446 



Forest and stream. 



("Janttaby -5, 1888. 



ence concerning at least one mountain goat, which I wanted, 

 when rhe Siwash stopped m,- froin shooting the waxwings, 

 On the tup of a ridge winch ran at right angles with the one 

 I was on — the two hi rug separated by the gap before nu?u- 

 tioned — I discovered a large buck goat poking along on the 

 very edge. 



1 he side of (his ridge appeared to me to be almost vertical, 

 and its height about seven or eight hundred feet. About half 

 waybetweeu it and the one I was on, the. smoke of our camp 

 fire curled up and drifted off in the direction of Searnour 

 Creek. 



But this goat didn't care anything about camp fires, he was 

 going to come down the side of that ridge if he broke his 

 neck iu the attempt ; and bo 1 sat down to watch him. His 

 distance from me was not over five hundred yards, and with 

 my glass I could watch every move he made. About thirty 

 yards below kirn, growing out of the side of the cliff, was a 

 bunch o£ broad leaf plants, which the Indians had told me 

 were a favorite food of the mountain goat. This spot ap- 

 peared to be the objective point in his operations, and care- 

 lully he worked his way dowu, till he reached it, when he 

 commenced feeding. 



Just then I was I startled by a kak kak-kak just above me, 

 and lockhg up, discovered a flock of ptarmigan not twenty 

 yards off . There were light of them, and I shot them all, 

 firing seven shots, and yet that goat stood there the whole 

 time, as unconcerned as if he was a thousand miles away. 

 And still he must have heard the shooting, because Dick, 

 who was double the distance off and nearly in the same 

 direct on, heard every shot. I felt somewhat, disappointed 

 on picking up my birds and finding they were the black tail 

 instead of Lagopus lewurus. They were also in the last stage 

 of summer plumage, and scarcely fit for specimens to rnouot. 

 Hauging my game on the limb of a cypress, I reached the 

 top of the ridge, and found 1 commanded a view of the 

 opening into which my companions had gone through the 

 gap, and I at once began to look round for them. Pres- 

 ently I discovered two dark objects beneath the shadow of a 

 speading pine, which, witii the aid of my glass, I made out 

 to be Dick and the younger Siwash, while further on, near 

 the foot of the opposite ridge, was Seammux, creeping 

 along as if on the Lookout for some animal ahead. The 

 younger Indian got up and started back toward the gap, 

 and just then I heard a shot in the direction of Seammux, 

 but before I could bring my glass to bear on the spot, a dense 

 fog rolled up the opening and enveloped the whole scene in 

 darkness. Then came another shot, and another umil I 

 counted nine shots in quick succession. I became alarmed, 

 thinking probably that my companions had stumbled on to a 

 cinnamon bear, and I was on the point of starting down (He 

 ridge and through the gap to join them, when the voice of 

 Dick came up through the thick fog, " Catch 'iin alive," and 

 then a hearty " haw-haw-haw " from the same individual, 

 satisfied me that nothing very serious was wrong. So I re- 

 sumed my seat and waited for the fog to lift. It rolled 

 away, however, almost as suddenly as it came, aud I then 

 discovered Dick and Seammux bending over some animal, 

 which, wi'h the aid of my elass, 1 made out to be a goat. I 

 turned to look for my friend on the side of the cliff. He was 

 still iu thesame place feedingaway, butanotheractor had come 

 upon the stage. 4 dark object was creeping toward the 

 white one. It was the young Siwash. Stealthily he picked 

 his way along the side of the ridge, until begot within what 

 appeared to me fifty yards of his prey. Then he halted, a 

 puff of smoke shot, ou', in front of him, the goat sprang back- 

 ward, in fact turned completely over, aud fell, a distance, of 

 full live hundred feet, to the bottom. 



