486 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[July 16, 1885. 



IP* $gortzn\nn ^attri^t 



Address all communications to the Forest and stream I'ahlish- 

 ing Co, 



IN CAROLINA WILDS.— II. 



THE mountains around Boylston contained turkeys, 

 grouse and squirrels, the latter not hard to find; but 

 the turkeys, though frequently seen by the log cabin resi- 

 dents among the hills as ihey came into the clearings, were 

 never there when 1 visited the fields, though I hastened ever 

 so swiftly after getting the word. One' evening a moun- 

 taineer, going to his cabin from work down the valley,_sent 

 word that as he was walking along the foot of the ndge, 

 in plain sight across the valley from "our house," he flushed 

 quite a large "gang" of turkeys, which flew only a short dis- 

 tance up into the woods. I was over there in short order, 

 but not a turkey could I find, though I used the short time 

 before dark diligently. 1 marked a spot where I could con- 

 ceal myself in the morning, and determined to be there be- 

 fore the turkeys started. Long before dawn the following 

 morning I was afoot. So was a very heavy fog some time 

 before me. 1 crossed the valley through fields of rag weed 

 waist high and reeking with moisture, and, as a consequence, 

 1 was soaked to the skin when I reached the timber and 

 sought my blind, which was a fallen treetop and not easy to 

 find in the dense fog and darkness. I found it, however, 

 and in the chill morning and wet garments I waited for 

 game. My pipe kept me company, but it was slow waiting. 



1 had almost lost hope of seeing the turkeys, when, without 

 warning, with a rush of wings one sailed from the mountain 

 above and alighted on a limb close to the body of a large 

 chestnut abouiTforty feet up and not more than seventy-five 

 feet distant. It was very fogay, to be sure, aud quite dark, 

 as 1 said; but I couid dimly see the black bunch on the tree, 

 and lie was assuredly my bird, I covered him with three 

 and a quarter drams powder and an ounce aud a quarter No. 



2 shot and let go. Eight, here permit me to make the firet 

 record of some of my remarkable shots. The turkey did 

 not fly, for it stands to reason that 1 would have heard him, 

 don't" it? Kb. He didn't fly, neither did he drop, else 



• Would I have heard the thud. I went to the foot of the tree 

 and there was nothing but the foot there. I waited, silently 

 turning over things in my mind, until it became light enough 

 to search for my turkey. 1 thought he must have lodged up 

 yonder, but there was no lodgment, There was not even a 

 feather. It was a most remarkable shot. I saw no more 

 turkeys and returned to breakfast. 



The cuisine was not very varied at our table, fried chicken 

 appearing quite frequently, and the capture of the chicken 

 was an amusing operation to me. Bill never stole a march 

 on his chicken the night previous, but waited until morning, 

 1 suppose that he might enjoy the chase, though how a per- 

 son of his general deliberation could enjoy a neck and neck 

 race with a chicken was beyond my ken. When the capture 

 was decided on Bill would make a survey of the flock from 

 some vantage ground while he picked his chicken, for so 

 accustomed "had they become to the chase, that when he 

 made his appearance there was an indiscriminate run for 

 cover. Then the fun began. Bill generally had a couple of 

 rocks in his lett hand and a stick in his right, with which he 

 attempted shots on the wing when he could get near enough, 

 but most always scoring misses. His aim could not be ex- 

 pected to be very aecurateunderthe circumstances. Through 

 the barnyard they'd go sailing, Billon the gain; when the 

 chicken would dodge under the corn house and Bill would 

 naturally go around. Over the fence, across the potato 

 patch and around the barn they flew, both getting short of 

 wind, chicken losing ground, when it flew over the garden 

 picket fence and Bill hunted the gate, while the chicken ran 

 into a bru^h heap in the corner and got its wind. After a 

 while Bill tound it just in time to be too late, and away they 

 went with a cackle and other language, the chicken going 

 through a hole in the fence and Bill seeking the gate again. 

