Feb. 14, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



43 



bo.'it pushing lazily along while the Greek Professor, seated 

 mine bow, was casting ahead, zealous to catch something, 

 lie eared not what, Finding himself unable to throw out as 

 far as he wished, while seated in the boat, he rose to his 

 feet and began easting. This rendered the boat difficult to 

 manage, and the Judge thereupon said as much to the Greek 

 Professor, who kept on his casting but taking nothing. Two 

 or three times the Judge hinted the difficulty, but the Greek 

 Professor gave no attention to the hint. Then the Judge's ire 

 arose, and he resolved to throw the Greek Professor over- 

 board. He had given two or three little side movements in 

 order lo test the force required to make successful the ex- 

 periment, and had planted his pole and braced himself for 

 the final quick and strong side push, when bis right eye 

 caught a glimpse of a deer stepping down into the water. 1 

 ay right eye, because he is so very near-sighted in his left 

 eye, that he noes not pretend to see with it any such dis- 

 tance. At once the Judge resolved not to throw the Greek 

 Professor into the lake just, then. "I see a deer ahead, and 

 if you will sit down amidship. I'll push this boat within gun- 

 shot of it." It required nothing more to get the Greek P-.o- 

 fessor down as indicated, and with the shotgun across his 

 knees. And then the Judge bent to the pushing pole, and 

 the Wawa shot through the water as straight and as noise- 

 less as a pike. 



"Where is it?" asked the Greek Professor. • 'I can't see 

 it " 



"Na." said the Judge. "Some people never can seegame. 

 It has moved behind some brush, but will come out in a 

 moment." 



And the Wawa fairly leaped along in silence, leaving a 

 loug and widening trail behind her. 



•'There, now !" said the Judge in a low tone. "It has 

 stepped out, as I said it would. See, it looks all around— 

 don't move a finger." And he stood as motiouless as a 

 stump, and the Greek Professor sat likewise. And then the 

 deer lowered its head and again the Wawa shot forward, and 

 by this time the Greek Professor had his gun to his 

 shoulder. 



"Don't shoot vet," said the Judge, "you are too far!" 



"No, I'll not!" 



And nearer and nearer the little boat drew. 



"Must I shoot?" wmispered the Greek Professor. 



"No, not till it looks up again," was whispered back to 

 him. 



And the setting pole was lifted from the water without 

 noise and a new foothold taken and the Wawa sent still 

 nearer the unsuspecting victim. It turns its side to them 

 and lifts its head. 



"Now!" is whispered. 



Bang! 



And the deer drops in its tracks. 



"A center shot! Where did you aim?'' asks the Judge. 



"Right at the fore shoulder," answers the Greek Professor 

 proudly. 



"My conscience!" exclaims the Judge in well simulated 

 surprise. 



"What is it?" asks the Greek Professor in evident concern 

 as the Wawa moves up to the prostrate deer. 



"Think of the consequence had you aimed at its hiud 

 shoulder!'' 



"Oh, fudge!" 



The deer was lying in shallow water, holding its nose out. 

 Both the men leaped out, and, giving the boat a push, it was 

 run ashore. 



"Lay hold of it," said the Judge, "and cut its throat." 



"1 can't do it," said the Greek Professor, whose savage- 

 ism had gone out with the shot he had fired and whose 

 tender-heartedness had returned. "No, I can't do it; you 

 must do it." 



"Well, then you must step shooting at deer." 



And the Judge laid hold of it, and, dragging it to the white 

 sand, he thrust a knife into its throat, and as the warm blood 

 spurted from the gaping wound and a film came over its 

 eyes, and its under jaw relaxed and it gave a dying struggle, 

 the Greek Professor said, "Poor thing! Poor thing! I wish 

 1 had missed !" 