In a short time the young Indian joined me, bringing, 

 with him t,he mutilated skin of the unfortunate goat. fiver 

 since the start iliero had been quite a jealous feeling between 

 the two Indians, more noticeable on the part of Seammux, 

 because 1 had engaged ihe young Indian as guide, and alt 

 points as to routes aud the chances for game 'were referred 

 to him. I did this out of spite, simply to punish the old 

 fellow for the way he acted during the time ol your visit 

 here. Ho, how.ver, missed no opponuuity to sneer ai any 

 proposi i>n the young fellow made, and now it was Silii- 

 enm's turn, and, as he stated himself beside me, he asked if 

 1 had heard the shooing in the valley below us. 1 replied 

 that I had, and asked what it was all about. With a sort, of 

 comical grin ofl his gfeasy face he answered, " Ktimew 

 gogMW" (Perhaps it was soldiers). It turned out that Seam- 

 mux had tired the nine sir ts at, one goat, and the young 

 Indian had stood by an l laughed at him. In the meantime 

 Dick had bi ought down and her goat, which marie 

 more than we could manuke. Sol gave the order to shoot 

 no more, to pick up our skins and head for camp. 



It was five o'clock whim we reached a spot about three 

 hundred feel above our camp, and looking down aud seeing 

 that every thing was just as we left it, we sat down 1o rest 

 before going dowu the slope. We had scarcely seated our- 

 selves, when Seammux, pointing across the valley in the 

 direction of Searnour Creek, exclaimed, "iWta lum-lnm 

 «p«e" (I think that's a hear.) All eyes were turned in the 

 direction, and, sure enough, a dark object was discovered, 

 which, with my glass, I made out to lie a large, black bear, 

 and With it, three pretty mod s zed cubs. They were in the 

 bottom of a ravine, lln; mmiii of which entered the valley 

 directly opposite wh re we were sittiDg, and was about 

 three-quarters of a mile away. The hi Is on each side were 

 at least fifty teet high ; that, to the left timbered, the one on 

 Ihe right, with ihe excel tiou of one solitary tree, bate. But 

 that, tree proved afterward to be in a very favorable posi- 

 tion, for the -wind earning from the left, the approach had 

 to be made up the slope on which it stcoji. 



After all there is a good deal Of murder in Ihe shooting 

 dowu of a wild animal. At least so it ha3 seemed to me iu 

 very many cases of my own experience. This one I am 

 about to relate in particular: Here is an animal enjoying 

 the freedom of a wilderness almost unknown to man. There 

 is no cautiousness — no thought of danger — because there is 

 no animal of her surroundings that she dreads. She strolls 

 leisurely along, slopping now and then to pick up some 

 Choice root or caress a favorite cub. The sun is sinking 

 lower and lower behind the hills. The shadows of approach- 

 ing night are creeping higher and higher up the opposite 

 slope." She stretches her great, length on the Leather covered 

 ground, and placing her head between her paws, quietly 

 watches the playful frolics of her three cubs. Hark! What 

 is that? Only a Whistle ; but it Corn s from the lips of a 

 human being, and, as if seized with the dread of some ter- 

 rible danger, she raises her head and, turning it, in the direc- 

 tion of the sound, the object for which that whistle was 

 giyen is attained and the next instant a bullet from 

 a Winchester rille crashes through her skull. She springs 

 to her feet, and uttering the most piteous wail I ever 

 heard from the lips of human or beast, drops dead at the 



feet of her three cubs, who a moment, after share the fate of 

 their mother. This was murder in the, first degree. 



We had now been hunting just seven hours and a half, 

 and had bagged seven goats, four bears and eight, ptarmigan, 

 the mo3l successful day's sperrt I ever was engaged in. 



That night, as we fat round the camp, 1 took out my note- 

 book, and by the light of our fire wrote down your name as 

 the one by which this camp should be known. The Indians, 

 who were watching me, anil, Indian like, having a curiosity 

 for everything in the shape of paper and writing, asked what 

 I had put down ; anil when 1 told them, the old fellow's face 

 lighted up, no doubt with kind remembrance of his trip with 

 you up Salmon Creek, aud your killing of the bear, and he 

 replied " Klosh kuqua" (Very good). John Fannin. 



DOWN WITH THE FLOOD. 



Now the -casnm returned when the nights grow colder and longer, 

 And trie retreating sun the sign ol trie Scorpion enters. 

 rilrcis or passage sailed through trie leaden air from the lee hound, 

 Desolate nortUera bays to the shores ot tropical Islands. 



