va. 13, 1885.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



pleasant. After a jolting trip of several hours we were 

 cheered by the appearance of the hospitable house of our old 

 fi'iend, and his smiling face aa he bade us welcome to ail the 

 cotnforts it would afford, He was heartily joined in his kind 

 reception by the other members of his family, and after en- 

 joying the delights of a blazing fire of oak and hickory 

 wood we were fnvited to the dining room, where the madam 

 had spread, for our especial gratification, an abundant and 

 well prepared dinner, to wliich my rattling friend Crickett 

 and I paid our most devoted respects. It was understood, 

 before we left Sandford, that Brother D. and T. would join 

 us at Mr. B.'s on Thursday or Friday and help us range the 

 fields in that locality. 



Nolwif listanding the cutting wind still blew its icy blasts, 

 C'ricketi and I concluded that we could brave it all and try 

 to get a few birds for the family's morning meal. Our dogs 

 were keen enough for the sport, and doubtless enjoyed it 

 far more than we did. It was too cold for us, and the sharp 

 wind kept my eyes suifused with tears. We found very few 

 birds, and when "the evening shades prevailed," and we en- 

 tered the dwelling, our bags showed only sixteen birds as the 

 reward of all our labor and exposure. We stood exactly 

 even in the number of our trophies. Being tired aad hungry, 

 we welcomed the blazing tire and the opportune announce- 

 ment that supper was ready. Our hostess was not offended 

 at the way we complimented her victuals. After we had 

 tried the coffee, the sausages, the butter, and the excellent 

 milk, we went back to the parlor, where "Uncle Mark" and 

 Crickett smoked "the pipe of peace," while the latter enter- 

 tained the household with his side splitting recitals and 

 laughable oddities. We did not sit up late. Tliat is, at least, 

 not my habit. About 9 o'clock we were shown to our room, 

 and wrapping the blankets closely around us, we were both 

 soon asleep and snoring. At all events, I heard Crickett in 

 some of his choicest serenades, and did not deny that I had 

 afforded him an equal degree of a similar entertainment. 



Next morning, by sun-up, we were out of our warm beds 

 and sitting before a comfortable fire. The thermometer was 

 l!i° above zero. We sometimes have it colder than this, but 

 it has not been so during the present winter. The change, 

 too, was quite sudden, and, therefore, we felt it the more 

 sensibly. But as we had come to hunt, we resolved to try 

 it, notwithstanding the difficulties to which we knew we 

 would be subjected. Soon after we had partaken of a most 

 substantial breakfast, Crickett and I, with Tommy, our 

 host's youngest sou, left tiie house for a trial of the fields on 

 the upper waters of Cedar Creek. Tommy had Iiis 12-bore 

 and his old setter Vance. This dog was named after "Our 

 Zeb," who is a Senator in Congress. Bii'ds were not abun- 

 dant, and at 1 o'clock, when we stopped on the sunny side 

 of a hill for lunch, Crickett had twelve birds, Tommy 

 eleven and I only six. After resting a while we resumed 

 our walk, and when we got to the intersection of Munn's 

 Branch with the creek Crickett had thirteen. Tommy thir- 

 teen, and I had seven. Tommy had gotten over the creek. 

 After I had vainly hunted a piece of ground where I thought 

 I would find birds and had started up the branch on my way 

 back home, 1 heard the euphonious voice of Crickett calling 

 to me and telling me that Vance had found a covey. I de- 

 cline to walk back with the prospect of getting not more 

 than one shot, and suggested that he join me. This invita- 

 tion he declined, no doubt thinking that Tommy, who knew 

 the country, could take him to better sporting groimd than I 

 could. 



Leaving them to enjoy 'all they could get, I whistled up 

 Argo and was "alone in my glory." I had not gone more 

 than three hundred yards before my little dog was at a point. 

 Going up I flushed the birds, and got one with my first bar- 

 rel. The second one was unsuccessful. I followed the 

 covey into the woods and wasted' two shells at them. Going 

 on for some di,stance another was found, and out of this I 

 got two birds and missed three. I ought to have killed four. 

