June 18, 1885.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



407 



The Big Woodpecker.— Editor Forest and Slram: The 

 ivory-billed woodpecker {Oompcphihis priiidpaUs) may be 

 found in unfrequented swamps in this pai t of Arkansas. It 

 is not rare, but is rarely met with. The pileated woodpecker 

 (Hylotomm pilmtuH) is "quite abundant, and often seen in all 

 parts of the State, even on the highlands in scrubby oak and 

 pine growth, but is, of course, more common in the low 

 country, in dense forests and damp localities. "A "Red- 

 Headed Family" gives a very readable account of the habits 

 and nest of the ivory bill. By the way, "Ivory Bill" is a 

 complimentary designation applied in this State to a very old 

 citizen, or first settler of the country. The local names for 

 the ivory bill most in use here are logeock, woodcock, wood- 

 claick and Indian ben. Also applied indiscriminately to 

 lrylvlomiix jiildiitun, — Yell (Newport, Ark., Juue 8). 



Soppohed HvimKD Wolves,— A prairie wolf at the 

 Philadelphia Zoological Gardens has given birth to three 

 very peculiar looking whelps. The puppies, for so they 

 seem to be, do not at all resemble the young of the species, 

 and some doubt is confessed as to their parentage on the sire 

 side. It appears that the mother was in the possession of a 

 student, who was using her as a model either iu sculpture or 

 painting, and when not occupied with her, kept her chained 

 in a stable. She was as tame as a dog, and was presented to 

 the "Zoo." Since arriving within the inclosure she has 

 given birth to the three youngsters in question, and they all 

 slron<<;lv resemble domesticated dog puppies. The pointed 

 nose is wanting, and the erect ear of the wolf is supplanted 

 by a turnover appendage, the bushy tail is growing more 

 slender and curled over. What shape they will assume when 

 grown, time only can tell. — Homo. 



An Albino Robin has been taken alive by Sergeant Green 

 iu Leverington Cemetery, Philadelphia. The bird was seen 

 among others for several days and the effort to catch it 

 proved successful. An ash sieve, a ball of twine and a 

 plentiful supply of sponge cake were the tools employed. 

 The white robin was curious, unsuspicious and hungry, and 

 hopped directly under the trap, the sergeant jerked the string 

 and he was caught. The bird has pink eyes and is a true 

 albino. Word was telegraphed from Sergeant Green's station 

 to all the district police officers of the important capture and 

 Green has been overwhelmed with congratulations on his 

 pro w r ess . — Homo - 



f^WfiJ |f## Htjd 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



CHEYENNE TO INYAN KARA.-I. 



TT7"HEW! hut the long, tedious ride was over, the ride 

 t y across the monotonous divides, across the seldom 

 creeks, through the prairie dog villages which delegated their 

 undignified dignitaries to welcome us with their unmannerly 

 barking, through miles of sagebrush and amoug hundreds of 

 sage hens who vouchsafed us no more attention than if we 

 were so many range cattle; up hill and down, over hard 

 roads aDel over soft roads and "middling" ones, brakes on 

 and brakes off, sand, mud, rocks and water, nearly three 

 hundred miles of it. We were tired and tired of each other. 

 We started good friends, oftimes mildly quarreled, and were 

 repeat edty reconciled. 



Our traveliug cuisine was well provided for. We. had 

 bought, begged, borrowed or stolen from a "round up," 

 which we met at Fox Creek, a good supply of fresh beef. 

 At Lone Tree we killed several sharp-tailed grouse, at Box 

 Creek some ducks, on Running Water an antelope, and on 

 Hot Creek one of the party was enabled, through a lucky 

 rifle shot, to capture a pair of wild geese. So we were, in 

 addition to our canned goods, bountifully supplied with edi- 

 bles to keep the wolf from the tent flaps. We drove very 

 slowly and usually made camp early in the afternoon. 

