|Nov 9, 1883. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



285 



"About three, I guess." 



"All Tight, here 18 another One. I suppose some of thwm 

 Boston feUows with their split bumboo $80 fish pole would 

 laugh at, us catching trout with an alder pole six feet lone: 

 will i worms for bait But 1 tell you, Bill, them city chaps 

 are splendid fishermen while they are tipped hack 'in their 

 chain Smoking a sagar in the club house. If they can get 

 any more fins, feathers or fur, especially if the fur is moose 

 fur, they have got to stop on a bog all night, and don't, you 

 forget if. flow many trout hare we got?" 



"1 have dressed seven and there are four more." 

 "All right, and here comes another one. Kill, build a fire 

 right here, and we will have a frying pan of them speckled 

 beauties for dinner. I wish 1 cCulel holler loud enough to 

 make my brother Hod hear, I would tell him I was eating 

 f rout, He lives in Lynn, Mass. lie is an awful lad with a 

 fish pole. I have known him to wade all day and tish and 

 not get a bite, go home all tuckered out arid dream of big- 

 pickerel, and pull nut the next day, gritty as a chaw of tO' 

 hacco rolled in the saud, for another wade around the same 

 bike. T\Iy pluck don't hang on under such circumstances. 

 Come, Bill, there is two rnorc for you to eat and you are 

 done. All right, pack them up; we shall find use for them. 

 I like cold trout. Now we will go over to the meadow. It 

 is most four o'clock. By the time we get tea it will be lime 

 to call. I guess we will have better luck than we did last 

 night. 



"Come, Bill, hurry up and get that tin pail full of water 

 and I will cut a bush; now, step in mv track. Here is a 

 good place: I will stick the bush in this knoll. The wind is 

 all died down, and it is one of the nights made on purpose 

 for calling moose*. Now, Bill, if you hear anything don't 

 siug out loud the way you did last nitrht. Wouqh! wottstft! 

 wwjh! Now listen: Boo! too! ItoohoooM There is another 

 devilish owl. They say everything is made for the best; I 

 should like to know what they are good for. 1 tried to cat 

 one once with little Jim Muse, when we were over on 

 Tusket River exploring, and he was a little the toughest eat- 

 ing I ever experienced. Wal, here is a, try again. This 

 horn does not. exactly suit me; Wough! wough! trough! Now 

 listen: Boo! lwo! hoohoofta! I will kill every owl I see 

 after this. No moose to-night. Bill. There is a little air 

 drawing to the west, and that is bail: a moose goes to lei 

 ward if he liad to travel forty miles and swim across tt 

 Atlantic Ocean. 1 have had that game played on me mot 

 than once. I guess we will go into the' woods on that 

 spruce knoll and build up a fire and have a regular old- 

 fashioned smoke. I guess we will go over to the Northeast 

 Stillwater to morrow night, f am going to sleep and not 

 get up to-morrow morning until the sun has taken all the 

 iiew off the grass." 



"Come, .Mr. Mayo, ain't you going to get up? Breakfast 

 is ready." My gracious, it'is seven o'clock; I don't wonder 

 I slept souud : *it is the first nap I have bad since 1 left Bear 

 River Bridge, with both eyes shut. Bill, what have you got 

 for breakfast? , 



"Pilot bread, tea. trout, butter, sugar, candles and 

 soap." 



"I shouldn't think by the looks of your face you had soap 

 for breakfast." 



"1 haven't been to breakfast yet." 



"I thought you had, Bill; 1 saw you chewing some- 

 thing." 



"That was tobacco." 



-•'You do beat the devil; a boy fifteen years old and your 

 hash-trap full of tobacco before' breakfast. Well, Bill, I am 

 geing where there is moose tracks before I settle down to 

 call another night. We will go back to the Mississippi and 

 follow the Maitlaud road east" then strike for the old burnt 

 laud. I can see the Stillwater." 



"Are you going to catch some more trout?" 



"I guess not; we shall not want any heavier load to oarry. 



