OUR CAMPING LAKE COUN DY) .@C AEE ORIN: 
ALFRED V. LAMOTTE. 
Harry G. and I determined to spend our 
vacation by the side of some fine mountain 
stream where trout were to be had for the 
taking, and larger game within reasonable 
distance. Putting our camp outfit on one 
horse which we led or drove before us, we 
set out for a small narrow valley in the 
mountains through which flowed a fine 
stream. The strip of land on each side of 
the stream could hardly be called a valley, 
but afforded us level space enough to stake 
out our horses and furnish abundant feed 
for a few weeks. Reaching our destination 
on the evening of the second day out, we 
went into camp and cooked our supper from 
our pack, deferring the assault on trout un- 
til morning. 
Next morning, by daylight, we were up. 
While Harry made a fire and prepared for 
breakfast, I took my tackle to try my luck. 
My fly had hardly touched the surface when 
a splash and a swirl announced the presence 
of a fine fellow. A few minutes of lively 
work and I had him ashore, when I discov- 
ered 2 fine fellows instead of one, the smaller 
weighing over % a pound. A shout from 
Harry announcing coffee, I sauntered into 
camp with about a dozen beauties which 
were soon frizzling away in our pan. 
Breakfast over and our pipes smoked, we 
began the permanent arrangement of our 
camp, feeling that we could not better our 
location. A pine gulch furnished us poles 
with which we constructed a shelter, and 
covered it with boughs, to keep off the dew. 
Under this we arranged our duffle and our 
beds—of pine boughs, covered with our 
blankets. This occupied us till noon. I 
started the camp fire while Harry tried his 
luck on the trout. He became so excited 
that I could scarcely induce him to knock 
off long enough to get his dinner, which he 
ate in haste, that he might return to the 
creek. I strenuously objected to this, until 
our camp arrangements had been perfected, 
and he reluctantly acquiesced. 
Selecting a flat near the camp, we leveled 
off a place about 4 feet in diameter and dug 
a small trench to the edge of the bank, then 
with cobbles from the creek, laid up in mud, 
we built an oven 2 feet in diameter and 3 
feet high, open at the top, like a well curb, 
with walls about a foot thick, to retain the 
heat; the trench being for the draught. In 
this we built a fire to test its capacity to do 
our baking. When the fire had burned 
down, and only a bed of live coals was left, 
we covered the top with a wet blanket to re- 
tain the heat. Then mixing a pan of bis- 
cuit, we lowered it about half way (with 
wires which we had brought for the pur- 
‘ pose) covered it up with the wet blanket 
256 
and lighted our pipes while we awaited de- 
velopments. In about 25 minutes we raised 
the blanket and looked in. There were our 
biscuits, a beautiful nut-brown all over, and 
done toaturn. “ Better biscuits were never 
made,” Harry said, as we sampled them. 
The arrangement of our camp had kept 
us busy all day, so we retired early. 
Harry tried to talk about what we should 
do next day, but before he had fairly begun, 
I was sound asleep, and what a sleep it was! 
With the fragrance of the pine boughs be- 
neath and above us, we slept so profoundly 
that the next morning’s sun nearly caught 
us napping. Work and rest had induced 
such an appetite that we ate our breakfast 
sans trout, substituting bacon and biscuits, 
with a pannikin of coffee. Our appetites 
would have paralyzed a boarding house 
keeper. 
As Harry returned to camp, from picket- 
ing the horses, he heard a small stone roll 
down the point, and glancing up saw a large 
buck and 2 smaller ones leisurely feeding, 
and he hurried into camp for his rifle. Arm- 
ing ourselves and getting the course of the 
wind, we climbed to a small knoll between 
us and the deer, exercising great caution, 
lest they should hear or see us. Peering 
over the point, we saw them just as Harry 
had left them. Assigning the large buck to 
Harry, by right of discovery, I selected the 
next best and fired at the word. Dawn fell 
the big fellow, all ina heap. Mine fell, then 
rose, and fell again, and getting to his feet 
plunged down the hill toward the creek fol- 
lowed by the third. Loading quickly I gave 
chase, while Harry went to his buck to make 
sure of him. When I reached the bank of 
the creek, there lay my buck dying, and trott- 
ing up the opposite hill went the third. The 
temptation (I am ashamed to acknowledge) 
was too great, so I let him have it on the run 
breaking his hip. Over and over he rolled 
till he reached the flat, where, gaining his 
legs, he was about to make off when I gave 
him another shot and grassed him. 
Getting our horses, we soon had our 3 
bucks hanging in camp. When we real- 
ized how improvident we had been in kill- 
ing 3 deer when we needed but one, each 
appealed to the other to kick him. How- 
? 

