FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



379 



owner of the defunct beast appears with fire 

 in his eye. 



Yes; the cat was a family pet, and valued 

 at $5. You do not wish to be haled before 

 the justice; an unseemly position for a 

 sportsman. 



You compromise for $2. It was a great 

 shot; 250 yards, and a 22 rifle. Cheap. 



A LOST STEER. 



Colorado Springs, Col. 



Editor Recreation: Some years ago 

 when I was new to Colorado, I stopped 

 for a few days at Lake George. While 

 strolling about, one afternoon, I visited a 

 sawmill a half mile or so from where I was 

 staying; and spent some time talking with 

 the men. Among other things, they told 

 me that herders, passing the day before, 

 had lost a steer, and had said anyone find- 

 ing it could have it. It was dark when I 

 left the mill. When perhaps half way to 

 the house, I heard behind me, a rattle as 

 of something stepping over loose stones. 

 I thought it must be the lost steer; though 

 why it should follow me I did not know. 

 Farther on the sound was repeated, and 

 seemed nearer me than before. 



Possibly the steer was looking for 

 trouble; and as I did not care to make 

 him any, I quickened my steps. I was now 

 close to the house, and hearing, or imag- 

 ining I heard, something in close pursuit, 

 I broke into a run. Before the front door 

 stood a pile of lumber; this I cleared at a 

 bound. I threw myself at the door with- 

 out stopping to unlatch it, and landed in a 

 heap at the far end of the hall. 



The precipitancy of my arrival naturally 

 alarmed the inmates of the house; and the 

 shrieks of my landlady and the hired girl, 

 strengthened my conviction that trouble 

 was brewing. I scrambled to my feet, 

 closed and bolted the door, then grabbed 

 my rifle from its rack, and pumped a 45-90 

 shell into the barrel. As soon as I could 

 pull myself together, I opened the door 

 cautiously, rifle in hand, and peered out. 

 The light from the lamp behind me shone 

 on 2 balls of fire, not 5 yards away. Rest- 

 ing the rifle against the casing, I took the 

 best aim I could, and pulled the trigger. 

 Then I jumped back, and shut the door. 

 I did not care to see the dying agony of 

 the poor beast, and it was dark, anyway, 

 and — well, there was nothing inside the 

 house I was afraid of. 



For a few minutes all was quiet. Then 

 I heard the sound of running footsteps; 

 then a howl that would have done credit 

 to a Comanche, and again the door was 

 burst open and another man landed in a 

 lump in the hall. It was one of the mill 



hands. While on his way home, he heard 

 a shot near our house. He ran up to see 

 what the trouble was ; jumped over the 

 lumber, and landed squarely on the back 

 of some large animal lying in wait at the 

 door. In his surprise at this contretemps, 

 he had forgotten to knock before entering. 

 We went forth in a body to investigate. 

 At the threshold lay a dead cougar; the 

 largest I ever saw. He measured 8 feet 9 

 inches from tip to tip. 



William Howard. 



THE MICHIGAN NORTH WOODS. 



Olivet, Mich. 



Editor Recreation: Have just returned 

 from a 4 weeks' trip for deer, in the North 

 Michigan woods and plains. Not having 

 seen anything in Recreation concerning 

 our North woods game country, I will give 

 an account of our fourth season's hunt in 

 that region. There were 6 of us; Thomas, 

 Burroughs, Jewell, and I, one tenderfoot 

 and the old veteran Shilchcock. We land- 

 ed at Vanderbilt, Otsego county, on No- 

 vember 4th. The " totes " did not like the 

 looks of our 1,200 pounds of baggage and 

 outfit; so did not fall over each other to 

 get the job of hauling us 12 miles, over 

 sand hills and corduroy roads. We got to 

 the banks of Pickerel lake at one o'clock. 

 After lunch we pitched our 14 x 20 tent, 

 built a pole bunk and gathered a supply of 

 hemlock feathers, wood, etc. 



The next day we all struck out to get the 

 lay of the country between the Sturgeon 

 and Pigeon rivers; none of us ever having 

 been on this section before. The country 

 was easily learned by all but the tender- 

 foot. He had a faculty for repelling sug- 

 gestions, and arguing the case with his 

 compass. During his stay he did not get 

 2 miles from camp and naturally did not 

 see a deer. He left us in 2 weeks, disgusted. 



Deer had been plentiful during the sum- 

 mer; but berry pickers, resident hogs and 

 local game wardens had dogged them un- 

 til few remained, and these were wild. Our 

 party saw 30 deer, all told; of which we got 

 7 and killed one more that another man 

 got. There being no snow to track in, we 

 had to let it go. / 



There was but little snow during the 

 hunting season and many parties returned 

 without a deer. Few had more than 4 or 5. 



The great defect in our game law is that 

 resident wardens are appointed, instead of 

 deputy State wardens. Usually the war- 

 dens are themselves law breakers, and there 

 is no one to prosecute them. We have a 

 good State warden, in Mr. Osborn, and 

 with the change indicated our law would 

 be all that could be desired. J. G. S. 



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