"Just look hero, Bill. Who has been along here in the 

 grass? I will bet it is John lies and old 'Squire Billy Har- 

 ris, lies told ine old Mr. Harris wanted him to go" with 

 him. It looks as though six or eight men had gone up the 

 meadow. I am getting all wet with the dew on the bushes 

 and grass. I guess we had better stop here aad wait about 

 an hour until the sun dries the grass. Hark! hark! What 

 is that noise? Listen. It sounds like some one getting into 

 a boat with oars. I will bet it. is old man Harris and his 

 crew that made the tracks we saw up tke.meadow. Let us 

 go down to that little cove and look across to the landing- 

 place and see who it can be. Now, Bill, step in mv tracks 

 and we will go easy. Just look. There is lies, o'ld man 

 Harris, Bill Henshaw, and five or six more. Just wait a 

 minute until 1 untie my moose horn from my belt, and I 

 will make lies think there is a moose out here sure. Hugh! 

 bugh! bugh! Just look. lies has grabbed Ids gun and is 

 getting out of the boat. Bugh! bugh! bugh! He has taken 

 off his shoes aud is making motions to the rest of his crew 

 to keep still and not get out of the boat. See him creep 

 along on the rocks snug down to the water. I guess it 

 won't do to let him come any further; he might shoot one 

 of us; so I will sing out at him. "Don't you shoot this 

 way. you old seed you. Ha! ha! ha! ha! 'I thought, you 

 was an old moose hunter, John. 1 did not suppose a, green- 

 horn like one could fool an old moose caller. Hullo." boys. 

 How do you do, Mr. Harris? Where are you all going?"' 



"We are bound home. We was up 1 6 the head of this 

 long meadow last night, but, did no!, get anything." 



"What are you going home for? J think to-night will he 

 a good night." 



"Oh, wal, old Mr. Harris wants to go, so we must, go to 

 please him." 



"John, suppose you stop with Bill and me, and let them 

 take the boat and go." 



"NOW, Mr. Mayo, I want, to tell you what a time we had 

 last night. We went to the upper end of that meadow and 

 all sat down under a big hackmatack tree and I commenced 

 calling bul got no answer, and the rest began to get their 

 blankets over them, and I took my gun aud climbed up 

 most to the top, and I could see all over the meadow, and I 

 had not set there more than fifteen minutes before I saw a 

 moose come out of the woods away up on the right-hand 

 side of the. meadow, and he was coming right, straight for 

 us (now don't, you know if you had been with me we would 

 got that moose) and then I heard old man Harris commence 

 to snore in his sleep, and then I dropped one of my shoes 

 down to signal them to stop their noise, aud it struck old 

 man Harris right on his nose, and he yelled out as loud a, 

 be could bawl, and away weid, I he moose. And then I got 

 down, and the old man's nose bled like a butclir-r." 



"I guess it was not, a very high tree." 



"Oh, yes, I was up as much as thirty feet." 



"Now, lies, I always thought you' would lie, and now I 

 know you will. Any man that would tell me that one of 



those shoes could fall thirty feet, and strike a man on the 

 nose when he was fiat on his back and not have his head 

 broke, is a little loo thin entirely." 



•■Wal. you can believe it or not, it is a faot." 

 "lies. 1 am bound to have a moose before I leave these 

 woods." 



"We cau get one just, as well as not if wo only think so 

 and meal business." 



"So I say, and I should like to go over to that big bog when; 

 Morehouse and I got that big moose." 



"Now, don't you know, I believe we can go up to the 

 upper end of the meadow where I saw that moose last 

 night and call him back." 



"It it no use to try that moose, he is more than ' ties 



off before this time, but we might get, another one. " 

 "Mayo, let us try it anvwayi" 

 "All" right." ' " ' 



'Now, don't you know, Mr. Mayo, if you had been with 

 me we might have got that moose just as well as not." 



"It is going to be a nice night to 'call, not a cloud in the- 

 sky and the wind is all dying out. Now, lies, you do the 

 calling to-night, and it you get an answer just call me. and 

 1. will get. old Sweepstakes out and down his house. lies, I 

 don't have any faith in this place." 



