45 6 



RECREA TION. 



B-o-o-m! The ground shook, the 

 shooter swayed; the mud was strewn with 

 wads and clouds of smoke arose. Could 

 there be a hair left? Yes: there he goes, 

 badly frightened but safe and sound. Pete 

 did not stop to explain, he just started for 

 another rabbit. 



For 2 hours he met with no further mis- 

 hap; then, just at noon he saw something. 

 " Vas ist das? " Can it be any rabbit would 

 tempt fate, by calmly sitting still, with that 

 gun in the neighborhood? Yes: there he 

 is, all unconscious of danger. B-o-o-m! 

 The hills echo and re-echo and as v the 

 smoke gently lifts, gently as if loath to un- 

 cover the work of ruin, there appears a 

 great gaping rent in the ground, fully 10 

 feet from where the rabbit had been. 



Pete reloaded thoughtfully and listened 

 to faithful old Spot who was just send- 

 ing that rabbit around the field. Soon it 

 came back and as it went sailing past him, 

 Pete shut both eyes, and turning his head 

 that he might not see the awful ruin that 

 was suddenly to overtake the rabbit, he let 

 go. " Now py sheeminy, I make sure of 

 dot nex rebbit," said Pete, as the game shot 

 over the hill to stop with the next man. 



Soon after this we came to a little creek, 

 and improvised a bridge, out of a good 

 stout rail that just reached across. I wore 

 hip-boots and waded out to give each equi- 

 librist a helping hand. " Now here comes 

 de middle-weight," sung out Pete, and with 

 his gun thrown jauntily across his arm, he 

 started on his perilous journey. But some- 

 thing was wrong, and the rail " busted." 

 Down went Pete. The frantic grab he 

 made for the bank, threw him forward, and 

 he got a good soaking. 



Soon Spot had another rabbit on foot, 

 and this rabbit, as if to console Pete, went up 

 to him and sat still. Up went the gun, but 

 missed fire. To the question, " Why didn't 

 you try the other barrel? " Pete said, " I 

 can't shoot mit der left." Pete was mad 

 now. He espied, about 10 yards off, a poor 



little chippy-bird, " Now py , I shoots 



someding! " He aimed long and carefully, 

 adjusted his second finger to the first trig- 

 ger, and as the 10 bore roared out the little 

 bird fell. But that was not all. He forgot 

 to hold his gun firmly and, as if to punish 

 him for shooting the poor bird, the butt 

 slipped under his arm and the lever caught 

 him square in the mouth. " Well. Pete, did 

 you get anything? " said one of the men as 

 he came up to the shooter. " Did I? " said 

 Pete, " Shoost look at my snoot! " 



That ended Pete's day with the rabbits. 

 He had fun and so did we. 



deer. Some of the largest I ever saw 

 were among those we captured. One of 

 our boys went up Moose Head lake to 

 Lake Chesuncook, with a guide. In one 

 week from the day he started he was back 

 to the home camp, having killed a large 

 moose on Quaker brook. Its horns spread 

 54 inches, and its head weighed no pounds. 

 It was the largest moose brought to Green- 

 ville Junction during our stay. Maine will 

 always be a hunting ground, on account of 

 the rapid growth of the spruce pine; which 

 lumbermen tell me can be cut every 15 to 

 20 years. Hunters and guides say game is 

 on the increase. Parties wishing a splen- 

 did time, will find the Moose Head lake 

 country as good as any East of the rockies. 

 Everything any camper could wish, in the 

 way of provisions, canoes, and guides, can 

 be had at the little towns. For moose 

 and caribou, I would advise parties to 

 go up the lake and over the carries of the 

 Penobscot. For deer, anywhere about the 

 Junction or about the railways one can kill 

 all the law allows. Ducks were in abun- 

 dance on West bog, a branch of the Piscat- 

 aquis. 



J. H. Wollam, Rising Sun, Ohio. 



MAINE MOOSE AND DEER. 



I went to Greenville, Maine, in October, 

 and spent 7 weeks on the East branches of 

 the Piscataquis river. We had a successful 

 hunt. We all killed the legal number of 



EN ROUTE TO ALASKA. 



We are stuck here waiting for transporta- 

 tion North. Captain Abercrombie, and the 

 rest of us are fuming at the necessary delay. 

 Had a great time coming across the coun- 

 try, with the reindeer. Landed them safely 

 in Seattle, and they are now at Pyramid 

 harbor. 



We expect to use some of them on our 

 expedition to Port Wells and the Suchitna 

 river, across to the Tanana. I hear there 

 are 1,200 men at Valdez, trying to get over 

 the glacier. Captain Howe is to go with 

 our expedition as guide. 



Seattle is the best outfitting point, for 

 Alaska, with Tacoma second. Everything 

 needful, of good quality and at reasonable 

 prices. 



When you get a bill changed here, they 

 promptly give you gold in change. Every- 

 thing is gold and silver. 



If we don't find a way out from Port 

 Wells, will go into Cook's Inlet and try 

 another route. 



I look forward to a trip full of hard work, 

 but interesting and exciting. There may 

 be times when we shall be glad to sup off 

 rotten moose meat, or fish. Then I shall be 

 reminded of the feasts we enjoyed at the 

 Camp Fire Club, especially the time when 

 Dan Beard set up the whale blubber. 



George Baggs, of Seattle, an old Colo- 

 rado prospector, has a partner in Alaska, 

 whom I expect to see. He is an old timer 

 there. He had an awful experience, being 

 3 days in a bear trap, in midwinter. 



Luther S. Kelly, Vancouver, Wash. 



