RECREATION 



Volume XII. 



FEBRUARY, \ 900. 



Number 2 



G. 0. SHIELDS (COQUINA,, Editor and Manager. 



A TRAGEDY IN THE MAINE WOODS. 



WM. E. COFFIN. 



The late Jock Darling was a pictur- 

 esque feature of the Maine woods ; in 

 his way a type. As he accompanied 

 me on 3 hunting trips I had an oppor- 

 tunity to become well acquainted with 

 him and his peculiarities. At his home 

 he was a substantial, law-abiding citi- 

 zen, who had accumulated some prop- 

 erty, was respected by his neighbors 

 and had raised a family of children 

 considerably above the average in in- 

 tellect and character. In the woods 

 he possessed a perfect knowledge of 

 game and its habits, and a natural gift 

 for still hunting. I have never seen 

 anyone, either Indian or white man, 

 who could equal him in handling a 

 canoe. 



It is a fact well known among 

 sportmen that no man can become a 

 really fine marksman who does not 

 have piercing gray eyes, and Dar- 

 ling's case is another proof of it. 

 He had the eyes of a hawk and 

 was a famous marksman. Ordi- 

 narily taciturn, he could, on occasion, 

 talk most interestingly of the woods, 

 of wild animals and their habits, and 

 of his own experiences. 



Darling's one fault as a guide was 

 an indisposition to what he deemed 

 unnecessary exertion or change of lo- 

 cation. This was doubtless due to his 

 age. In my own experience it has 

 been necessary to cover a great deal 

 of territory to locate a proper hunting 

 ground in a limited time. My rest- 

 lessness, as he doubtless called it, 

 probably tried Darling's soul. Cer- 



tainly he resisted every proposition 

 to move camp, with all the quiet stub- 

 borness of his nature, and it was al- 

 most impossible to get. him out of a 

 canoe. He hated foot work. 



His life was greatly clouded, and 

 probably shortened, by a continual 

 contest with the game wardens. He 

 refused to recognize the game laws, 

 persisting in killing game whenever 

 and wherever he pleased, and at one 

 time ran what was called a "meat 

 route," peddling unlawfully killed 

 venison from his wagon at such low 

 prices that the legitimate butcher of 

 that section was driven from the trade. 

 So great was his reputation for cool- 

 ness and relentless pursuit of an en- 

 emy, and so strong his hold on the 

 community in which he lived, that 

 for years the game wardens dared not 

 arrest him. Had Darling's energy in 

 evading and brow-beating the game 

 wardens been turned in more legiti- 

 mate directions he would have made 

 his mark in almost any community. 



The development of the sports- 

 man's instinct in me must be a 

 case of "throw back," for my ances- 

 tors, as far as their habits can be 

 traced, were office men or farmers. 

 My father would never permit me to 

 have a gun. Entering business and 

 marrying early, I was 30 years old 

 before I had fired a rifle -at a 

 living object. But the instinct was 

 there, and in time made itself felt. 



My first experience was after deer 

 in Maine, and, having had 2 rather 



! 



J 