 Having no strings tied to us, and time being no object, we 

 loitered as best suited our day-to-day notions; and luckily 

 those notions dovetailed harmoniously with the condition of 

 two of our horses, which, when the journey was at an end, 

 resembled the running gear of a long-legged sandpiper, and 

 had developed a supreme indifference to the stimulus of the 

 buckskin. 



Wc reached Jenney's stockade on Little Beaver Creek on 

 our eleventh night out and saw the beginning of the end. 

 One more night and two days would, barring accidents, land 

 us at our destination on Inyau Kara Creek. The last two 

 days were delightful. Traveling through the beautiful val- 

 ley of Little Beaver, with its numberless springs, its wooded 

 heights and grassy slopes, its beetling crags and cliffs silhou- 

 etted against the sky. Slowly we go perforce, hunting and 

 riding all day. The sharp-tailed grouse are plenty and 

 afford good sport, 



Thp last night out we camp at a waterhole on top of the 

 divide between Little Beaver and Inyan Kara, and just on 

 the edge, where a recent prairie and forest fire had com- 

 menced to do its devasl ating work. Whether from careless- 

 ness, unavoidable accident, or intentional fiendishness, the 

 result was the same, and thousands of trees were either 

 totally destroyed or their healthy growth retarded, and thou- 

 sands of acres of grazing land were left bare as a sand dune 

 and deserted by every living animal. The next da3''s drive 

 was down hill, and by the middle of the afternoon we were 

 in snug quarters where the welcome we received would ex- 

 cuse a thousand times over any deficiencies of accommoda- 

 tion. But there were no deficiencies to be excused. There 

 was a comfortable room for u«, a roaring pitch-pine lire, 

 venison and grouse on the table, and milk and butter and 

 jack rabbits, biscuits and spuds fixed up any style you 

 wanted them, fruits done up in tin with colored picture 

 labels, com from the Oneida Community, tomatoes from 

 Baltimore and beans from Boston. How delighted we were 

 to bombard a picnic of somebody else's arranging. If a non- 

 professional biscuit-slinger has to organize a spread, his ap- 

 petite retreats in poor order, leaving him to wash dishes on 

 his own empty stomach, and he has to satisfy himself with 

 cold bites between meals, which is powerfully unsatisfactory. 

 If you want to do first-class justice, have a first-class cook 

 other than yourself, and take your time, with no dish wash- 

 ing staring you in the face and looking you out of counten- 

 ance and appetite. 



The morning following our arrival we were prevailed upon 

 to make the descent of Inyan Kara Mountain. Mr. Coltalluk, 

 our host, explained to us that the mountain derived its 

 name from some Indian words which meant several small 

 mountains carrying a large one. We did not for a moment 



suppose that JMr. Coltalluk knew anything about the deriva- 

 tion of the name, but as it evidently' pleased him to impart 

 to us his version of it we let him impart in peace. So far as 

 the actual appearance of the mountain went if. was all right. 

 It is a high mountain, or rather a peak, surrounded on all 

 sides by others not quite so high as the central one, which is 

 the prominent landmark for many miles around. There is 

 one opening iu the circle through which a team can be 

 driven for a considerable distance, and one can go on horse- 

 back to within perhaps a hundred feet of the summit, which 

 can only be reached by hard climbing. 



A few days previous to our visit the grass and dead timber 

 in the mountain had been burned and every living thing 

 driven out. Bears and deer and mountain sheep were plenty 

 until seeing their means of subsistence were being destroyed 

 they packed their valises and changed boarding houses. 

 Their old hotel will probably not be repaired and refurnished 

 until late in the coming spring, when, doubtless, a great, 

 many of the old patrons will return, as it has always been a 

 well' conducted and popular hoarding house, with very 

 moderate charges and polite attendance. 