SAM aud 1 were waiting for this. It was the fall ; and Up 

 to the first week iu November the weather had been so 

 mild as to offer no inducements to make the big, long-talked 

 of trip for ducks down the Savannah River. Wc had every- 

 thing ready. Two large boats had been built under Sam's 

 special direction and skill, made strong to undergo hard 

 usage — one built to shoot from, the second to dairy all the 

 plunder, comprising food for ourselves and two darkies, 

 cooking utensils, extra clothing and ammunition. Wc went 

 in comfortable style, had plenty of time, and anticipated 

 sport in every sense of the word. An added pleasure was 

 the possession of two new 10-bore Scotts, fresh from the 

 Heads ; we had tried these guns and found nothing lacking 

 in pattern aod penetration. We just knew that any mallard, 

 or any individual of the duck species that would get up 

 within twohun — one hund — well, call it eighty yards, wasjust 

 so surely dead, if Ihese guns were held right on it. Even our 

 two Fifteenth Amendments appn ciated those heavy 10's, 

 and as they gazed on their soft Damascus barrels and fine 

 proportions they grinned with delight in anticipation of 

 future duck feasts. Alex said, " If dem guns fails to brung 

 what dey's aimed at, dey'll brung sumfin else, su." Joe re- 

 marked that " We's gwan jes'to scoop all de ducks iu de 

 Sawanah." 



The boats must be hauled six miles before launching, and 

 so an early start must be made. At 4 a. m we were under way. 

 — two wagon loads of plunder, boats, shooters aud niegeis. 

 The town was asleep as we passed silently out and beyond. 

 At 8 a. m. we were eating breakfast on the banks of Horse 

 Creek, four miles from where it empties in the Savannah. 

 A wood-pile was close to the bank. With the rope in my 

 hand I was hunting for a place to tie the boat which I was lo 

 take charge of. I stepped between that infernal wood-pile 

 and the terink, and slightly lost my balance. Grasping an 

 innocent and deceptive stick on top "to regain my lost equilib- 

 rium, it slid — so did I — we both slid, and 

 In 1 plunged boldly, 

 No matter how coldly. 

 Ten feet of water. I swam. The boat was surely pulling 

 me down stream. I grasped a root. Then came Sam to the 

 rescue. I felt myself in his strong hand, and 1 was lifted 

 clear of the water and lauded high, if not dry ; but I bravely 

 hung to that rope. 



It was a most excitiug run down the rapid Horse Creek. 

 Alex had taken several nips from a mysterious flat bottle. 

 This was unfortunate, because Alex steeied my boat. He 

 ran the dangerous points scientifically and successlully for a 

 While. Finally we rounded one very had place and came 

 whirling down on another. He turned the boat's prow loo 

 far to the right, and the next instant we were heading for a 

 large twe top bending over tho water some two f- et from 

 the surface. I seized a paddle, but loo late. 1 had only 

 time to dodge. Looking back I beheld a sight. Alex had 

 stood up and cauiiht the limbs, thinking to arrest Ihe spet d 

 of the boat, if not to stop it altogether. But he had calcu- 

 lated beyond Irs strength ; he might as well have tried to 

 slop a freight car going ten miles au hour. He hung desper- 

 ately to ihe tree wrtn his arms, and kept as much of bis 

 weight in the boat as possible. The boat pressed him up 

 against the tree and then slid from under him, the last 

 impulse being to cause the thoroughly frightened darkey to 

 turn a complete somersault over the limbs. For one awful 

 moment be hung suspended, head down and eyes as large as 

 trade dollai s, and then, wiib a yell of fear, he dropped 

 into the ice-cold wa'er fifteen feet deep, with a current ten 

 miles an hour. What must have b-. en his thoughts, when 

 hung between sky and water, he himself only knows. He 

 could not swim ; death stared him in the face. The boat 

 had struck the shore aud was wedged iu the hank. 1 was 

 incapable of doing anything ; if it had been my last hour I 

 must have had that laugh out. I stood up aud laughed, I 

 lay flat and laughed, 1 kneeled and laughed, I hung over the 

 mess-chest, and roared. Alex came up a sober nigger. 

 Fortunately, his first grab was at the side of the boat and he 

 scrambled in. I could not do anything, for I was rendered 

 helpless by his rueful look, as he sat there soaked and 

 shaking. 



