THE WILD LIFE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 



127 



reeds backed by cedars and black ash in- 

 dicated an outlet stream. 



A look to the south disclosed a beauti- 

 ful slough between high hills, and at the 

 end reeds, water lilies, and sand beaches, 

 through which ran the inlet stream, show- 

 ing a gorge filled, as far as vision reached, 

 with stately elms, beneath which grew 

 the ever-present alders. 



The view on page 192 shows the slough 

 looking toward the lake, which is some- 

 what obstructed by a point, and on page 

 134 is the valley down which Jack came 

 when he discovered the lake. 



THE CENTER OF THE DEER COUNTRY 



In this little slough and the adjacent 

 lands the time was to come when more 

 deer would be killed by market hunters 

 and sportsmen than in any tract very 

 much larger on the American continent, 

 and, what can be stated with more pleas- 

 ure, it was in this locality that the new 

 sport of hunting with the camera was to 

 be originated, and where more deer were 

 to be photographed by day and by night 

 than elsewhere throughout their entire 

 range. 



This was the center of the deer coun- 

 try. Several natural salt licks were lo- 

 cated beneath each bank, forming the 

 central points of century-old gathering 

 places of all the deer within a radius of 

 ten or fifteen miles. Here, at any time 

 between spring and early winter, they 

 could be seen almost continuously. 



At the time of our first visit none of 

 us knew of this unusual attraction, for 

 from where we stood it was impossible 

 to see the animals close to the bank, and 

 it was not until years later that the 

 muddy and trampled surface and the 

 sight of the deer gulping down this saline 

 mixture indicated the presence of mineral 

 springs, shown by analysis to contain a 

 higher percentage of salt than many of 

 the commercial salt wells in southern 

 Michigan. 



While we were intent on noting the 

 surroundings, Jack pulled from beneath 

 the alders what looked like a log, but 

 when turned over proved to be a dugout 

 made from white pine and containing a 

 paddle and a gill-net. 



Although made for only one person 

 and used for trapping, we were all such 



light weights the boat was deemed large 

 enough to carry two of us when hunting. 



Jack soon made another paddle from a 

 dry piece of cedar, and then, according to 

 the rules of primogeniture, I was to go 

 on the first hunt, the lower end of the 

 lake being selected. Before starting, I 

 asked why the slough, with its many run- 

 ways, was not the best place to watch, 

 and was told that this locality was re- 

 served for fire-hunting that night, in case 

 we had no success in getting one before 

 dark. 



Leaving my brother to find his way 

 back to camp, we paddled slowly along 

 the western shore toward the reeds and 

 shallow waters, where Jack predicted it 

 would take but a few minutes to get a 

 deer. 



Suddenly he whispered, "Put up your 

 paddle. There is a deer ahead." 



But I could neither see nor hear one. 

 Passing some reeds bordering a little bay, 

 I saw, standing within less than thirty 

 yards, a small buck, intent on obtaining 

 the succulent water grasses growing a 

 few inches below the surface. 



THE EIRST SHOT 



Silently I raised the gun, aimed for the 

 shoulder, and as the black smoke and 

 heavy report evidenced the pulling of the 

 trigger, the deer gave a spasmodic whirl, 

 rushing toward the shore at an extraor- 

 dinary speed, the water flying in all direc- 

 tions. Once more • the gun was dis- 

 charged, just as the animal, in a single 

 leap, cleared the bushes and disappeared 

 in the cedar brush beyond. 



Reverberating echoes from the high 

 ground across the lake did not conceal 

 Jack's chuckle ; but he gave assurance of 

 another shot within an hour. 



"Another shot !" What a mockery this 

 seemed to one who felt sure that this 

 time the effort had been successful ; and, 

 if not, what chance would there ever be 

 of doing better? Therefore, with as- 

 sumed confidence, I insisted that we 

 would find the deer dead within a short 

 distance. But Jack only laughed and 

 steered the boat toward the opposite 

 shore, for it was evidently his opinion 

 that "buck fever" had given this animal 

 a further lease of life. 



After several hours had passed with- 



