34 RECREATION. 
able to see the eutline ef the mountain, we 
became confused and could not tell which 
way to go. It was useless to think of camp- 
ing on the mountain for the night; fire 
wood could not be procured as the ground 
was covered with snow, and the weather was 
bitterly cold. We moved aimlessly about 
in the darkness to infuse warmth into our 
benumbed bodies. However, being seasoned 
hunters and warmly clad, we did not suffer; 
although, as we afterward learned, the ther- 
mometer fell to zero that night. At length 
the moon came up from behind the moun- 
tain and the landscape was flooded with 
light. Dave uttered an exclamation of joy 
and pointed to an immense pine tree that 
stood alone in an open space and that we 
had taken particular notice of early in the 
afternoon on account of its great size. 
Knowing the farm was not far distant, we 
pushed rapidly on, but had taken only a few 
steps when a low, snarling sound greeted 
our ears. Stopping suddenly, we saw 2 
glowing eyes shining like balls of fire out of 
a clump of bushes. We immediately raised 
our guns and fired. With a savage growl a 
catamount sprang out of the brush, rolled 
over and expired almost instantly. We 
started for home again, taking turns in car- 
rying the big cat. We reached the house at 
last, and the family were greatly surprised 
to see the catamount. They had been much 
alarmed over our absence, and 2 of the boys 
were on the point of starting in search of 
us when we arrived. 
After dinner we related the details of our 
deer hunt. The boys were not hunters, but 
there was a neighbor at the house that even- 
ing who was considered one of the best deer 
hunters in that country. He said that no 
doubt the buck was lying dead on the moun- 
tain, and he would be glad to go with us in 
search of him in the morning. We arose 
early and started at daybreak; going di- 
rectly to the spot where the buck had been 
wounded. Our new friend, Bill Smith, took 
the lead and we started on the trail of 
the wounded deer, which was partially filled 
with snow that had fallen during the night. 
When the place was reached where the deer 
had bled so freely, Bill exclaimed, “That’s 
a dead buck and no mistake.” We pressed 
on, but it was slow work to follow the 
track, which led through the thickest cover 
on the mountain and was continually crossed 
by other trails. We were moving along the 
top of the mountain through a dense growth 
of laurel, briars, berry bushes and young 
cedars. One not acquainted with the habits 
of deer would say they could not go through 
such a place, yet our immense buck, with his 
magnificent antlers went through, apparently 
with the greatest ease. A buck when pene- 
trating thick places, lowers his head and 
throws his horns as far back as possible. 
Thus the points of the prongs do not become 
’ was 50 yards to the right of me. 
entangled in the brush, but slip through 
easily. We soon came to a place where a 
herd of deer had spent the night. It was 
impossible to follow our buck farther, as 
the snow was covered with tracks which 
led in all directions. After an hour’s 
vain search, we gave it up in despair. We 
had described the buck to Bill, who told us 
the animal was an old timer, known far and 
near for his immense size. He had been 
wounded several times, but was so wary 
that few hunters were ever fortunate enough 
to get a shot at him. ; 
It was yet early in- the day, and Bill pro- 
posed go to a camp of deer hunters farther 
up the valley and spend a day or 2 hunting 
with them. When we arrived at the camp 
we found the men ready to start for the 
day’s hunt. They were all friends of Bill 
and gave us a hearty welcome, with an invi- 
tation to stay as long as we wished. It 
was a model camp. The cabin was built of 
heavy logs with a door in front, a small 
window at one side and a huge stone chim- 
ney at the other. The bunks were built 
along one side, one above the other, and 
were covered with spruce, a foot in thick- 
ness, to serve as mattresses. In the middle 
of the room stood a long, low table with 
benches on either side. All the cooking 
utensils were neatly arranged above the 
fire place, and in one corner of the room 
was a rack which contained the guns. A 
small door opened from the back part of 
the cabin into the larder, which was a small 
shed made of logs, through one end of 
which bubbled a stream of clear, crystal, 
spring water. In front of the cabin hung a 
full grown buck and a doe, also 2 wild tur- 
is the result of the previous day’s 
lunt. 
We went out with the hunters and soon 
struck a trail along the bottom of the moun- 
tain. The bellman, who carried a cow bell 
fastened by a strap thrown over his shoul- 
der, gave us 20 minutes to reach the nearest 
crossing. We clambered up the mountain, 
reached the crossing, and took our posi- 
tion. Soon the faint tinkling of the bell 
was heard far down the mountain. Deer 
are curious, and the ringing of the bell 
sometimes causes them to stand still until 
the bellman gets close enough for a shot; 
but they generally trot slowly along ahead 
of the bellman. I had taken my station 
about the middle of the crossing and Dave 
The bell 
sounded louder and louder, and I knew the 
game was not far distant. Suddenly there 
was a sound of wings, and I turned to see 
a large gobbler alight on a pine within easy 
range. What a temptation to fire! But, if 
I should, all our chances for deer would be 
destroyed, and I would be disgraced in the 
eyes of the other hunters; so I waved my 
hand and scared the tempter away. 