"Now. don t you know I am going to have an answer the 

 first time T try tin's horn." 



"Heie, here, Bill! put out that match, you must not 

 smoke while we are out here on the bog." 



"Why not?" 



"Because a moose would smell it four miles to windward 

 and forty to leeward." 



"Mayo, Mayo, coine wake up." 



"Is there a moose cowing?" 



"No. I think we had better go into that burnt land aud 

 build a lire, Bill's most froze." 



"1 have had quite a nap, it is almost two o'clock, you see 

 all around that side is burnt and a thick hedge of green 

 alder skirts the neeadow. We can go just behind those 

 alders, and if we hear anything on the meadow we cau creep 

 through the alders and not be seen. Oh, this is a nice place 

 to build a lire; plenty of old burnt wood to si art a lire with. 

 What i* that noise? Just look. John is sound asleep 

 and snoring. Bill, roll him over five or s ; x times and make 

 him stop that noise. Wal, wal. I declare Bill is gone to 

 sleep too. I guess they watched for the moose all night. 

 Probably he thought lie would shoot the raoosa wMJSe I was 

 asleep, but I am rather inclined to think Sweepstakes would 

 speak if a moose should come out on the hog. 



The sun is just coming up in sight; it is a splendid morn- 

 ing. If they will sleep now without snoring, I will sit here 

 by" this little fire and listen for game. There is something 

 very fascinating in the grand old forest, especially when you 

 know there is large game in the vicinity, and you have old 

 Sweepstakes by your side. There, I hear some kind of a 

 noise on the meadow and peak through the alders. What 

 in the world is that? there is something in the brook coming 

 down this way. 1 cannot see the animal, hut whatever it 

 is, it is catching hold of the bushes, aud slapping them down 

 into the water. It must be a bear wading down the brook, 

 driving the trout down where the water is very shallow, so 

 he can catch them. I will run out aud sit in the tall grass, 

 and when he gets close to me I will let. old Sweepstakes 

 speak to him." Now, Mr. Bruin, come on; I am all ready 

 to receive you with a hearty welcome. Here he comes 

 around the turn in the brook; down goes that alder hush 

 slap into the water on this side; down goes them hardhocks 

 on the other side. What a splashing noise this still morning. 

 0, ray, it is not a bear but two otters driving the tish down 

 this way. AYhat scooting aud scampering. I have got to 

 fire at them on the jump ; so here she goes. Both otters 

 west to the bottom, and I could see them scooting under 

 water faster than I could get through the tall grass and 

 brush lip the brook, the way they came. 



"Say, Mayo, what did you fire at?" 



"I heard the greatest splashing in the brook up the meadow 

 vou ever ieard, and thought it was a bear, but it was two 

 otters." 



"Why didn't you lull them?" 



"O my, they was on the jump so I could not get a bead on 

 them. That is the first time I ever saw otters on a spree like 

 that. They were bound for a fish dinner, if there were any 

 in the brook." 



"I declare lies and Bill are asleep again. All right as long 

 as they don't snore, I wish I could get. another crack at them 

 otters" There, I hear something in the water down by that 

 old lower dam. I will creep down there. I will bet it is 

 another otter. 1 see him now; it is a muskrat. 1 run draw 

 a fine bead on vou." 



"What, did you fire at another otter?" 



"No, it was a muskrat. Bill, bring me one of them long- 

 burnt poles from that bumf land.^ go I can fish him out 

 Now, William, you get. a kettle of water aud make some tea. 

 and we will have breakfast," 



"Mayo, that is a nice muskrat skin. What are you going 

 to do with the hindquarters of that muskrat ?" 



"1 am going to eat it, 



''What, eat a rat? 



"Yes, sir: a muskrat is just as nice as can be. After T roast 

 this you taste it and see." ' 



"No, sir; you don't, get, any of that stuff down my neck." 



"lies, this is nice eating. There, ;i have ate both them hind- 

 quarters, except (hat piece here; try that, Bill." 



"No, I thank you." 



"Here, just taste it. you don't, know how good it is." 



"No, sir, it would uiake mo throw up mv breakfast." 



