KX 



RECREATION. 



GIVE THEM MARLINS. 



JEAN ALLISON. 



Sunday,- December 8, 1901, Ralph D., a 

 Verde river rancher, and I made arrange- 

 ments to put in the few remaining days of 

 the open season for deer on the Mogollon 

 mountains. Monday, the 9th, we left his 

 place in a spring wagon and drove as near 

 to the rim as possible. From there we had 

 to pack, and at 8 o'clock we landed on top 

 of Secret mountain. The old Howard cabin 

 was in a bad state of repair and the water 

 in the tanks was low, so our prospects 

 were flattering for a dry camp. Tuesday 

 we looked for water and fresh deer signs, 

 but found little of either. We concluded to 

 move camp, and the following morning 

 found us early on our way to Kelsey 

 springs, on Sycamore creek, 12 miles 

 Northwest. At noon we were on the Mali- 

 pai rim, overlooking Sycamore creek and 

 the noted Kelsey, or Black and Vail's. D. 

 K, ranch. Down the rough and slippery 

 trail we went, and were glad when we 

 reached the bottom and were on the little 

 flat where the house, corral and long string 

 of 12 water troughs are situated. 



We unpacked, watered our horses 

 and hobbled them, found the key to the 

 cabin, made ourselves comfortable, and soon 

 had supper. By 8 o'clock we were dream- 

 ing of bucks with horns like rocking chairs 

 and of the choice, juicy steaks and liver 

 we were to enjoy. 



By daylight Thursday we were wending 

 our way over a frozen trail to Kastney 

 mountain, about 2 miles distant. We had 

 just crossed a little park and were round- 

 ing a rocky point when a jack rabbit jump- 

 ed up, ran probably 40 feet and stopped. 

 My companion wanted to shoot it. but I 

 said no. We had not gone 20 steps when 

 I spied a 3 point blacktail buck standing 

 behind a fallen pine. Up went my 45-90 

 and down came the noble deer. After a 

 number of hard trials we succeeded in 

 hanging him high and dry. Cutting off his 

 right ear as a trophy and tying up the liver 

 we started for camp to get a pack horse 

 to bring in our prize. When we reached 

 from Maine, in a lumber camp near Wil- 

 liams. They were camped on the rim, ^2 

 mile distant, and were down after water. 

 They told us one member of their party 

 had the misfortune to have his right hand 

 torn off by the explosion of a 30-30 Marlin 

 the week before. 



When they had gone we looked for our 

 horses and at sundown we cut their trail. 

 They were heading up the slippery trail we 

 came down the day before. The next 

 morning we were out early and struck our 

 horses' trail on top. We followed it a 

 mile or so and then lost it. We made an- 

 other circuit and Ralph jumped a spike buck 

 and killed it. We hung the liver and heart 

 on a twig and decided to go back that wav 

 to take them in for supper. After a futile 

 search for many hours we gave up the 

 horse hunt for the day and started for 



home. When we came to our spike we 

 found liver and heart gone and the tracks 

 Of 3 men and a dog. We grew suspicious 

 from our loss and decided to pack our deer 

 into camp. Saturday we devoted strictlv 

 to horse hunting. As we were nearing 

 camp we decided to go to the place where 

 we had packed our buck and lost the liver, 

 to see if anything new had developed. Be- 

 neath the little oak on the black, soft 

 ground were shod horse tracks and the 3 

 tracks of the liver thieves. Knowing our 

 horses were lost they had thought we 

 would leave the deer until we found them 

 and that they would appropriate our spike. 

 The loss of the liver to us was the loss of 

 the deer to them. When we arrived in 

 camp the party had gone,. 



Sunday morning, as we were rounding a 

 cedar knoll, we ran on to a 4 year old bay 

 mare, a 3-year old stallion and a 2-year old 

 sorrel filly, all shot with 30-30 and 30-40 

 Winchesters, as we found the empty shells 

 of those calibers. The chills ran over us 

 at the sight and we recalled having heard 

 13 shots in that neighborhood Friday even- 

 ing. 



We located our horses on a far away 

 point and by 11 o'clock were back in camp. 

 Throwing a pack saddle on one of the 

 horses we were soon on our way to the 

 little knoll where our 3 point prize buck 

 was hanging. When we reached there all 

 that remained to tell the tale of the buck 

 was the gambol stick, the blood-stained 

 grass and an X, afterward put on the tree. 



Brother hunters, think of the loss of the 

 hot, juicy steaks we dreamed of. and do 

 not blame me for registering a- vow that if 

 I learn the names of those thieves thev will 

 want no creme de menthe after I get 

 through advertising them. The best way 

 to get rid of such hunters would be to 

 present each of them with a Paddy Marlin 

 rifle and they could blow their bloomin' 

 heads off. Then our bucks would hang 

 where killed. 



In speaking on the negro question the 

 other night, Oscar R. Hundley, for many 

 years a member of the Alabama Legisla- 

 ture, told a story to illustrate the workings 

 of certain politicians. "I was out walking 

 one spring," he said, "and saw sitting on 

 the bank of a creek, fishing, an old, wizened 

 negro and an uneasy little pickaninny. • I 

 watched them, until finally the little fellow 

 wriggled off his log, going to the bottom 

 of the creek. The old negro tossed off his 

 coat, and, diving, grabbed the child, and 

 drew him out. I said to him, 'Uncle, that 

 was surely a magnanimous act; you must 

 think a lot of the boy.' 



" 'Oh, no ! mistah, you don't know 'Ras- 

 tus. He's jes' the ornaries', triflines', 

 shif'less little cuss that evah was; but he 

 had all the bait in his pocket.' " — New York 

 Tribune. 



IF YOU WOULD LIVE NEXT TO 

 NATURE, READ RECREATION. 