"I can believe you," replied the Judge, "I don't think I 

 ever killed one in my life that I saw die but I was real sorry 

 that I had hit it. I remember that 1 once shot at a deer 

 and broke its back while it was standing on the river bank, 

 and it fell in and swam around, using its forelegs. A friend 

 was with me — a capital good fellow he was, and as tender- 

 hearted as a woman, and he cried like one, too, while I was 

 killing that wounded deer; and I am not right sure but I 

 cried myself. And I felt real mean and sneaking all day 

 after. The truth is, I couldn't eat the venison and'we gave 

 it away." 



"Well, then, what makes you kill them?" asked the Greek 

 Professor. 



"What made you kill this one?" replied the Judge. "Y»u 

 have been crazy to kill one ever since you have been in the 

 woods. You feel just now as if you would never kill another, 

 and I don't think you would go very far out of your way to 

 kill another one to-day. But to-morrow, or the day after, 

 you will have forgotten all about this poor, pitiable thing 

 "lying dead here, and will be more anxious than ever before 

 to kill another. Why do wc kill them? Well, a very few 

 hundred years ago our ancestors got their living mainly by 

 hunting, and I guess w» have inherited a good deal from 

 them. ' There is where I fancy I got my love of deer shoot- 

 ing. But let us see where your shot struck." 



And they turned the carcass over expecting to find the 

 region of the heart riddled with shot, but not a wound could 

 they find there. Then they examined other parts of the 

 body ami finally they found that one shot had struck it 

 plump in the top of the head. 



The deer was a small one— a yearling doe, but its flesh was 

 all the sweeter and tenderer, and although the Greek Pro- 

 fessor was heard to say, "If it only had been a big buck!" in 

 a lamenting tone, yet after he had slept over it he was as 

 proud of his achievement as if it. had been the. biggest buck 

 in all the woods. 



Notwithstanding the luck of the morning the Wawa was 

 hauled ashore and the trip continued to the Pau-Puk-Keewis, 

 and the remainder of the clay spent wandering up and down 

 that stream, the seat of an ancient beaver empire made 

 famous by "The Song of Hiawatha," 



On their return to camp, tired and hungry, bmt in high 

 spirits, toward night, they were unexpectedly met by Ed. 

 Cox and Ira Welter, who had come to the Ahmeek-we-se.-pe 

 for a two days' fishing, and who had brought letters from 

 home — the first we had — and also a further supply of sugar, 

 Hour and baking powder, Their experience as woodsmen 

 and campers-out led them to conclude that "about this time 

 we were beginning to run short of these substantials," and 

 their conclusion was correct, D. D. Bajxta. 



REMINISCENCES OF THE NORTHWEST. 



MY FIRST BEAU. 



HAVING decided upon a few years of border life, the 

 time of departure drew near, and many bright antici- 

 pations of hunting and fishing exploits ran riot in my brain 

 during my contemplation of the coming change,. 1 remem- 

 ber during a shOrl stay it>LNew York, just before taking the 

 express for the West. fl.w many well-wishers there were 

 who joined me in paiMng the bright hope-picture of the 

 mighty West— what lots of hunting, and what countless 

 numbers of trout of any imaginable size were, destined to 

 become my prey. 



Had I a good gun? Was it a Greener? Or what had I 

 considered best for such a hunting prospect? Whatever 

 make, it could hardly be good enough. But a light gun 

 would hardly do; Imrist certainly have a rifle, for it seemed 

 i he slaying of buffal©, deer and grizzlies would unquestion- 

 ably form. a large part of my future occupation; ami among 

 the many brilliant suggestions advanced with a view to 

 meeting this emergency, that of an "express rifle" calculated 

 to express something like a quarter of a pound of lead was 

 not wanting. All this resulted in the purchase of a Ballard 

 rifle before leaving, with the ostensible object, of slajiug the 

 antelope and buffalo of the plains, as the trains of the 

 Union Pacifie flew past their numerous herds. With notions 

 like these I started for the frontier, and it is barely necessary 

 to add that the Ballard was disposed of to the first purchaser 

 after reaching my destination, with, of course, the unfailing 

 recommendation that it was really a new gun and had never 

 been tired. 