 Occasionally he would slip or make a misstep and almost 

 tear himself apart in the endeavor to recover. This was in- 

 tensely funny for me, and I encouraged him with sundry re- 

 marks as I deemed appropriate. He rarely appreciated tnem, 

 however, but with desperation in his "liniments" and courage 

 in his eye, bent himself to the pursuit, that never failed to be 

 successful. One day, as I came in with my gun across my 

 shoulder, it occurred to me that powder and lead would catch 

 a chicken quicker than he could, and thereafter I was gen- 

 erally made use of. 



Boylston Creek ran through the valley, but there were no 

 trout in it as tar as 1 could discover with worm, fly, bug and 

 grasshopper; but the small streams which flowed down the 

 mountain side contained a few, which I gathered in now 

 and then with the ignominious worm. Neither trout nor 

 catch was large, but sufficient to perfume the pan. The 

 sport was large, however. Mills River, separated from 

 Boylston by a considerable range of mountains and flowing 

 into French Broad, contains trout in fair numbers, and is a 

 most beautiful stream. 



One evening after a rainy week — and oh ! how it rained — 

 the windows of heaven were not only opened, but the sash 

 was entirely out, and rain fell day after day in torrents until 

 everything' below was as wet as could be, and the rye 

 sprouted in the stack— one evening after all this rain fell, 

 and we were sure there was no more to fall. Bill said to me 

 as we were smoking a pipe apiece, "Wouldn't you Jiketogo 

 over into the 'Pink Beds' for a few days?" 



"Yes, sir!" said I, emphatically, for I had heard of the 

 Pink Beds a number of times as a place in the mountains be- 

 yond Mills River, where deer and turkey abounded and 

 where trout could be had for the taking. Is it, Pope who 

 said, "Man never is but always to be blest"? 



"Well," said Bill, "three or four fellers round here said 

 they'd like to go over now harvest is over, and camp out a 

 few days, and I'll see 'em to-day and fix it up." 



John did, aud in a day or two, "airly in the morning," 

 Fred came sauntering into the yard followed by his "pups." 

 George soon followed, we picked Riley up just up the road, 

 and the tramp began. We took a frying pan and coffee pot, 

 a tin cup apiece, rations and no blankets, and so traveled 

 light, for it was hard climbing the most of the way. We 

 kept the valley for a mile and then turned to the right up an 

 old logging road, by the side of which branched a pretty 

 trout-stream. For an hour the climb was steep, Then we 

 came out on a clearing where bad been a farm. Some dis- 

 tance beyond we struck a down grade-, so steep that the full 

 power of the breeching was called into use, and soon we 

 reached the bank of the lovely Mill River, here about sixty 

 feet wide aud knee deep. We forded it, and then the tempta- 

 tion being too strong to resist, poles were cut, a worm or two 

 uneartlied, and trout looked for; but as they did not respond 



freely, we wishing to make a drive, soon shod up again and 

 set our faces to the mountain. 



This was steeper than anything we had found, and along 

 the trail we found a good brush hold was a big help. We 

 reached the top well blown, and after a short rest Riley took 

 the dogs for the drive, Ford going to one stand and George 

 and I finding others. The day was delightful, the scenery 

 lovely, the huge forpst of oaks'and maples magnificent, and 

 I sat me down on a log and took in all I could of it. Birds 

 flitted about, a gray squirrel near by made considerable ado 

 for a while, and then the opening notes of the overture 

 floated "faint and far" through the leafy arches of "God's 

 first temples." A tingling ran through my nerves and all 

 my ears were alert. The sounds died away, then rose faintly 

 again, aud silence covered them up. The dogs had all the 

 sport, Riley all the woik, and in the course of an hour we 

 were on our way to Squirrel Gap, where we were to camp 

 for the night. A covey of grouse was flushed and none 

 bag-fired, and as mine was the only shotgun in the outfit, i 

 shouldered the blame and gun and trudged on. A few squir- 

 rels were gathered in, and at nightfall we approached the 

 cabin at the Gap, built of logs unchinked, for the occasional 

 use of cattle men on their way to and from the Pink Beds. 