The view from the top is "grand," or "extended," or 

 something of that kind. It might on a piuch be called sub- 

 lime, and no doubt some people would call it so without any 

 provocation whatever. Distant one hundred and fifty miles 

 or thereabouts to the west, the outlines of the Big Horn 

 Mountains could be seen in delicate clearness. Northeast 

 were the Missouri Duties with their near neighbor the Devil's 

 Tower. Sundance and Bear Lodge mountains were directly 

 uorth, and the Black Hills to the east, and timber every- 

 where, until you couldn't rest. Cedar and pine timber, fine 

 timber too, all circumferences and all lengths, compatible 

 with profitable handling, and only waiting the euterprising 

 sawmill man to down them and the Government as well. I 

 came near forgetting some other buttes which can be seen 

 from the Big - mount ain - carried - by -several smaller-ones. 

 Pumpkin Buttes they are called, if memory plays me not 

 falsely. They are, seems to me, iu a westerly direction from 

 Inyan Kara, but whether northerly or southerly, I have for- 

 gotten, and am not at present disposed to speculate, so far 

 as they are concerned, on the points of the compass, for this 

 report is nothing if not truthful in all important particulars, 

 and bears in every sentence the marks of the historic hat- 

 chet. Truth has blazed a straight line right through it. At 

 our feet, as it were, were some small streams and small hills 

 not large enough to be named yet; but perhaps some day, 

 with the prospective rise in real estate, the hills may assume 

 the propertions of mountaius, and each one be labeled Mount 

 So-and-so and So. They are yet in their infancy. This rise 

 is expected with the next spring influx of settlers, and when 

 the uew blacksmith's shop and the general store are erected. 



We returned to Mi-. Coital luk's in time for supper. Mrs. 

 C, running dinner and supper into one meal, was able to do 

 double justice to her reputation as a broiler, baker, stewer, 

 fryer, and all the other ers appertaining to a good square 

 meal, and we did our part toward showing an appreciation 

 of her efforts in our behalf. It looked as though a cyclone 

 had encountered the table, Marquis of Queensberry rules, 

 and knocked the table out the first round. However, Mr. 

 Table came up smiling when time was called next morning, 

 as much as to say "slightly disfigured but still in the ring." 



That evening we discussed the hunting question, which 

 was an important one and the primary reason of our pres- 

 ence in the country. There were numerous localities we had 

 heard favorably spoken of, and in fact any and all of them 

 were reported to be so overrun with game that all one re- 

 quired was a good stout club and a knife. We discussed the 

 matter pretty thoroughly, and it finally resulted iu our 

 choosing the Belle Fourche, between Wind River and the 

 Devil's Tower. 



It took us the better part of the next day to load our 

 wagous, fix rifles and tent, bake bread, and fuss around re- 

 pairing mistakes and doing numberless little things. Where 

 there are one or two old hands and lots of teuderfeet, it de- 

 mands a good deal of time to prepare preparation properly, 

 and a great many knots are tied only to be untied; but all 

 those iittle annoyances have an end, and the next forenoon, 

 joined by three' American citizens of German descent, we 

 pulled out for the Belle Fourche. 



There were eight of us. Caasar's ghost and Great Scott! 

 eight of us! Enough to down every bear and elk and deer 

 and antelope between Missouri Buttes and Bear Lodge Moun- 

 tain, to say nothing about the canned corn, tomatoes and 

 marmalade. It proved correct what Mrs. Coltalluk said. 

