Seftkmkeu 15, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



125 



garments and bis teeth ^battering while lie talked, and he 

 had much the appearance of a chicken Just rescued from a 

 pail of water, with drooping plumage and downcast air. 



After passing the descending pedestrians the Hawk party- 

 were soon on the summit of the mountain. Though some- 

 what fatigued, they were well repaid for all their trouble, 

 for at that moment the rain ceased, the clouds cleared away 

 and a more beautiful view was never seen from the top of 

 old Blue Mountain. 



Standing on its lofty summit they could overlook a terrific 

 storm in all its majestic grandeur, and hear the crashing 

 sound of the heavens artillery uud watch the lightning which, 

 in its zigzag course, seemed like some fiery monster writhing 

 in the last agonies of death. But as the storm passed off to 

 the cast Ihe parly were aroused from their revery by the 

 irrepressible William Prentis singing in a well-modulated 

 tone: 



" Now up, no" down, now iiisjti, now low, 

 We ponded through the rain, 

 A brltjliiorora happlertlme 

 May never conn: again." 



The party said they could count fifteen bodies of water 

 from the lop of the mountain besides all that had soaked 

 into tbeir garments. After a lunch and two hours' sunshine 

 they started for camp, which they reached in high spirits. 



With daily excursions and many adventures t > relate in 

 the evening, 'time passed pleasantly until the 15th of July, 

 when other duties claimed the attention of some of the ptrty 

 so they were forced to leave the scenes where they had 

 passed so many pleasant hours. The vacuum has since been 

 filled by Mr. Samuel Hawk, who presides at the head of his 

 bountiful table, and it appears tint all i hat will come may 

 come and partake of his hospitality. He remains in camp 

 until the last of August, when he leaves for the city, when 

 Wm. S. JTawk will do the honors of the camp, lie expects 

 to be joined by other friends Late in September the party 

 will break camp and start for Saranae Lake by the way of 

 Little Tunper Lake. I will by and by give you an account 

 of theii' trip. Sa.ra.nau Guide. 



Tilue Mountain Lair., Jug. 20. 



^Concluded Horn Page I960 

 A REMINISCENCE OF THE WAR. 



NOT waiting for further examination of Mr. Joslin's barn 

 or seeking to penetrate the mystery of the missing 

 mare, Kcnncr and I had ridden rapidly southeast for five 

 miles, hardly exchanging a word ; 1 did not feel at all like 

 talking. I was deeply chagrined at our failure to make the 

 capture and busy with my own thoughts as to how it all 

 came about. James Davis' mare was certainly in the barn 

 and so was his saddle, but was it he who took her away ? 

 Was it possible that we had been discovered ? Had he, while 

 in the house, even at that late hour, received an intimation 

 of the close proximity of an enemy and in desperate haste 

 lied? or had it all happened so ? Had he intended to go at 

 that, hour and done so, unconscious of his danger? And so, 

 Ihe moie I thought of it the more determined 1 became to 

 fathom the whole thing at an early day. 



We found a place to camp away back in the deep woods. 

 Having unsaddled and led our horses, we talked freely of 

 the night's work and matured plans for the morrow. In the 

 silence of the black woods we talked, ate our hard tack and 

 pork, not daring to build a fire, for we did not know but 

 some scouting parties might be lurking near. However, we 

 were accustomed lo this thing. Rolling up in our saddle 

 blankets, with a saddle for a pillow, we were soon lost to all 

 sound and sense. 



The sun was au hour high when we awoke. 



It was arranged we should part company there, Kenner to 

 go south and west and work north to Gallon's, but to keep 

 out of that place, gain all the information possible, then re- 

 turn to the command and report j 1 to strike the vicinity of 

 Bristo Station and thence work toward the Rappahannock, 

 cross as best I could and find the command, that is if it had 

 again crossed to the south side, which was hardly possible. 

 I kept steadily northeast, keeping sheltered by the woods, 

 traveling, as I had often done before, by compass. 



That night I discovered the enemy in considerable force at 

 Bristo Station, showing he had fallen back from near Cat- 

 lett's and was possibly alarmed that he might be surrounded 

 and captured. Resting my horse and »elf until about 2 

 o'clock a. m., I started to find our command; rode cautiously 

 until daybreak, then pushed rapidly on to cross the railroad 

 a couple of miles north of Oallett's. The position of the ene- 

 my's cavalry at Bristo caused me to take, to a certain degree, 

 niV back frail. 1 felt sure the Confederates had left the vi- 

 cinity of Oatlctt's, and if so Kenner would know this and 

 then if such wore the case, which was highly probable, why 

 could I not make a visit, if even a short one, and thus com- 

 bine pleasure with duty and at the same time know what I 

 was burning to know — why 1 had not captured the man who 

 rode JamesDavis' mare ? 