We soon reached the Savannah, and that night made 

 camp just below Sandbar Ferry. The river was low. We 

 pitched the tent on the sanel quite near a cornfield, which 

 was on higher grouud. This was Wednesday night. As 

 supper was announced it began to rain. All night it poured, 

 It came dowu in buoketsfull all day Thursday and Thursday 

 night. Friday opened gloomy. It was rainy most of tho 

 time, but not that steady, discouraging downpour. That 

 afternoon Sam shot some nice birds, the fir-it game to the 

 pot. About five o'clock Sam remarked that the river was 

 rising, but "reckoned it could not reach us.'' We had deter- 

 mined to stay in that camp until it cleared up. In the 

 peculiar maimer ducks are shot on Ihe Savannah, no shooting 

 could be had until it stopped raining. It is the practice here 

 to sit, in the boat, g quietly tlovm with the current, skirting 

 the points on either shore that arc thickly fringed with wil- 

 lows, and shooting as the wild fowl rise from under. This 

 is fine sport, and ft almost all wing shooting. One hardly 

 sees the birds until they are in the air. 



About 8t80 Friday night we turned in, and soon all was 

 quiet. I woke up once at 12:30 o'clock, and heard, or 

 thought I heard, the rushing ot water i remember the bed 

 felt mighty comfortable, aud then went; to sleep again, i 

 was aroused by a tramping of feet outside, aud exclamations 

 of amazement and almost of fright, "Dick, Dick, get up: 

 Kick Joe and Alex out. The river is rising. We will have 

 to work for our property and perhaps for our lives. The 

 water is within ten feet of ua." Up in an instant, I roused 



the boys, and they made a rush for the boats, Ihrough water 

 1 hat came up to lire waist. Each one seized a rope, cut it 

 from the slake anil dragged the boats up until i. i . . 

 Collecting our traps, we dumped everything promiscuously 

 into Ihe boats. Sam brought the last ha 1, his gun cas • null 

 the frying pan. But he forgot the pot-hook.-. tj wis 



only when the water was four feet deep over our recent 

 camp that those venerable hooks were remembered — and 

 those relics of bygone days rest in peace at Hie bottom of 

 the Savannah. 



A mi serai ile crew wc were. It was two in the morning 

 the rain came down and the river came up. AH through 

 those dreary hours we were shoving the crate toward the 

 high ground of the cornfield. As the water crime up, it was 

 a black, colli, wretched night. At dawn wc struck the corn- 

 field bank, and after some trouble got a tire started. All was 

 then changed. Gloomy faces aud i'ears departed, .be soon 

 had breakfast, underway. The aroma of coffee was wafted 

 to our nostrils, and soon we were cheered by a hot breakfast 

 and then we cast oft' and away we sped booming down the 

 river with lire flood. It was magnificent. Alex, withstrong 

 and steady hand, guided my bo.it as it rushed c.n. jiiy post 

 of observalion was the top of the mess-chest. Saui'* colossal 

 figure loomed up ahead in the other boat. Swiftly we went 

 on past bending willows, likelyplaces for ducks— past fori sis, 

 grand and beautiful trees, whose tops were slxh , , 



feet in the air, stretching out their giant arms for yards; creat 

 cypress knees, the impenetrable canehrake, anil far reach- 

 swamp— on, on, we rushed, with the rapid flow of the 

 t, the water now clear out of its banks and the flood 

 spreading out into lakes where it encountered the low lands. 

 At about nine o'clock Silver Bluff was sighted aud soon there- 

 after we maele a landing. We conversed a short time with 

 some of the natives who had come down anticipating the 

 little steamer from Savannah, aud from what we could glean, 

 coupled with Sam's experience, found it about useless to go 

 further, as what elucks there were on the river would most 

 probably be away back in the woods, and consequently im- 

 possible to get at. 



Dropping a half-mile further down the stream we found a 

 splendid camp ground, with plenty of wood and water. All 

 this lime it had been raining intermittineJy, but as night 

 closed in it looked a little like clearing. 



Sunday morning broke bright, with only a few clouds, 

 and by noon old Sol camo right out and stayed there. Camp 

 was immediately turned inside out to dry. During the day 

 we received visits from the gentleman on whose land wc 

 were encamped and others of the neighbor hood, and accepted 

 an invitation from a planter living some two aed a half 

 miles distant to join him in a quail shoot on the morrow. 