 Waiting a while for my late companions to come up, and 

 seeing nothing of them, I went forward. After traveling 

 about a quarter of a mile I reached a sedge field of about ten 

 acres, and my active little dog quartered it most elegantly on 

 the leeward side. Not far from Ihe northestern corner he 

 came to a stand, and I got one bird with each barrel. Fol- 

 lowing up the covey, I bagged two more and then left the 

 pursuit. About one hundi-ed yai'ds from where my dog- 

 found these birds he struck scent again, and after some nice 

 working he located them. With my first barrel I dropped 

 two birds and badly wounded another, which fell, but I did 

 not find it. The second barrel "made the feathers fly," but 

 that was all. Going to where they settled, I killed one and 

 missed one. Then I bagged another and gave up the pur- 

 suit. 



Crossing the highway near the old Dowdy Spring, I entered 

 a stubble field bordered with sedge, and as I was walking up 

 a drain, I saw a covey flying which my dog had evidently 

 flushed. Where they alighted I could not tell, but when I 

 got on the crest of the ridge my dog met me, and immediately 

 went in the direction the birds had flown. In a short while 

 he was .still. I went up and killed with the first and missed 

 with the second barrel. I ranged through the sedge and 

 bagged four more birds. As it was getting about sundown, 

 it was quite cold, and the house was more than a mile off. I 

 gave up the hunt for the day, and .slowly plodded my weary 

 way, to find comfort within 'its inviting walls. We all reached 

 the piiizza about the same time, and on emptying our pockets, 

 Crickett and Tommy had thirty-one birds and were even, 

 while I pulled out twenty -three. I have no recollection of 

 having ever in my life a larger bag. Now let no one laugh 

 at the score which I made, and especially such as give "rose- 

 ate hues" to their own performances. I, at the very least, 

 was pretty well satisfied with the result, and this sati.sfaction 

 was partly owing to the fact that I was ahead of Crickett, who 

 is no mean handler of a g-un. Tommy, too, can make many 

 a braggart cower when he gets him into the field. 



The following day was stall unpleasant, and unfortunately 

 we selected unfavorable grounds for our tramp. The walk- 

 ing was extremely tiresome, and the birds could not be 

 found. At night Crickett had eleven, and Tommy and I 

 seven each. Soon after geting home and enjoying our sup- 

 per, we all repaired to the family sitting-room and indulged 

 in conversation, each one doing his best to add to the pleas- 

 ures of the others. Crickett enlivened the assemblage with 

 his "queerest stories" and laughable mimicry, in both of 

 which he is piim iis in ter imres in our section of the country, 

 while 1 endeavored to please them by reading a copy of the 

 FoEEST AND SxEEAJii, wWch contained the incidents of a 

 holiday's hunt, in which C, Mud and Brother D. were promi- 

 nent characters, 



The next morning the ground was white with snow, and 

 all the shrubbery and forest trees were clad in the feathery 

 habiliments. My hopes for field sports vanished, and T 

 devoted the day to reading Dr. Edward's "The Old Log 



Meeting House," but Crickett and Tommy concluded to try 

 the field. Tommy, being out of shells, took Lucy Green 

 with thirty loads. Doubtless they had some fun, but 

 whether it compensated for the labor given I am unable to 

 say. They brought back a few partridges and doves and 

 several rabbits. Tommy reported that Lucy was an elegant 

 little companion which he would be willing to call his own for 

 several years to come. Late in the afternoon a covered wagon 

 drawn by two mules came to the gate, and out got Brother 

 Duffrey and Teceel. The "Old Log Meeting House" was laid 

 aside, half read, and I listened for their report. Alas! with 

 all our toil, they took the l)adgc. Crickett was sadly hurt, 

 but I am accustomed to it. We sat up later than usual, and 

 when we got into our downy couches we slept well until the 

 morning. 



After breakfast it began to sleet ; but we were obliged to 

 go. An open wagon was the only chance, and in this we 

 got, wrapping ourselves as well as w'e could. Just before 

 we reached Egypt, on the south bank of Deep River, the 

 snow fell rapidly. We were cold enough when we placed 

 our luggage in the railway station, and a sparkling fire in 

 Mrs. Robinson's store near by was quite acceptable to us. 

 A half hour afterward the whistle of the locomotive was 

 heard, the train drew up. Conductor Campbell's pleasant 

 face was seen, the baggage was stowed away, the dogs placed 

 in comfortable quarters, and we left for Sandford, Our 

 good friend Col. Page greeted us with a cordial welcome, 

 and very soon we were sitting at his round table, tiu'niug 

 the wheel on which the dishes were placed, and helping 

 ourselves to one of those substantial meals for which his 

 wayside inn is noted. 