Riding along the edge of the woods back of Mr. Joslin's 

 house, I met the black man, Tom. I questioned him closely, 

 knowing I would get the truth. He had not seen James Da- 

 vis ; " fo' de Lawd Mars James hadn't done bin dar sens do 

 battle at Bristo." It was enough. 



I went directly to the house ; I entered and was greeted 

 warmly by all. The clock struck two ; I felt safe. 1 deter- 

 mined to spend the remainder of the afternoon and travel 

 that night toward the command. Yes, James had been there, 

 so Miss Lucy said ; had told them all about capturing me, 

 etc., " and," said Lucy, "he left here suddenly at about 1 

 o'clock night before last. He and I were sitting here by this 

 low talking. Suddenly he went to the door, quietly 

 opened it ami looked over toward the barn. Telling me to 

 wait a moment, he disappeared in the direction of the barn. 

 I could not imagine why he went to the barn unless it was to 

 look after his niare. I sat looking out toward the barn for 

 possibly ten minutes, when I heard the barn-yard gate open 

 and James crossed the road, leading 'Cora' and saying he 

 must go at once, fie rode away at a lively pace up the road." 



I held my peace. I did not tell them anything I knew, still 

 it was only a partial explanation. Ho came in the night 

 quietly and left iu the night suddenly. Tom had not seen 

 him at all. 



And now I conic to that part of these adventures, if so I 

 may call them, wherein the ending was as near as it could 

 have been without being a bloody tragedy. 



It had struck three. Mrs. Joslin and Lucy were in the 

 spring house, Mabel and I sat in the parlor. I was on a chair 

 facing the rear parlor door ('opening in the dining-room ) and 

 at the end of the piano ; Mabel sat on the piano-stool, facing 

 me almost, and slightly between me and the door. Suddenly 

 a, man's step sounded on Ihe dining-room tioor, and — James 



Davis stood in the doorway. The recognition wai instanta- 

 neous, mutual. Revolvers leaped in the air, accompanied by 

 an ominous clicking, aud we covered eich other almost at 

 the same time. 



" Yon are my prisoner, 11 I cried. 



Mabel gave one frightened look aud jumped between the 

 leveled pistols, crying, "Don't shoot: for Cod's sake don't 

 kill each other. Are you real men ? — are you gentlemen ? — 

 that you would dishonor witli blood the house that has wel- 

 comed you and sheltered you ?" It was all done in so few 

 seconds pistols were slowly lowered ; shame eameupnn us. 



" Have you friends with you ?" I asked of him. 



" No, sir." 



" Quits. T am alone also." 



Mabel seized my arm and Lucy, rushing in, seized Davis. 

 "Well, Mr. Dick," said he, "I reckon we are both cap- 

 tured." 



We shook hands. Like myself, Davis could not resist the 

 temptation of making a call at the Joslins'. Conversation 

 became general ; Davis and I declared a truce for twelve 

 hours and sat amicably at tea. And then he explained the 

 mystery. He saw the uncertain light i' 1 'he bam, thought at 

 first that the barn was on fire and went to examine. He 

 opened the small door almost in the rear of his horse, when 

 he distinctly heard some one leave the barn, or else come in. 

 He waited and listened a long time and, hearing nothing, de- 

 termined to go in and get his horse : said he did not fi el 

 right about the situation aud concluded to leave anyway. So 

 mutual explanations occurn d on both sides. We parted that 

 night with mutual good wishes and a warm grasp of the 

 hand. He took his way, I mine. 



Although I scouted through that country much after these 

 events, I never met him again. We both, by mutual con- 

 sent — a tacit agreement — did not visit Joslin's unless, indeed, 

 the forces of cither were near in goodly numbers. But I nev- 

 er forgot those good people and 1 lived to see the day when I 

 shot quail over ""Rett" and enjoyed the ho-pitalbies of the 

 house untrammeled by a war cloud. After the surrender and 

 when gentle peace had come, I spent many happy days as 

 their guest. 



James Davis lived to marry Miss Lucy. The last I knew 

 of them they were in West Virginia, doing well. But as for 

 myself— well, that tale cannot be told. "All's well that ends 

 well." It ended well and therefore must be well. 



DlOK SwiVELLER. 



Promo A as a Summer Resort— San Mateo, Pia., Sept. 