I think it was something over a year after my arrival in 

 the West that I had occasion to use a rifle, and by that time 

 I had learned that one of Uncle Samuel's Springfield car- 

 bines was about the best thing for all uses there was to be 

 had in that line. After a great deal of wing-shooting and 

 deer hunting of various sorts, a trip into the mountains was 

 under contemplation which gave unusual promise of hriug- 

 ing some of us at least within range of a genuine live Rocky 

 Mountain grizzly; the climax of the hunter's joy. 



But, alas! for' the vanity of human hope, day after day, 

 and week after week took its place in the ranks of the past 

 and the bruin of our dreams still remained a "vapory con- 

 jecture," a "mere figment of the intellect." 



At first I always carried a rifle when going far from camp 

 alone, until day after day proclaimed in stronger terms the 

 unwelcome truth that there was really no immediate danger 

 of being devoured, and this weighty consideration added to 

 the fact that all kinds of small game were plenty— particu- 

 larly grouse and birds of every sort as well as small deer that 

 could be killed with buckshot from a shotgun— resulted after 

 a short time in my going abroad customarily armed with a 

 very ordinary eight-pound fowling piece, the shells charged 

 with sixes and eights; two or three reserve cartridges being 

 loaded with buckshot for an occasional deer. So passed the 

 days with birds and venison in profusion for the entire com- 

 mand. 



A short march, making camp by 'three in the afternoon, 

 was generally the order of the day, "and this left several hours 

 for hunting before dark, while an early rise in the morning 

 gave ample time for a few casts in the brook before break- 

 fast and boots and saddles. After weeks like this, anything 

 more than a small black bear was reckoned amoug the* possi- 

 bilities but hardly among the probabilities of the future of 

 our trip. Bear tracks were not uncommon on the trail, but 

 they seemed to be out of the way in the day time, though 

 now and then a small black bear would be seen early in the 

 morning, which at sight of us would take to the hills or the 

 timber, avoiding our approach. 



The object of our trip had been accomplished, we had 

 joined another command scouting in the same section, and 

 we had already turned our course homeward. Great had 

 been my eagerness to ascertain on joining the new command 

 if Lieutenant P. while separated from us had succeeded in 

 getting a bear, and equally great was my gratification in 

 learning that my luck was not exceptional, and that he had 

 been no more fortunate than I. 



We were within a few days of our return, when a pleasant 

 afternoon found us encamped on the banks of a mountain 

 stream at a point where, leaving the hilly caiion it found its 

 way through a pleasant meadow. We bad had about hunt- 

 ing enough ; Lieutenant P. was still sanguine, but in our 

 conversation on the subject while sitting about camp await- 

 ing the call to supper, I remember having strongly depre- 

 cated the hunting resources of the Territory. I did not be- 

 lieve there were any more bear in the Rocky Mountains than 

 there were in the Adirondacks, while the former range 

 covered vastly more ground, as a result of which I contended 

 in the strongest terms that there were more bear to the square 

 foot of land in the East than there were in the West, and 

 that there was much nonsense, if not actual fraud, in the 

 reputation the West enjoyed for hunting facilities. I did not 

 expert- to meet any bear- at all events, and if I did, Ihad that 

 confidence in my. shotgun that I should simply shoot him 

 with one barrel in one eye and then with the other barrel in 

 the other eye, after which I should proceed to fall upon him 

 and whittle him up witn my jack-kuife while indulging in a 

 wrestling match just as I had frequently seen it done upon 

 the stage. This sort of talk was interrupted by Johnny the 

 scout/who had just reached camp, and came to inform the 

 Loot'uant that he had discovered a deer lick a short distance 

 from camp with fresh signs about it, and that a deer could 

 probably be taken with little trouble by going to the spot 

 about sunset, as they customarily came down to the licks at 

 that time for water. 



After supper we lit our pipes and at the suggestion of Col. 

