulley and cord from my pocket, made him fast. 

 When the tree was loosed it sprang up, parting a strand, 

 but I luckily on the instant secured an additional cord, with 

 a pole lifted* and placed the top of the beech in the crotch of 

 a convenient tree, added the pole as a prop, and the buck 

 hung high and safe. 



I stood and contemplated him, noble game that he was, 

 and then turned to think about getting out of the woods. I 

 had not seen either clearing or highway since morning, and 

 did not know how far it was to the Sunnidale, or if any in- 

 fernal cedar swamp lay in my route. A single wolf had sent 

 forth his voice from the dark recesses of the woods, but what 

 was more grateful, a distant dog had for some lime main- 

 tained a watchful barking from some settler's cabin on the 

 Sunnidale, and I thought 1 would feel obliged if he would 

 continue and guide me until I got out of the woods, which 

 he fortunately did. Taking up my rifle, and examining my 

 compass to be sure of my course, I stood a few moments.aiid 

 with inexpressible pleasure contemplated and diank in this 

 wild passing sccre in Nature's life, and then set forward at 

 a brisk pace. I cast sharp looks into the shadows about me, 

 as I had while at work, for while one might adven- 

 ture thus for years without mishap from wild animals, 

 yet at any moment danger might come. But a short 

 time before and but a few miles "distant, a lumber hand 

 was set upon a few rods from camp by a lynx, which sprang 

 at his throat, aud the man, having no weapons, would have 

 been killed but for a companion v> ho came to his assistant 

 And the single wolf has sometimes attacked with vigor. 



When I was well along on my march a sudden view of 

 wdiat appeared to be a black bear of no inconsidertibl 

 dimensions, sitting up as if viewing my coming on, brought 

 me to a halt. It might be bear or stump, but with a deliber- 

 ate scrutiny it looked bear and nothing else; but if either, 1 

 was not sorry, although 1 would have preferred daylight for 

 the interview, and with rifle cocked I slowly approached. 

 But it was a stump, and I presently stepped into the Sunni- 

 dale with a light heart and buoyant pace. Lands and forest 

 glittered with the countless jewels of the frost king, the 

 handsome firs with their rich, dark foliage displayed their 

 svin metrical forms against the brilliant heavens, and earth 

 and sky were filled with an ethereal splendor unknown out 

 of a northern clime, as I went to-night from one of the last of 

 mv many hunts in this attractive northern laud; 

 J F. M. Wn,cox. 



Rochester, Mich; 



Remember It you wish to buy a fine gun and save money, go to C. 

 L. RTTZMANN.'M.i Broadway, itew York.— Adv. 



AN ELK HUNT IN THE 



"SPICY ISLE." 



HFJGrHO! What on earth do you mean by rousing me 

 at this unearthly hour, you born idiot, Harry V Don't 

 you know that I'm dead done?"' 



"Get up! get up! you lazy old scoundrel, the dogs are all 

 ready — Villeau has got Oscar fed, and morning tea is ready 

 ■so tumble upl tumble up!'' 



As Harry emphasized bis words by pulling the bed clothes 

 off and, seizing my lees, forcibly bringing me do;vn with a 

 dump on the floor, I had to get up, but by the time I was 

 awake and wakening thoughts brought, to "my mind that it 

 was a hunting morn, nothing more was required to drive 

 the cobwebs from my sleepy eyes, 



Into the tub, or rather small" swnnming bath, which is an 

 adjunct of all good Ceylon bungalows, a grand rub down. 

 and then into the dining-room, where ten as jolly planters as 

 ever drunk beer, sounded a loud "toot-toot" on the old horn, 

 "JuBt one more peg, old chappie," aud "Here's to the 

 health of them that's awa' in in the dear old country, " sat 

 round the festive board, the kerosene lamp struggling with 

 the light that was slowly b; ginning to dawn. Eggs, bacon, 

 bread and "hoppers," all the delicacies of a planter's morn- 

 ing tea, were being rapidly consumed, and the clatter of the 

 plates was drowned by the clatter of the tongues, as every 

 one "jawed" about his past, present or future hunts. 



"Ho, you don't! My dear Bill, that day you speak of 

 couldn't hold a candle to the day wo were out with the 

 Dikoya men. Finest sport I ever had." 



"Oh, you get away; why, they are the worst pack in the 

 island."" 



'Never mind Dikoya or any other pack," said I, "here's to 

 the beauties we are to follow this morning, and whose music 

 we will soon all dance or rather run to; so finish up, boys, 

 and then to see the darlin's brought out and Hey wily waly 

 oh !' to the jungle and pray Diana for a good elk and a Strong 

 elk, and may I be up first." 



"You! you old alderniauic being, you could only win a 

 donkey's race and make a good last."' 

 '•Never mind, let us be off." said I. 