 The next morning Mr. U. sent us mules to ride up to his 

 house. Arriving, we were most, cordially welcomed. We 

 started out with four negroes, three dogs," five shooters — all 

 mule-back but the canines. Striking ihe field back of the 

 house, we found a covey at once, and when the dogs pointed 

 each shooter dismounted, leaving his mule with his attendant'. 

 At the rise five birds fell. We had the covey well scattered and 

 were just in for good sport when the rairr began pouring again, 

 and we were forced to retreat to the house, where theTrest of 

 the day was spent with our host. The sitting. room was 

 filled with neighbors and friends of Air. H. and friends of 

 Bam, most all being planters. Great, loss were piled in the 

 wide lire-place, anti as the flames leaped up the chimney, we 

 sat in a circle around the pleasant warmth, and stories of the 

 field and river were in order. Every man there was a Sjpi ita- 

 mau, and each had J' the best dog iu the country," and such 

 yarns as were told. Veracity was pretty well adhered to 

 until we sat down to dinner, eight, of us, and each individual 

 enlarged upon his personal recollections aud irmui'maiion 

 amid roars of laughter. Some ot the participants in that 

 day's festivities have "passed beyond," but their memory 

 lingers with us still. 



Thursday morning we break camp, the river being at a 

 fair stage for the shooting. Sam sits iu the forward teat. 1 

 immediately behind, Alex at the stern with the paddle, and Joe 

 in command of the provision ship. Onwego. Theboat glides 

 by the finding wil ows with Scarcely a rip: In. Mark! seven 

 mallards spring from Under a thick bunch of willows twenty 

 yards in auvance. I rise to c iver my bird. The boom of 

 Sam's 10 bore awakes the echoes, followed by mine right 

 and left. Four down. Sam's second sprawls au old drake 

 in the water sixty yards away. Mark ! again. Six black 

 ducks flying up siream. Alex's strong arm sends the boat 

 close io the willows. The fowl fly wi'hin ea-y range, and as 

 the guns are brought up they climb, but only three go on. 

 Joe retrieyi s the fallen. 



We made camp at 4 P. m. ; and struugj. n a log thirty-seven 

 ducks, mostly mallards and teal, a few' blacks mahrug up 

 the total. Dinner was served at about G o'clock, the 

 camp fire heaped up, the pipes filled, and we lay 'on our 

 blankets and listened to Joe's amusing imitations of a col- 

 ored preacher. The time wore on to nearly 'J o'clock. Sud- 

 denly a 10W moan is borne to ns from up the river. All of us 

 are hushed to silence. It grows louder, louder, louder, I'ln- 

 woods echo and re-echo the sound. The steamer from Sa- 

 vannah is coming. We pile on the logs aud make our camp 

 fire blaze. We will let them know thu' wc are here. She 

 rounds the pout above with many a light, pouring great 

 clouds of smoke and sparks from her slacks, anel sweeping 

 swiftly anil gracefully onward is soon abreast of us. The 

 passengers see the great fire and cheer. We yell in reply. 

 Soon the little steamer is lost to sight. Presently all sounds 

 cease, and we turn in for the night. 



Onward we go, 178 miles down the river, with good sport 

 and fine cold weather all the way. We beach our boats at 

 Burton's Landing and take steamer for Augusta. The trip 

 lasted three weeks. 1 gained seven aud ihree quarter p 

 Sam was so frightened at, what people said of ins im-o , , 

 adipose that he would not go near the scales. We both felt 

 better. The business of Hie did not drag, and outside of 

 business we had something pleasant aud profitable to think 

 of. Dick Swivellm. 





One of Mr. Van Dyke's most charming works is his 

 " Flirtation Camp," a story of shooting in Southern 

 California, where game is abundant and out-door life 

 s a delight throughout the whole shooting seasan. There is a 

 ithread of romance running through the tale, which renders it 

 very attractive. Wc have a few copies left, which we can 

 furnish at $1,50 each. 



Fbitz has named his dog Nou Sequitur, because it eloea 

 not follow.— Detroit Free Pretm. 