"You are as dainty a set of hunters as ever I got acquainted 

 with; cannot eat a nice piece of nmskrat, welT cooked, with 

 butter, salt and pepper on it, I wish you had been with my 

 chum and me iu Wisconsin. We lived three days on porcu- 

 pine without anything with it; not a mite of salt nor a dish 

 to cook it in. I guess if you could have had a piece of this 

 rat than } r ou would have eaten it without finding fault," 



"Mayo, how is it? I hear vou and Bill met a moose last 

 fall most out, to Clark's." 



"Don't meutfotl it, That did almost kill me, Bill. I was 

 going home from Mack aud Welsh Camp. When I started 

 I thought I would take George ilayo's little shotgun, think- 

 ino- 1 shou'id not see-any game, only partridge. When we 

 got about a mile from Clark's I saw some large animal coin- 

 ing into the road about twenty rods ahead of us; T thought 

 first it was a horse. Bill was in his shirt sleeves and had on 

 a. red shirt. I slopped, and Bill came behind me, and Bays: 

 'What is that in the road? " 



"1 said, 'That is a five-year-old moose. Bill, get right be- 

 hind me. and look over my shoulder, and don't move one 

 mite, nor wink, nor breathe, but stand just as still as a 

 stump,' and 1 commenced saying: 'Oh, dear! oh, dear! if I 



had only taken the rifle! Oh, dear! Bill, have you got a bullet?' 

 'No.' -Oh, dear! have you got a small knife that lean get into 

 this gun? Oh. dear' i wish I had an iron ramrod. Oh, 

 dear! I wish I could see. a stone that would go into this. Uh, 

 dear! see him coming right, up to us — he is not more than 

 fen rods fiom us. Don't, be frightened, BUI. Keep still! 

 keep still! Oh. dear! If I had only taken the ride. Oh, 

 dear! if I had some coarse shot! There! he leea lis, Just 



look. 1 never had such a nice etrinee to Mill I -in 



my life. Oh, dear, oh! Thi re ti B On the walk, .lust 



look. I could shoot him a dozen times with the rillc.' 1 tell 

 you what, it is, lies, thai bar;, imtbad. 1 don't, believe 1 

 shall everget over that, if I live to be a, hundn 

 1 never want to get eatched in that, situation aga 

 rather ask a woman to be my wife and have h 

 right out loud. Yes, sir — 

 How far is it over thcr 

 nine o'clock. Li I a go 

 dark. You might a? ■■■■ e 

 the best, one, and we only 

 travel iu, lies, 

 this skunk-spi 

 ■No. thi. 



r.i and 1 



[I years old, 



in." I should 



irsay, -No,' 



oi", l" would. 



It is only 



eady before 



throw this horn away; mine is 



ant one. This is a hard place to 



et then- Without going through 



all 



Can't 

 ucc bog?" 



the nearest way to go there." 



"Oh thunder, lies, it you"hadn't held onto that limb as 

 you did it, would have killed me. It switched back and 

 took me right across the eyes. Here is a brook; suppose 

 we stop here and get dinner?*" 



"All right, I will get dinner to-day if you two will wait 

 upon me, 



"Yes we will." 



"Bill, you gel some wood and start tt fire. lies, you get out 

 that three-quart pail, rinse if But. aud fill it full of" clean 

 water." 



•■Ami what are you going to do?" 



"Me. I am going to get dinner. What have you got there, 

 ■.!,■,':" 



"It is white loaf sugar Now r , don't you know, Mr. 

 Mayo, that is just, the best stuff to cany in' the woods with 

 you and eat when you are traveling to keep you Jrom being 

 faint aud hungry?" 



"What have you got in that other bag?" 



"That is brown sugar." 



"Wal, lies, you are a brick with a gilt edge; two kinds of 

 sugar, two kinds of cake, butter end doughnuts out here in 

 the woods. I don't wonder .you weigh SoOpounds, especially 

 if you do not work any better for other folks than you did 

 for me when I took the leather for a pair of boots to your 

 shop, and it took you six weeks to make one pair. O It, 'yes, 

 that is all right, I "forgot that, was a part of a cobbler's trade. 