 A fire was built in the fireplace, squirrels dressed and cooked, 

 coffee made, and by the flickering fire-light we supped. The 

 wind had risen during the afternoon and now blew a young 

 gale, and up here in the mountains it was very cold. We 

 lay in a row with feet to the fireplace, and with sleep very 

 much broken passed the night uncomfortably. There was 

 no incentive to sleep the next morning, and we were early 

 afoot, There was no very hard climbing early in the day. 

 though the trail was decidedl v undulating. The dogs started 

 a flock of young turkeys, and R'ley and his long rifle started 

 up a mountain ou the right after them. We waited a while, 

 and as he did not come back went forward. During the 

 forenoon we reached the rim of the basin called Pink Beds, 

 and here Riley overtook us with a young turkey. This 

 basin is very irregular, surrounded on all sides by moun- 

 tains, and I was told that no wagon trail had been found into 

 it. Of course T inquired, why Pink Beds? but no reason was 

 given, and the boys said they had never heard one. Perhaps it 

 had never occurred to them to ask. Whether so named from 

 color of flowers which grew there, or from pink root or pink 

 anything else no one could tell, though 1 asked several persons 

 in Boylston. The basin contains apparently several square 

 miles, affords considerable grazing for cattle, is sparsely 

 timbered, but contains considerable undergrowth, and is 

 quite level. Cattle from neighboring valleys are driven in 

 here and left to summer, becoming very fat. There is more 

 or less grazing all over these mountains, they being wooded 

 to the tops, though not always densely, and the grass is very 

 nutritious. The" trail down into the beds was very precipi- 

 tous and the "hold backs" were called on for all they were 

 worth. Away across the basin and beyond the nearer moun- 

 tains rose sharply defined and attenuated Mt. Pisgah, and 

 it was suggested that we see what was on the top. No dis- 

 senting voice. So we cached our turkey, haversacks and 

 coats at a convenient place half way across, and with only 

 our guns as impedimenta, moved forward. The foot of 

 "Old Bald" was soon reached, and then the tug began. From 

 the valley the head of Old Bald resembled in shape the fore- 

 head of a man, and as it was devoid of trees, it was indeed a 

 bald headed old giant. From the foot to the top it was one 

 straight pull of about a thousand feet at an angle of as near 

 forty five degrees as may be, and we didn't need any hold 

 backs. Near the top we came out of the timber and sat 

 down by the side of a spring, slaked our thirst with delicious 

 water, the temperature of which was something above zero, 

 and enjoyed the magnificent view before us. Miles away a 

 bare spot on the side of a mountain flashed iu the sunlight 

 like a mirror from among the trees, and I was told it was 

 "The Looking Glass," on account of the mica which largely 

 predominates. 