 B. , who said our larder was getting low, I expressed my 

 willingness to take the deer whose visit at the salt spring 

 was contemplated. Lieutenant P., from disinclination or 

 other cause, did not care to go along, but in his habitually 

 gentle manner ventured a few predictions adverse to the re- 

 sults. I had somehow acquired, with him at least, the repu- 

 tation of being a rather desultory hunter. I didn't propose 

 to get more than one deer anyhow, so I picked up the first 

 carbine that came to hand, and taking three cartridges from 

 the nearest belt of the many that lay scattered about the 

 ground, I shoved them somewhat carelessly into one of the 

 pockets of my hunting coat and left the camp, pipe in mouth 

 and gun in hand, thinking my smoke might as well be 

 finished at the deer lick as about the camp-fire, with the 

 additional prospect of a fresh steak for breakfast. 



It was oaly a few hundred yards to the lick, a beautiful 

 spot to while away an hour and watch the setting sun. A 

 half hour soon passed, my pipe was out, and with it my 

 reflections took a turn. Lieutenant P. might yet be right, 

 the prospect that I should return empty-handed was certainly 

 better than it had been and was visibly impvo viug every minute. 



No rustling in the leaves, no sign of game beyond the 

 caiion, whose dark gorge was fast fading into the gloom of 

 twilight, Certainly this would not do, if the deer was com- 

 ing down I might hasten matters somewhat by meeting him 

 halfway; besides I would feel better for the walk and might 

 possibly save my reputation as a hunter. 



There was little of interest on the canon trail. I drifted 

 along over one little rise after another, and now and then 

 climbing over some large pine trees that had fallen across 

 the trail. I had gone some little distance without interrup- 

 tion, the trail became narrow, winding along the side hill 

 some fifty or sixty feet above the white waters of the moun- 

 tain stream; to the right and left the steep declivity of slide 

 rock precluded the possibility of climbing. As I sauntered 

 along gun in hand my gaze had been directed to the ground 

 for some minutes, when suddenly without apparent cause. I 

 looked up along the trail. Heavens! Could it be true, or 

 did 1 dream? The largest, fiercest, ugliest creature Ihad 

 ever seen, stood— no, 1 wish he had— was leisurely walking- 

 straight down the trail toward where 1 stood leaning against 

 a dee trying to collect myself and realize the immediate and 

 terrible necessities of the situation. His ponderous paws came 

 down with monotonous pat, pat, pat, that seemed to fairly 

 siiake the ground, for he wasn't more than forty yards away. 



I shall never live to forget the sick feeling that first 

 glimpse produced. His heavy plodding carriage seemed to 

 say with the swiftness of thought: 'Tf you are standing 

 there when I arrive I shall walk right through you. I'll eat 

 you up, and I'll use your miserable old pop gun for a tooth- 

 pick, and it wont bother me any more than breathing so 

 much air." This was about all I felt in addition to the sense 

 of ultra fierceness that grizzly's whole appearance seemed to 

 wear, his little small eyes, scarcely visible, his ponderous 

 feet and a sense of massive weight as he came plunging *lowu 

 the hill, all combined to produce that sense of utter goneness 

 which is only known to those who have been once thoroughly 

 and awfully scared. Here, then, Was what I had been 

 looking after for weeks. This was what I thought the coun- 

 try needed iu order to meet the expectations of its friends; 

 here was the grizzly bear that I wanted to shoot, blind with 

 pepper shot and cut up with a penknife. 



While all this was passing through my mind I was fum- 

 bling about in rny pocket for one of those miserable three 

 cartridges I had so carelessly tucked away, and I hadn't 

 much heart in what I was doing, either. I didn't know for 

 certain whether or not 'twas best to ruffle his temper with 

 foolish and trifling demonstrations of courage. 1 would 

 have liked to swap my carbine for a Gatling gun or 

 a mitrailleuse, in fact anything seemed preferable to the 

 situation I was in. All this time the bear was coming right 

 along; it seemed ps though I was unconsciously counting 

 his steps while fumbling about for that cartridge and getting 

 it into the carbine. At last it was there, the hammer cocked, 

 and, with steady rest against that little pine tree, I pulled 

 the trigger on grizzly bruin. The smoke passed aw-ay, and 

 "oh, horror!" he wasn't dead at all! He was coming at a 

 run, and only had thirty yards to run if I stood where I was. 

