3i8 



RECREATION 



me in bringing in the other deer, as Jim 

 was somewhat sore and stiff after his 

 effort of yesterday, but when coming 

 back with our load we spied him ahead, 

 bent almost double, a small doe hang- 

 ing down his back, with its head dang- 

 ling around his legs. Its hind legs had 

 been fastened together, and Jim's head 

 was stuck up between the two hoofs, he 

 hanging on to them like grim death. He 

 was indeed a sight to behold, and we 

 laughed until our own load dropped 

 from our shoulders. 



Jim waxed mad at our merriment, 

 and despite all our coaxing refused to 

 put himself in the same position so I 

 could get a picture of him and his bur- 

 den. 



Half an hour's rest put all of us in 

 better trim and humor, and during the 

 interim Jim was shown how one" man 

 can carry a deer providing its weight 

 does not overtax his strength. 



We first tied the front legs together, 

 then fastened the head down within six 

 inches of the feet, so that the neck and 

 head would not dangle about the car- 

 rier's back and side ; and finally the hind 

 feet were tied together. This latter is 

 not really necessary, but I have found it 

 a help. 



A "tump line" is now fastened be- 

 tween the front and hind legs, which 

 can be adjusted to either go across the 

 breast or forehead of the carrier. The 

 latter is much the better way, but some 

 persons cannot stand the pressure on 

 the head. 



The "tump line" need not be used if 

 the carrier has no other load to bring 

 along, as his hands can be used to keep 

 to the deer in position, but if his rifle has 

 to be "toted" he will find that the 

 "tump" is "just the thing." 



Jim watched me prepare the "rig- 

 ging," and when the deer was lifted so 

 he could get the band across his fore- 

 head, he struck off at a speed that soon 

 left us far behind. We did not overtake 

 him, but when we reached camp he was 

 proud to tell us he had not rested the 

 entire distance. 



The rest of us exchanged winks and 



nods, which meant that the "softy" 

 would soon develop-into the "boss toter" 

 of the camp. 



It was several days later that Jim, 

 Fred and I got "mixed up" with a 

 bunch of deer, with the result that each 

 of us scored one. It so happened that 

 we were near a lumbering camp, and we 

 concluded to go there and get the loan 

 of a horse. 



We succeeded in getting one of those 

 that had evidently been superannuated 

 after having seen long service in the 

 woods. 



He was put into harness and brought 

 to the vicinity of our game. Here we 

 cut down two good-sized saplings and 

 stripped them of all their branches. 

 Having some old hay wire procured at 

 the camp, we fastened the small ends of 

 the poles to the horse's collar, thus al- 

 lowing the butts of the trees to trail. 

 Cutting two smaller pieces of wood we 

 laid them across the others and fas- 

 tened them securely with wire. This 

 gave a framework to carry the deer, and 

 as it subsequently proved, no matter 

 what kind of ground we had to travel 

 over, the obstructions in the way, or the 

 steepness of the hills we had to descend 

 or climb, we found the "wick-i-up," as 

 we dubbed it, equal to every demand 

 made upon it and with very little strain 

 on the horse. 



The deer as they were picked up were 

 laid across the sticks and roped to them, 

 and though it was a good many miles to 

 camp and the worst possible kind of 

 country, we made it without a mishap. 



We had proceeded on our return 

 journey a couple of miles when Jim, 

 who was close up to the driver, and en- 

 deavoring to keep up a conversation in 

 French at the same time, suddenly 

 turned on Fred and I, and nodding to- 

 ward the "wick-i-up," laughingly re- 

 marked : 



"This just suits me." 



Fred's reply was that, "I. don't ob- 

 ject to it, either." To which I added my 

 entire approbation. 



It was certainly bringing in the game 

 in comfort, and one that should be util- 