After resting a few minutes we reached the top of Old 

 Bald, and off to the right across a slight ascent, albeit very 

 rough, rose Little Pisgah, an irregular peak something like a 

 thousand feet above the spot where we stood. There was 

 quite a forest between Bald and Little Pisgah and among the 

 trees near a very fine spring was a well built cabin of logs, 

 nicely chinked, the door fastened with a padlock. This 

 cabin was used by cattle men and hunters. Reaching the 

 rocky plateau on the summit of Little Pisgah we rested and 

 lunched near the edge of a precipice that dropped almost 

 sheer away hundreds of feet and then in unbroken forest 

 descended with scarcely less abruptness far away into the 

 depths of solitude and silence. Before us, something like a 

 mile distance, rose Pisgah's sharply defined peak, running 

 up into the clouds more than a thousand feet above where 

 we sat and to such a point that it seemed there was scarcely 

 standing room on its summit. It seemed a perfect pyramid 

 with apex long drawn out. I thought it the most impressive 

 si^ht I had ever witnessed, though 1 have seen peaks in the 

 Rockies almost three times its altitude. A short time sufficed 

 to put us at its basp, where, in a bunch of timber, another 

 flock of turkeys was started and one shot, the others sailing 

 away down into the wilderuess and safety. Climbing out i f 

 this "rooky woods we stood above timber line and slowly 

 mounted to the summit, where, with shortness of wind, we 

 soon stood, taking in a wide and magnificent view. The top 

 is only a few yards in extent, it and the sides covered with 

 grass and huckleberry bushes from which we gathered an 

 abundance of the largest and sweetest berries I thought I had 

 ever seen. We were fortunate in finding the summit free 

 from clouds, the country beneath also being unobscured in 

 all directions save one. We had enjoyed the situation for 

 about fil teen minutes, when we noticed a bank of clouds 

 advancing from the east far beiow us and slowly apparently 

 covering up the mountains. It was a weird and beautiful 

 sight. The bank grew rapidly, calling unto itself reinforce- 

 ments as it mounted, gaining 'in speed every second until it 

 struck the mountain, wlien rolling upward with noiseless on- 

 slaught it threatened to sweep us bodily off the peak. As we 

 stood fascinated George said, "Come! If we stay here much 

 longer this cloud'll grow so thick we can't find the trail," so 

 we staid not on the order of our going, but went with little 

 short of breakneck haste. 



Toward sunset we reached our cache, and at dark came to 

 a cabin near the bank of Mills River, here a narrow stream, 

 which heads in the Beds, which cabin was to be our camp- 

 ing place; but so dilapidated was it and so much minus a 

 roof and floor that we preferred the open air under the trees, 

 and after supper stretched ourselves, feet to a good tire, well 

 tired out. The wind did not blow as it did at the Gap. but 

 the night was cold, and toward morning we were all shiver- 

 ing around a growing fire. In council assembled we decided 

 that two should fish down the river and three should drive 

 for deer, meeting down the river at a trail that led to the 



Gap. I elected to be of the fishing twain, but on going down 

 to the river to ablute, while yet the stars twinkled, my heart 

 and legs failed me as I dashed that icy water on mv face, 

 and I thought that the music of the hounds would be far 

 preferable, as those who fished mu=<fc perforce wade much of 

 the. way. After breakfast, Riley, Bill and the testator crossed 

 the stream and the dogs were put out, while Fred and George 

 took to the cold, cold water, with hook, line and worm. 

 They said afterward that they were compelled to get out 

 often and thaw out and limber up their legs by rubbing, 

 which I doubted uot. 



The hounds started a deer soon after we left, and several 

 times I was sure I was to get a shot, but each time just when 

 the crescendo seemed about to disclose the deer the diminu- 

 endo began, and hope waned. So it went until silence 

 brooded and Riley appeared with the dogs, well tired, say- 

 ing that he had started a doe and fawn, the former passing 

 near Bill, but not being shot at for some reason bpst known 

 to Bill. Slowly we wandered in the direction of the rendez- 

 vous, reaching it in advance of the fishers; and curling our- 

 selves up in soft spots, napped until awakened by the boys, 

 who showed as fruits of their endurance one hundred and 

 thirty odd nice trout, perhaps not all over six inches in 

 length. Along in the shank of the afternoon we reached the 

 cabin at the Gap again, bagging a squirrel or two on the way. 

 This night was milder than the preceding two, and we en- 

 joyed good sleep. 



After breakfast next morning there were naught but bones 

 left of the hundred and thirty odd, and we "poled out" in the 

 direction of Boylston, makinsr a drive on the way. Going 

 to our stands at crossings ou Mill River. Gorge's dog, a cross 

 between a bullfoundland and a "yaller" dog, treed a ground 

 hog, whereupon we smoked him but and the cross aforefaid 

 used him up speedily. Riley started a fine buck, and the 

 cow horn and dog orchestra was wildly tumultuous for a space, 

 while we lay patiently in wait for the quarry, which per 

 sistently turned his nose in other directions and galloped over 

 the hills and far away, ignoring completely well known 

 crossings. Ere long we were once more united, Riley hav- 

 ing come across a little excitement not down in the schedule. 

 He was passing along the site of a mountain listening to the 

 cry of the dogs, when he was tolerably suddenly arrested by 

 a sharp rattle near by in the low bushes. While he was en- 

 deavoring to locate the beast, another rattle sounded the 

 other side, and without much of an interval still another. 

 He said he wanted very badly to jump somewhere, but was 

 puzzled as to just wliere. However, he hadn't any time to 

 spare, and putting all the powers he had into immediate 

 action he jumped high, and kept at it for a brief period. 