 She affirmed that a pack of hounds and the knowledge that 

 some one was going hunting would make every woman in 

 the settlement a grass widow. Their husbands would surely 

 follow the dogs. The day's ride was very pleasant. We 

 picked up a few grouse, knocking them down first. It was 

 about the 20th of November. The late afternoon began to be 

 chilly as the wind from the northwest stalled toward the 

 southeast. We reached the 70L ranch, or what remained 

 of it, about a half hour before dark. There the wind cut 

 loose, coming stronger and stronger and displaying its search 

 warrant, which authorized it, to hunt for the holes in our old 

 clothes — and, by Boreas! it finds them too, and enlarges 

 them. Even the buttons on one's undershirt are in danger of 

 coining off, but fortunately the honest girl (away back East 

 in the States) who put them in position must have had a 

 presentment that thejr were intended for service in Wyoming 

 and so put in an extra stitch. We have said ' 'what remained 

 of the 70L ranch." It was either sold or abandoned, and 

 a few days afterward some party or parties, to the subscriber 

 unknown, set fire to the kitchen and bunk house; and all 

 now remaining of them are the big chimney and the open 

 fire place — more open than ever before. The well w T as also 

 set fire to, but put itself out. The place was occupied by a 

 couple of discontented men, who lodged in what was 

 formerly the "chuck" iiouse. They were dragging out a 

 kind of lonesome exiytence by eating, sleeping and watching 

 three or lour hundred cows which they were herding. They 

 were nearly out of provisions and were glad enough to 

 welcome us and give us hay in exchange for flour and bacon 

 and coffee. They were expecting their boss every day and 

 had been expecting him for many days. 



We cooked our supper by the old open fireplace, unrolled 

 our blankets and lay down to sleep on the cold, cold ground. 

 Nothing disturbed the slumbers of the purely American 

 clique, save an occasional growl from the German band, 

 who were three in a bed and probably quarreling about the 

 middle, and the outside majority grabbing clothes — one of 

 the instances where the majority gets left. The ther- 

 mometer must have touched about twenty below that night, 

 for the Belle Fourche was frozen solid by morning, and w T e 

 had to cut water holes tor ourselves and stock. 



We have come a long way together, and perhaps it will 

 now be in order to introduce the members of our outfit. We 



don't know them very well ourselves, but anyhow there is 

 Tom, who goes to show us the places where the game is so 

 plenty that the hunter is in danger of having an elk or deer 

 or antelope come stealing up bebiud him and bite him. We 

 at first— the first day only— took small stock in Tom's re- 

 ports, but gradually the truth dawned upon us that he 

 belonged to the well-populated brotherhood of third or 

 fourth-class hunters, and did most of bis hunting with his 

 mouth. He was a good hunter at the table, if nowhere else. 

 His inordinate appetite would make a cook sick and a 

 grocery weep. Tom would never prepare a meal for him- 

 self nor for his best friend. He'd die first and starve after- 

 ward. It was condescension on his part to even cut wood 

 or fetch water. He did not want to do anything after eat- 

 ing but hunt; and if ever he made any noteworthy success 

 at that, we never detected it, though— to do him justice— he 

 surely brought some game into camp. Another of our party 

 was called Foncab. He was a little sawed-off bit of a fel- 

 low, fully aware of the fact, so he put on no unnecessary 

 airs. There was also a big fellow, who had in his younger 

 days been a sailor and had visited every port in the world, 

 at least we have heard him say so many and many a time. 

 Then there was a young man named Curtis, a good fellow 

 and the best hunter in the party ; and a cripple whom the 

 rest called Doc. 



Of the German band we know little, save that one 

 answered to the name of Hans, another to Fred, and the 

 other to Albert. They were disposed to keep pretty much 

 to themselves at first, 'but gradually thawed out, and finally 

 grew to be quite sociable when they saw our indifference re- 

 garding their movements. Mtllard. 



Bear Crkkk, Wyo. 



BROTHER M.'S SUNDAY FOX CHASE. 



I WAS residing with Mr. Sam Harper, whose plantation 

 was on the Corni. There were only three or four fam- 

 ilies in the settlement. Deer, turkey and bear abounded. 

 Tt was my extreme fondness for hunting that caused, me to 

 bury myself in that lonely crmntry. I taught every school 

 day of the week, fire-hunted every favorable night except 

 Sunday, hunted with hounds every Saturday, if it were suit- 

 able, for nearly a year, and when the Saturday was unfavor- 

 able I would make up the lost lime by hunting on Sunday, 

 until an event occurred which effectually cured me. Mrs. 

 Harper was so much opposed to it that she would not permit 

 any game I killed on Sunday to be brought into her house. 

