LOST IN A TAMARACK SWAMP. 



107 



We found less and less blood and feared 

 that the game was up, but not wishing to 

 leave a wounded deer we kept up the chase. 

 All that time we had not noticed that the 

 sky had become clouded and that it was 

 steadily growing darker. At last it began 

 to snow. We did not know how far we 

 had walked as the deer had gone in every 

 direction. Neither of us had kept track 

 of the directions, and we could not tell by 

 the wind, as it was entirely still. _ We 

 then realized that we were in one of Minne- 

 sota's thickest and darkest swamps with- 

 out a compass, and it was snowing. The 

 trees stood so thick we could see but a 

 few yards ahead. The snow covered 01 r 

 tracks in a short time, also the dangerous 

 little pools of water that are all through 

 these swamps. Mr. Fuglestad stepped in 

 one of these and the water went up to his 

 knee. 



I climbed a big tamarack to see if I 

 could tell where we were, but saw only 

 tamarack in every direction. We took the 

 direction which we thought was most likely 

 to be right and went straight, for about a 

 mile, when I again climbed a tree. That 

 time I thought we were surely getting out 

 of the swamp, as straight ahead about a half 

 mile I saw higher ground and a few aspen 

 trees. We went straight for that bunch 

 but our hopes fell as we came to a little 

 knoll with 3 aspen trees on it ! We did 

 not say much, and what we did say would 

 not look well in print. I climbed the larg- 

 est aspen and looked around, but saw 

 only the brown, slender tamaracks; and 

 as it had almost quit snowing and I was 

 so high, I could see many miles. It was 

 getting late in the afternoon and we knew 

 we were in for the night, at least. We 

 decided to stay where we were until some- 

 thing turned up. We knew that the swamp 

 was over 20 miles across at that place and 

 we must be far into it. 



We gathered a big pile of dry wood, to 

 keep a fire burning all night. We had no 

 grub and had seen no game since we en- 

 tered the swamp. To make things seem 

 even more hideous, wolves began to howl 

 about us. I disliked the idea of roosting 

 with an empty stomach, so took my rifle 

 and wandered about our dismal camp in 

 search of anything with flesh and blood. I 

 was much surprised to find a large flock of 

 ruffed grouse. I soon had 6 down. The 

 little 38-55 cut their heads clear off. We 

 roasted them Indian fa/shion, plastering 

 them over with mud and baking them in 

 the coals. We ate 2 that night and they 

 tasted exceedingly good. They were a little 

 different from the ordinary ruffed grouse, 

 being smaller, and darker in color. 



We both slept some that night by lying 

 close to a small fire. Toward the middle 

 of the night the clouds became a little 



lighter and I could see the milky way. I 

 then knew the direction at once, as I knew 

 how the milky way lay at that time, and 

 it was clear that we had gone Southwest. 



I did not say anything to my friend about 

 it, but in the morning I said that I smelled 

 the boys and was going straight for camp. 

 Mr. Fuglestad said that he did not smell 

 anything but tamarack and bog. After 

 eating all we wanted of our birds we put 

 the rest in our pockets. Mr, Fuglestad 

 pointed out what he thought must be East 

 and advised -that we go that way until we 

 got somewhere. I knew that he pointed 

 Northwest, but did not say so. I only said 

 I smelled the boys and was going to camp, 

 and that if he did not wish to stay in the 

 swamp and be eaten by wolves he would 

 better follow me. I picked up my rifle and 

 started straight East. My friend followed, 

 although he said he knew we were going 

 wrong. We kept on going as fast as we 

 could nearly all that forenoon, when sud- 

 denly we came out at about the same place 

 where we had started in the day before. 

 We crossed the slough, which was frozen 

 over, and came into a patch of hard maples. 



I had just shot a grouse, not thinking we 

 should see deer at that time. There were 

 many big pine windfalls at that place and 

 as I climbed over one of these I saw a 

 big buck coming directly toward us. I 

 was surprised. We had not walked quiet- 

 ly and I had just fired my rifle; still this 

 deer seemed unaware of our presence. I 

 aimed at his neck and fired, but just at that 

 moment he leaped over a little windfall and 

 the bullet only grazed his back, cutting 

 much hair and making several bad holes 

 in his hide. I had used smokeless powder, 

 the deer had not seen me and he stopped 

 short about 40 feet from me. I put a bullet 

 behind his ear and he was our meat. Mr. 

 Fuglestad had been some distance in the 

 rear and did not see the deer until it was 

 dead. 



Our friends had heard the firing and soon 

 met us. They had searched for us all the 

 forenoon snd had fired many signal shots, 

 but we had not heard them. Our friends 

 had also shot a deer and had seen a bull 

 moose the day before, but as the season had 

 not opened on moose they did not shoot. 



Since that time I have never gone into 

 the big woods without a compass, and I 

 earnestly advise all other sportsmen to 

 carry one when in the woods. We staid 

 in camp about a week longer and got 2 

 deer apiece, with which we were satisfied. 



Deer are numerous in Beltrami county. 

 Many moose are also found there ; but a 

 better place for moose is along the Big 

 Fork river in Itasca county. A few cari- 

 bou are also found, but they are scarce and 

 should not be shot. I am going up again 

 in the fall of 1903. Who will go with me? 



