ON HAYDEN LAKE, B. C. 



L. L. BALES. 



A half-mile portage from salt water, 

 through dense underbrush and fallen tim- 

 ber, brought my canoe and traps to the 

 margin of Hayden lake. This body of water 

 is 4 x /i miles long by one mile wide; with 

 bold, rocky, rugged shores, covered in most 

 places by evergreen forests and surrounded 

 by snow capped mountains. As yet, this 

 country is unmarred by the loggers, who 

 are following close in the wake of the trap- 

 per and prospector. What a dreamy ro- 

 mantic lake it is! But few sounds disturb 

 the morning stillness. The weird lonesome 

 cry of the spotted loon, and the gleam of 

 his snow white breast as he sports in the 

 limpid waters, could be heard and seen 3 

 miles away that morning. The whistling 

 screech of the eagle near by, grated harshly 

 on the ear in the otherwise quiet solitude. 

 Placing my traps and rifle in the canoe, I 

 chose the left-hand shore and started to 

 make the circuit of the lake in search of 

 sign of mink, martin, otter, and beaver. 



I had passed 2 miles of shore without 

 sign or incident, when, on an open grassy 

 spot on the mountain side, 50 yards from 

 the water, I noticed a fat deer, feeding, all 

 unconscious of danger. At the report of 

 my rifle, it threw up its head for a moment, 

 then went on feeding. At the second re- 

 port, the deer made a few violent plunges 

 and landed dead within a few feet of my 

 canoe. 



It required but a few moments to dress 

 the deer and proceed. The shore became 

 abrupt, with a high cliff overhanging the 

 lake. From 5 to 40 feet above the water 

 were numerous pictures and strange char- 

 acters, drawn with red paint, many years 

 ago by some Indian artist. How they were 

 placed there remains for conjecture; as the 

 face of the cliff has an over-hang of many 

 feet and is perfectly smooth, with deep 

 water at its base. 



A short distance from this place a small 

 stream entered the lake through 5 different 

 channels. In the vicinity was a low wooded 

 point, where many eagles were perched on 



the most prominent trees. What was the 

 attraction for them here? As I approached 

 the small creeks, numerous schools of sal- 

 mon were endeavoring to ascend them 

 from the lake. On those salmon the eagles 

 lived. Here I found my first otter slide, 

 and on it I set a No. 4 deer trap, with off- 

 set jaws and teeth. A trap, which for sev- 

 eral reasons I have found to be the most 

 successful beaver and otter trap used on 

 this coast. 



Half a mile from the creeks was a low 

 rocky point, covered with moss, ferns, and 

 small firs. The lake at this point had nar- 

 rowed to 150 yards in width. On the point 

 was a regular family otter slide. I looked 

 the place over and concluded to set 3 traps, 

 and while doing so, I heard 3 heavy plunges 

 directly opposite from where I was stand- 

 ing. I gazed intently in the direction from 

 which the sounds came but could see noth- 

 ing, as the loom of the land extended over 

 the lake from that side io or 15 yards. In 

 a few moments the head and ears of a doe 

 appeared swimming toward me, followed 

 by a 2 point buck who was in turn followed 

 by a noble 4 pointer. In this vast solitude, 

 alone with nature's children, I keenly en- 

 joyed the passing scene; and learned that 

 with the lower animals, as well as the hu- 

 man family, " all is fair in love and war." 

 For the doe — for some reason best known 

 to herself — would turn and swim at right 

 angles. After tacking about the lake in 

 this manner for 5 minutes, they landed on 

 the same shore from whence they came 

 and in the same order. As they did so I 

 gave them a rousing cheer, knowing they 

 would stop a short time. With a few hasty 

 strokes of the paddle I ran my canoe under 

 some overhanging brush and sprang 

 ashore. There stood the two pointer. He 

 fell to my shot. Hearing an important 

 stamp, I turned and saw the very head and 

 horns a friend of mine, in New Brunswick, 

 wanted. When he shows the head of that 

 noble buck to his visitors, he tells them the 

 story of its death. 



First Actor — The people of Toughtown 

 have a hard reputation. 



Second Actor — Very. I hear eggs are to 

 be sold at the ticket office, this season, 

 to accommodate the patrons of the theatre. 

 —Life. 



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