 To deceive Mrs. Harper, when I left after breakfast on Sun 

 day morniug I rode away without a gun. My muzzleloadcr 

 and my rifle were left in my room where she could see them, 

 and feel assured I had not gone hunting. But my friend, 

 George Watson, had loaned me his good rifle, with which 

 he fought a duel with Albert Brest, subsequently a member 

 of Congress, and afterward a brigadier general in the Con- 

 federate army. This I kept hid in a hollow tree a mile or 

 more from the house, unknown to any one. On Sunday 

 morning I rode off as if going to see a neighbor, or just to 

 have a ride for exercise. After going some distance I left 

 the public road and proceeded through the woods to where 

 the rifle was hid, and then enjoyed a day's sport in still-hunt- 

 ing all to myself. Many a deer and turkey were killed and 

 taken to a certain place' and safely hung 'up. When I re- 

 turned in the evening I confided to the old negro stock 

 minder, who lived iu a cabin in a remote part of the negro 

 quarters, and afterward he would go and bring the game to 

 his house for the use of his family. 



This went on until one Saturday morning I rode over to 

 Mr. Watson's plantation. 1 took with me my rifle, as we 

 w T ere to have a still-hunt during the day, and continue it 

 with a fire-hunt for w r olves as well as deer. We neither 

 killed a turkey, bear nor deer during the day. but that night 

 wc killed three deer. The wolves were numerous. We had 

 packed the deer on our mules, and the dripping blood had 

 attracted the wolves, until a larger number than I ever saw 

 before had gathered around us. They ran before, behind 

 and around us, howling like demons let loose from the infer- 

 nal regions. But all our efforts to get a shot at them proveel 

 futile. Not an instant would liny stand to sbiue the eyes 

 and shoot. It was getting to be ominous and fearful. The 

 great pack increased in size every quarter of a mile, and we 

 were about five miles from any house. 



"George," said I, "let us get down, tie our mules, build a 

 fire, of pine knots and hang up the deer, and shoot some of 

 these devils, or they will tear us from the saddles." We 

 dismounted, hung the deer to a bonding tree, so that the 

 wolves would have to leap high to reach them, and built our 

 fire so that we could see a dark shadow when a wolf passed 

 betweeu us and the fire. 



The big light from the fire-pan soon enabled us to accom- 

 plish our designs. After ail was properly arranged we retired 

 with the mules and fire-pan about seventy-five yards from 

 where the deer were suspended, put in the ground two forks 

 on which to rest our rifles, and then lay down with the fire- 

 pan blaziug with fat pine at our backs. When the wolves 

 should make a dash for the deer and darken the sights of our 

 rifles, we were to shoot, both at the same instant. We did 

 not wait long before our rifles broke the silence, for the 

 wolves ceased howliug as they made a dash for the deer. 

 When the report died away we heard the snapping of teeth 

 and growls, as if in agony of pain, and wc were confident of 

 having wounded or killed some of them. The pack ran off, 

 and such howling I never heard. It was pandemonium let 

 loose. Their hunger soon caused them to return, and again 

 our rifles roared with the same result. It was some time 

 before they ventured back, when we shot the third time. 

 After this the pack went off with a mournful howl that 

 gradually decreased until we were satisfied they had left for 

 good. Ou going up we found five dead great black wolves 

 and one tawny. There were two bullet holes through one, 

 which proved one of us must have killed two with one ball, 

 and that both of us had shot at the same wolf that had the 

 two holes through him. Wheu we got back to Mr. Watson's 

 plantation I went to a noted hollow not half a mile from the 

 house, to kill a buck at sunrise, as it was the last of October 

 and in the midst of the rutting season. 



I have recently read in the Forest ajsto Stream of some 

 remarkable accounts of extraordinary shots, and though I 

 had believed what happened to me that morning, was one 

 never known to hunters before; it appeared that the same 

 thing had several times occurred to others. 



Day was dawning, I had not to wait long when I saw a 

 small doe coming toward me at a rapid rate, and a tremend- 

 ous buck not far behind her. My rifle shot a conical ball of 

 forty to the pound. I gave a quick whistle, lustantly she 

 stopped and the buck did the same a few feet behind her. 

 Oh, how large and grand he looked, towering like some great 

 bull among the calves. Both saw me, but did not move, 