 9,—Mdito}' Forest and .Stream : Our weather iu Florida since 

 September came is very beautiful — mercury rarely above 00 

 degs. and seldom up to that point; pleasant, bright days, 

 with plenty of air stirring, splendid moonlight nighls, cool 

 and delightful. Never think of Florida as " proportionately- 

 hot" when you are "roasting." A letter received in early 

 summer from Central New York said, "Mercury nearly at 

 100 degs. What must it be with you ?" That same day it 

 was about 85 degs. with us. O. R. T. 



Sportsoien.'g Wives sliould not fail to purchase their Scissors frcm 

 c. i. Kftzmanu, 'its Broadway-, New yorjt,— Atv 



CLOGGED FEET OF YOUNG PARTRIDGE. 



THE annexed weird and uncanny-looking engraving is 

 an exact representation, natural size, of the remains of 

 ayouog partridge found a short time siuce by a correspondent. 

 The bird wa9 obviously destroyed by its inability to drag 

 about the mass of clay which had adhered to the left foot. 

 It is difficult, to imagine the manner in which So immature 

 a bird could have existed so long as it did with such an 

 incumbrance attached to it and impeding its progress. 

 These balls on the feet commence on the claws, which be- 

 come separately incrusted, and they increase by what a bot- 

 anist would term au ex-ogenous mode of growth, layer after 

 layer being deposited until the mass attains a considerable 

 size. In the present instance the weight of the clay iu the 

 dry state is almost exactly an ounce. This weight would 

 have been considerably increased by the amount of moist- 

 ure preseut when the bird was alive. 



Were such a weight attached suddenly to so small a bird 

 it would be quite incapacitated from active locomotion ; 

 but the gradual and slow increase day by day enabled the 



animal to become habituated to the incumbrance, and to 

 survive, though obviously with great discomfort, until it 

 had attained the size depicted. 



The right wing conceals the skeleton of the animal, 

 which wa9 intact, the flesh having been removed by the 

 maggots fit the blow-fly — those universal and useful scav- 

 engers of exposed animal remains. 



In poultry-yards and pigeon-houses similar instances to 

 the one represented above not unf requently occur ; but 

 the care of the owner prevents them becoming so extreme. 



The ease is so interesting an illustration of the struggle 

 for life under unfavorable conditions that. I have thought 

 it worthy of being illustrated by an engraving ; and I beg 

 to return my thanks to the gentleman who kindly forwarded 

 it.— W. B. Teobtmeieu, in London Field. 



HABITS OF THE ALLIGATOR. 



TO the student of natural history, or those of inquiring 

 turn of mind, it is interesting to note the character and 

 habits of the American crocodile. 



Perchance the reader will question whether the huge and 

 ugly reptile really has a character. 



We will not debate that question now while the weather is 

 so warm. Perhaps he has no morals oven ; but having been 

 among them rather more than less for five years, 1 venture 

 the assertion that he at least Inn habits of a most positive na- 

 ture, and think any position on that point is invulnerable. I 

 piopose to defend it, at leas', and if vanquished, will grace- 

 ful y retire. 



The braiu or nerve center of a twelve foot alligator, is 

 hardly as large as a man's thumb ; still he does sharp things 

 sometimes and the hunter may steal a march on the timid, 

 watchful deer or wild turkey as easily as lie can approach this 

 scaly monstrous-looking reptile without being observed. It 

 does not follow, though, that he is as difficult to capture, for 

 often when lying on the bank your boat may glide up with- 

 in a few feet before he makes the plunge for deep water, or 

 they may remain quiet wuile you pass nvar enough to touch 

 them with au oar. The expression of his eye, however, and 

 a very slight motion of his head, reveals to a close observer 

 that he is not quite, sangfroid, aud any sudden demonstra- 

 tion about the boat is liable to start him ; and then, having 

 decided to go, nothing less than a well directed bullet will 

 cheek the impetuous charge, though he may come in contact 

 with and nearly capsize the craft in his headlong rush for the 

 bottom of the river. Where they are often disturbed by pass- 

 ing boats, they become very wild and one must be a crack 

 shot with the rifle to have much, success wiih them. They 

 are confirmed cannibals, and as a measure of self-preserva- 

 tion, the young are compelled to avoid the company of those 

 that are grown. 



The alligator is fond of fresh fish, and the hlaek bass, 

 (called trout in the South) seems to be h's favorite. In dark 

 water he is really skillful if not artistic in taking them. One 

 method is to swim slowly along a few feet from the bank, 

 stopping in favorable locations to open his j.>.ws above the 

 water and briug his tail arouud slowly toward his head on 

 the side nearest shore. The frequent result of this maiue- 

 vcr is that the fish, when it feels the commotion iu the water 

 caused by the moving tail, takes alarm, and leaps from its 

 native element to escape the unseen foe, but sometimes only 

 to becotre a victim of the terrible jaws which close on.it 

 like a steel trap. 