"Come, it won't do for us to lay here and smoke too long, 

 for we might not hit that bog, anil haveto hunt, for it, so let 

 us be moving. After abouUwo hour's travel we came to a 

 large bog; it, was dry and we would siukiuto the moss about 

 six inches. 



• 'lies, let's go over to that large rock where those trees are, 

 a regular island in the middle of the bog." 



■AH right." 



'Now, lies, you call, as you have got nothing but an old 

 shotgun, and if a moose shows himself in this bog, down 

 comes his house." 



"Mayo, how much does that old rifle, or Sweepstakes, as 

 you call it, weigh?" 



' Tt weighs just fifteen pounds. Compiles, get that moose- 

 horn out and sound the joyful noise, because there is to be 

 a moose jubilee here to-night. The sun is set, and not a 

 cloud in the. sky." 



"Ail right, Mayo, here she goes. I am going to call and 

 get an answer the first time. Now don't you know it is 

 just such a night as it was when Jim Morehouse audi 

 killed that big moose? Now don't you know that is just 

 the same old shotgun that I shot him with?" 



"Don't call too loud the first time, lies. Wough! trough! 

 wouM Now listen. Oh, Bill, stop that coughing." 



"I could not help it; I got a piece of tobacco down my 

 throat," 



"Here, stick your head under that blanket there." 

 Mayo, how long has it been since I called?" 



' ' Ju 



linutes; try it again: Wough! trough ! 

 '•ugh .' it is no use, lies, we should get 



"L'sten; I heard something." 



"Yes; there, did you hear that?" 



"Yes." 



-Bugh! lltff&t b'Hjii! Yes, sir, that is the old fellow him- 

 self; he is we v over on that hardwood ridge at the other 

 side of this hog. There, he has Stopped to listen. Hold 

 on, lies, don't call yet; wait twenty minutes sure: now, try 

 him again, lies, and call loud, just as though there was not 

 a moose within forty miles ol iis: Wough! trough! w-o-u-g-h! 

 wough! trough! There, listen, he is knocking 'down an' old 

 dry tree. Sere it fall, Holy Moses what, a noise | There 

 he' is coming on again. Hear his horns strike the trees, 

 lies, just look at Bill, he trembles worse that the wood- 

 chuck when old Dime had him by the back of the neck. 

 You need not be frightened Bill, old Sweepstakes will slop 

 him. My soul, what a noise!! should think the whole 

 woods was corning down. He is coming- like a war horse. 

 There he is; what a pair of horns! my, what a buster be is' 

 Keep down Bill, and keep still as long as he is coming 

 straight for us. lies, isn't he a beauty; those shanks belong 

 to me. lies." 



"Now, don't you know that is counting your chickens be 

 fore they arc hatehed?" 



"So, lies, just as soon as 1 lire you stand right up and let 

 him have it. He never will get. off Ike bog alter I lire; but. 

 the safest way is just as good as any. These, he is near 

 enough, and I am going to let Sweepstakes speak to him." 

 Bang I 



"1 don't see him, Mayo, where has he gone?" 



"There he is, don't vou see him, lies, out there to the left 

 about ten rods; he has turned tail to us and stands still. 

 Bang! there he is yet, standing there: load soon as yon can ; 

 hurry up there, he is down; you need not hurry any more, 

 he is" our meat, sure. Here, Bill, keep away from that 

 moose, or you will get knocked over." 



"Why. isn't he dtid?" 



"We don't know that, yet.,1 guess I will cut his throat and 

 the blood out of him. lies, that moose knocks thi' ;ii i I 

 of that one you and Morehouse killed, don't It? Now. don't 

 you know it?" 



"Just about the same, only this one's horns spread a little 

 wider." 



"Now, boys, its eoon to that knoll right there and build 

 up a big fire! anil roast that moose's shin bones and suck the 

 marrow out, It is the first thing old moose hunters do after 

 the moose is dressed. Come, turn out, it. is all daylight; we 

 will try a moose.steak and then pack up our duds for home. 