 Then like a true mountaineer he cut a sapling and returned 

 to the scene, and succeeded in killing two rattlers and two 

 pilot snakes, which latter these people aver are always to be 

 found in company with rattlesnakes. In corroboration of 

 his story he produced two rattles. We examined them, saw 

 that they were fresh, and told him his narrative, like those 

 of the snakes, would pass muster, resumed our tramp, and 

 when the trees were casting long shadows in the peaceful 

 valley of Boylston, came to rest each in his own domicile. 



THE BUCKTA1L IN FLORIDA, 



vrn. 

 "Y/rONDAY, May 18, was a good day for canoes. It was 

 _LVL barely runrise, and I was monkeying around the fire 

 with a condensed milk can by way of coffee pot, when Jake, 

 the darkey carter, passed within ten rods of camp with an 

 oblong box on his cart, heading straight for Kendall's ranch. 

 He hailed me with, "1'se got a little boat here fer de cap'n, 

 come ober an' see her." 



"All rieht Jake, you've got a little boat there for me, too, 

 I reckon?" 



No Bah. Box ain' big enough for two boats," and he 

 drove on. 



Now, the Captain's ranch is just about seventy rods from 

 my camp, and before the leaves grew so dense on the black- 

 jacks the camps were in sight of each other. Even now I 

 catch glimpses of light from his windows at night, while he 

 can always see my blazing camp-fires of a dark evening. 

 Aud as I leisurely drank a cup of black coffee (which is the 

 proper thing to do of a morning in this climatp) 1 heard a 

 hammering and rending clatter over at the Captain's house, 

 as of one who opens a dry goods box with a store hatchet, 

 and there came a clear ringing hail, which I answered, and 

 then walked over to the ranch. I found the Captain contem- 

 plating the contents of the open box with a smile of grim 

 satisfaction, while Mrs. K. was actually dancing with de- 

 light like an excited school girl. Her little canoe, the long 

 looked for, clinker-built cedar, had come at last, and was 

 nestling snugly and safely in its packing without scratch or 

 crack. Well,' she was a beauty, and light as a cork, turning 

 the scales at sixteen and a half pounds barely. Finished in 

 oil and varnish, and of a different model from any of the 

 light open canoes I have seen, though the difference is slight. 

 On the whole I prefer her model to that of the Bucktaii, 

 though the latter was built strictly on dimensions given by 

 myself. Her length is 10£ feet, beam 26 inches, with 9 

 inches rise at center, 15J inches at stems. 



But what interested me most was another and lighter canoe 

 nested neatly and safeiy inside the first. This was the little 

 Rushton ordered nearly a year ago, with no directions save 

 as to name and weight. She must in any case weigh less than 

 ten pounds. And the name to be painted neatly on each side 

 of one stem iu gold and scarlet letters. This was meant as 

 a slight compliment to the man who has done more and bet- 

 ter canoe work for me than any man living. Other makers 

 might have done just as well, but they all, I believe, use 

 white lead or sorne'other waterproof material to make close 

 joints. Other things being equal, I prefer naked wood to 

 wood; close joints by close~work. When I have rattled my 

 canoes until they leak, I can do the daubing myself. The. 

 Rushton Fairbanks at just 9 pounds 15 ouuees, is 8£ f eet 

 long, and has 23 inches beam, with 8 inches rise at center, 

 and 10£ inches rise at stems. I thought she had rather a 

 tubby look when first placed ou the water. Her very flat 

 bearings, with the way she carried her width out toward the 

 stems, made her look like the model of a Dutch galliot; but, 

 turning her keel up she showed lines and curves that looked 

 like gliding over water very fairly. Balaucing her on the 

 end of a finger she really did seem too frail— too trifling for 

 real work. But I remembered the handsome behavior of the 

 Sairy Gamp (only nine ounces heavier) and decided to test 

 her fairly. , ,. 



We formed a procession of three down to the landing, 

 Mrs. K. leading, and jubilant, at the thought that she could 

 make her own carries without help from the male element, 

 whereat the M. E. gave me a side wink and grinned sardoni- 

 cally. 