People who have noticed Ihe habits of the black bass in 

 Florida are aware that when feeding they often operate iu 

 large numbers together and make short work of aoy unfortu- 

 nate school of minnows or small fish that come in their way. 

 Alligators, where numerous, often adopt asimilar plan of co- 

 operation, and then the bass must suffer in his turn ; the 'ga- 

 tors swimming about among them aud each individual taking 

 what he can get as the fish leap from the water to escape the 

 supposed danger from the long moving tails of the reptiles. 

 This jumping habit of the bass, by the w.ay, often puts the 

 canoe si in possession of fresh fish, nolens nolens, for being 

 ahrined by the dip of the oar, they, in making the leap, laud 

 plump into the boat. In that way I have secured as fine fish . 

 as I ever caught with the fly or spoon. 



When collected in large numbers the a'ligators are very 

 bold, and show mere -Curiosity at the presence of a boat. On 

 one occasion I rolled seventeen very large ones as fast as I 

 could shoot, aud left nearly twice that number that were of 

 no use to me. 



To suppose that "a large alligator is never killed at the first 

 shot" is a mistake. One ball if properly directed will answer 

 as well as a dozen. If a party of hunters boast that it re- 

 quired nine balls to quiet their game it indicates a lack of 

 marksmanship, or else that their arms were inferior. 



Of all the appetites that of the alligator is probably the 

 most indiscriminate. They will catch lurtleB, and the im- 

 mense strength in their jaws enable them to crush the shells 

 before swallowing them. They arc excessivelyfond of dogs, 

 but the average Florida canine seems well aware of that fact, 

 and is constantly on the alert when his duties require him to 

 swim or pass through low grounds, where this most dreaded 

 object may be lurking, yet mauy of them are caught, and 

 the old Ftoridiau is frequently heard lamenting the loss of 

 "the best hog-dog in Ploridy." Mmy hogs are also destroyed 

 iu newly settled regions, and young cattle are sometimes vic- 

 timized ; even grown cows have been attacked by the largest 

 of these vicious reptiles, aud severely injured if not killed 

 outright. I found in the stomach of one alligator the hoofs 

 of a nearly half-grown bovine, a number of the indigestible 

 bones or shields from the heads of black bass, the bones and 

 complete set of ten rattles of the diamond rattlesnake, sever- 

 al abraded pieces of wood, sections of cypress limbs, etc. 

 But why do they swallow chunks of wood ? Is it for the 

 same purpose that the hen takes gravel ? I never knew them 

 to indulge in any other kind of vegetable diet. Itinerant in 

 their habits they explore lagoons, make long journeys, some- 

 times overland from one river or lake to another. The walk 

 of a muscovy duck is graceful when compared with the pe- 

 destrian efforts of an alligator. 



His travels by laud are slow, and his gait is awkward, but 

 we cannot say the same of his evolutions when in the water. 



The way he snatches a boat through the water when har- 

 pooned or snared suggests the idea of a mule race at the other 

 end of the line. Probably before he is overpowered or dis- 

 patched he will make things lively on board by reeling the line 

 upon his body, and unless well handled may pile himself 

 aboard or turn the craft over. A light, frail boat will be in 

 danger, too, from his powerful jaws. Repeatedly they have 

 torn splinters as large as my fingers from the hull of my yel- 

 low pine skiff. Good nerve and promptness on the part of 

 the hunter will usually avert disaster, though taking Ihem 

 by this method is somewhat dangerous, and the boat employ- 

 ed ought to be a good strong one. Other requisites are a 

 half-inch line, ten to fifteen yards long. One end fastened to 

 bow of ihe boat, and the other to a fifteen-ineh harpoon, 

 which is used by rneansof a'staff similar to the ordinary spear 

 or gig pole, said staff to be detached the instant after the al- 

 ligator is stuck or, of course, it would be broken in the melee 

 that follows. The socket may be in the harpoon or the pole. 



An assortment of destructive weapons, as guns, pistols, axes 

 and hatchets completes the outfit. 



In the spring of the year fierce battles often occur between 

 the males, in which they get severely puuished. " Catch as 

 catch can" embodies the rules of the fight, and, having 

 hitched, a lively flouncing, whirling and twisting, with sav- 

 age blows from the powerful tails, makes things interesting 

 for all concerned, and the water is lashed to a foam. 