What a glorious sight it was and one calculated to make 

 the blood tingle in your veins, and that feeling to creep 

 over you that the world was too sm- 11 to hold you and 

 have "a sort of longing just to give a bound away into space. 

 The morning was just dawning, ana away down in the 

 valleys the morning mist was just beginning to rise; the 

 delicious cool air laden with the perfume of the coffee then 

 in full blossom, aud with the hundred and one delicious 

 scents borne from the luxuriant vegetation from below ; 

 the voices of the coolies just arising and preparing the 

 morning meal, and the smoke slowly curling up from the 

 lines into the clear air — all made a picture only possible 

 in the tropics. And then came from behind the low 

 whimper of the noble hounds, and you felt indeed that you 

 could answer Mr. Malloeh in the affirmative, and that "life 

 was worth living," at any rate for that day at least. 



"Bring 'em round; bring 'em round, Velleyan, we're all 

 ready." There they come, scampering and bounding. 

 "Down! Oscar, old boy, down! down! Now Carpi! Ton 

 good old bitch, don't come pawing me; you'll get the elk 

 all right. I know you, you dear old lady; many the time 

 I've ' en you with those soft eyes that look so loving now, 

 for you think I have sugar. Yes, I've seen them light up 

 in anger and the devil flash out of them as those pearly 

 fangs of yours, old lady, fastened in the throat of your 

 quarry, but down just now!" Off we go! Right up through 

 the plantation, a gradient of about one in ten, and arrive 

 panting and blowing at the edge of the jungle, stop for a 

 moment's wreath and gaze upon as lovely a scene as ever 

 man's eyes feasted on. Hill and dale, dale and hill, all 

 clothed with the glories of a tropical vegetation as far as the 

 eve could sec. 



" Afar off, where the horizon dipped, we fancied we coidd 

 sec the sea, but it was only fancy. 



"Ready, Velleyan! Now then" put 'em in." 

 In we went Into the jungle. It was very dense, so 

 dense was the undergrowth that unless you struck an ele- 

 phant track or came on open ground, locomotion was almost 

 impossible, but we hit the right track, so kept evenly on our 

 way. It is really marvellous how the elk get through, but. 

 through they get, as you very soon fiud out if you have to 

 follow them. 



Presently there is a low tiny "wouf! wonf!" from Carpi, 

 then Oscar darts ahead, his tail well out, and that knowing 

 old nose of his that has tracked many of his foes to iheir 

 final doom. When the rest of the p;.ck see Oscar at it, they 

 know there is good business on. Oscar 

 puppy soon learns that when Oscar g 

 something in the wind, and it is their b 

 an extra strong sniff and find out what that sometb 



"Porrard away, lads! forrard!" And then breakson the still 

 that" music that has no equal. What organ. 



nd every 

 :s tongue there i's 

 nden duty to give 



morning a 



what orchestra, make* 

 cles tighten, and makes ; 

 look, as you stretch forwt 

 horseback, to see where it 

 a good pack giving tongue! 



•bl 



1 tingle and all your mus- 

 ey'es have that eager, hungry 

 whether you are afoot or on 

 :es from, than the first notes of 

 It may be wrong, but it's true. 

 iVs the nature of the beast. 



Then there was a rush It was now a case of the devil 

 take the hindmost, the one all powerful, all pervadicg 

 thought was to make the moat of your knowledge of the lay 

 of the land and if possible be in" at the death. "Tootle! 

 tootle!" away you all go. Down on 'your nose one minute 

 and on your back the next, tripping over creepers and gener- 

 ally coming to grief, but no shin barker is felt, no "dump" 

 is taken any account of, and you are up again aud off as 

 hard as you can. 



Now an elk, when be is first started, makes straight up hill 

 as hard as he can go. When he is pressed he makes a small 

 circuit, comes down again aud makes for water. There he 

 comes to bay. I knew the land pretty well, and so I rea- 

 soned that if he was a good strong ell he would make for a 

 certain point I knew of. and then, turning, come down to a 

 stream about a mile to my left; so 1 determined to make 

 straight for this stream and wait until I heard the music and 

 let that guide me. You see I am a little alderrnanic. Ar- 

 rived at the river a groat puff puff" behind, and tl;.: rubi- 

 cund face and beard of "old .lack," our worthy M. E. II.. 

 appealed QUt of the jungle. Dear old Jack, he has gone now 

 to the happy hunting grounds and joined the great majority 

 —captain of Rugby and prince of all good fellows, and one 

 of the noblest sportsmen that ever lived. 



He had the same idea of the route as I had, so he had 

 hardly got bis wind when just above us we saw a noble elk 

 bouno. out o* the jungle and land in a pool about, four feet 

 deep, and presently we heard the "yap, yap" of the beauties 

 in full cry behind. Both Jack and 1 scrambled up over the 