 If was too much for human fortitude, If there had been 

 anybody round to laugh at you it woidd have been different, 

 but there wasn't. What I thought I don't quite know. The 

 next recollection I have I was running down that hill about 

 as fast as my legs had ever carried me, and calling loudly 

 for "Johnny," the scout, w r ho 1 suddenly recollected had 

 told me on leaving camp that he should oome up to the 

 spufng after finishing his supper. 



As will appear later I had unfortunately made myself 

 heard before 1 could collect my senses sufficiently to realize 

 that I was actually running from a challenged enemy, and 

 what might CoL B. and Lieut, P. say could they see me in 

 this predicament. I think it was this sense of humiliation 

 that overcame the effects of the fright with which that 

 bear's sudden appearance had inspired me; at all events 1 

 managed to get one of my two remaining cartridges into the 

 gun, stubbornly faced about and not caring a cent whether 

 bruin made a square meal off .me or not, I coolly drew an- 

 other head on that bear and fired. It was evidently the work 

 of despair; the smoke cleared away again and it would be 

 hard to describe my gratification at seeing my grizzly rolling 

 heavily down the hill like a barrel of pork,' bounding from 

 one stone to another until he took a final plunge into the 

 mountain stream that rushed along the gorge below. 



Another shout to "Johnny," this time a call of triumph, 

 and the next instant I was scrambling over the slide rock 

 down to where bruin lay. The complete reversion of feel- 

 ing produced by seeing my formidable victim rolling appar- 

 ently inanimate clown the hill was loo much for my sanguine 

 nature; it never occurred to me that he might not be dead, 

 and that the gorge was not a very nice place after dark even 

 when no. bears were about. My eagerness knew no bounds; 

 one careless step after another, and half way down the hill, 

 1 found my motion uncontrollable; the slide rock had got 

 started and it would not stop. 1 must go with it. Another 

 second and splash! up to my waist in a cold mountain 

 stream full of rocks and boulders; but what was infinitely 

 worse, a glance up the stream brought back all the horror 

 of my first sight of bruin. There, not more than ten feet 

 up the stream from where I stood, was bruin, wounded and 

 plunging about in the rocks and water, whose swift current 

 continually disturbed his footing and urged him a few feet 

 nearer me. Though wounded he was apparently as well as 

 ever, and evidently intent on reaching me, in which he was 

 greatly favored by circumstances. 



I think the cold water of the mountain stream brought me 

 to my senses somewhat. At all events it didn't take me 

 long to find my third and last cartridge, my forlorn and only 

 hope; should it fail, there remained nothing to do but to 

 take to the stream and chance it with the rocks to the mouth 

 of the canon. By the time 1 had got it into the gun bruin 

 was about two yards off. In the coolness of despair I • 

 pointed the muzzle to his breast and pulled the trigger. 

 Bruin fell from his erect position against the bank into the 

 water and floated to my feet. His head was. under the water, 

 and by the time he reached me he had breathed his last, 



Johnny had heard my call, and the discharge of my last 

 shot had indicated my whereabouts to the amazed by- 

 standers on the hills above. "Hooray! Hoeray! Bidly 

 for the loot'nant! Golly, it's a big one!" "Sling him a 

 rope!" and many similar expressions, told how lustily 1 had 

 hollered some minutes before. 



Ropes were procured, and Mr. Grizzly, the first and only 

 bear of the season, a fine five-huudred-pounder, was floated 

 down the stream and Hauled into camp with the honors of 

 war. 



We had another supper that night and after it a long talk, 

 in which the bear was killed a half dozen times over, and 

 after it all Lieutenant P. was hearty in his sincere, though 

 somewhat unanticipated, congratulations. 