We took the "way freight" at 2 o'clock. When we called 

 for our bills our host informed us that they had been paid, 

 and always would be when we were on a hunting expedition. 

 All we could do was to request him to thank our generous 

 friend and give him a dozen fat birds as a partial payment 

 for his kindness. At 7:20 we were at Hamlet, the junction 

 of the Raleigh & Augusta and the C. C. Railways, and soon 

 thereafter in our own vehicle on our way to our homes. 

 These met us by appointment, inasmuch as we did not wish 

 to remain at the station until 3 o'clock the following morn- 

 ing. At 10 o'clock we were all in bed and enjoying that 

 sweet repose which always follows a day of hardship. 



Notwithstanding the unpleasantness of the weather and 

 the scarcity of birds, we killed about one handred and 

 eighty, all but two dozen of which we left with the people 

 on whose lands we hunted. Wells. 



EOCKINOHAM, N. 



HUNTING THE MOUNTAIN GOAT. 



WELL, here I am again ! I wonder what brings me up 

 to this one particular peak each season. It is not 

 that the trip is an easy one, nor that game is more plentiful 

 than on other mountains nearer home. This time I started 

 out with no particular objective point, but as we rounded 

 the end of the island and I caught sight of the summit of 

 Yo,* memories of pleasant camp-fires up there, of former 

 hunting scenes and old companions, came trooping up from 

 the past, and I involuntarily stopped paddling, laid my paddle 

 across my canoe and looked long and wistfully up the rugged 

 side of the moimtain. Whether I made any sign to the 

 silent savage, who sat in the stern and giuded om- com-se, I 

 do not know, but my reveries were suddenly broken by the 

 sound of our little dugout grating on the rocky beach at the 

 mouth of the mountain torrent up whose side Ve were soon 

 toiling. 



It has always been a mystery to me, and many a time 

 while exploring the depths of these northwestern forests, I 

 have sac down to study out the problem, why it is that 

 animal life is not more abundant in this, its apparently 

 natural home? I speak now more of birds. Do birc& follow 

 civilization? And has not man in more ways than one much 

 to do with their distribution? Why is it that at this par- 

 ticular season human surroundings are jubilant with the 

 warble and chatter of countless migrants, while these vast 

 forests are as silent as the grave? Even the few representa- 

 tives of the bu'd world which are met with here are as weird 

 and mute as their surrotmdings. A varied thrush darts from 

 a pile of rotten rubbish just ahead of us, alights for a 

 moment, looks back with a wild startled glance and then 

 disappears in the gloom. And as we stop to cook om- mid- 

 day meal, silently, without soCrod of voice or wing, a Canada 

 jay comes drifting out from the spectral trunks of giant firs, 

 like a shadow from another world. 



The day was fearfully hot, anfj although I had taken the 

 precaution not to hamper the L'tJian with a heavy pack, 

 night was nearly on us when we reached the summit of the 

 lower peak. Yo is a mountain with two peaks, which stand 

 north and south from each other, separated by a distance of 

 about seven hundred yards; and on the southern peak, 

 which is the higher by about three hundred feet, snow re- 

 mains the year around. The ridge connecting the peaks, 

 which is nowliere more than fifty yards wide, is made up of 

 a series of benches, which drop gently down from the lower 

 peak, then ascend rather sharply till the summit of the 

 higlier one is reached. The western side of the mountain is 

 quite rugged and bare of timber for a long way down, and 

 on this side the whole length of the ridge breaks off abruptly, 

 leaving a sheer descent of nearly a thousand feet, when 

 other benches and ridges are met, which lead up to other 

 peaks or slope away to the valley of Seamour Creek. On 

 the eastern side the mountain is timbered to within a few 

 hundred feet of the summit; the slope is gradual and the 

 ascent not at all dangerous, but much of the way it lies 

 through an infernal network of bushes, wluch tells sorely on 

 the muscles of the legs before the journey is ended. 



When I reached the summit a disappointment awaited 

 me. I expected at this season (May 19) to find considerable 

 snow on the peaks, but I confidently hoped that the lower 

 ridges and benches be at least partially covered with their 

 usual carpet of grass and heather. Alas ! over peak and ridge 

 and bench as far as the eye could reach, was one white gUsten- 

 ing mantle of snow. I saw at a glance that I would not be 

 able to reach my old hunting ground over the higher peak, 

 as no one could tell when a snow slide might occur. I moved 

 across the summit, which is only about a hundred yards in 

 extent, and looked down to the first bench. Two goats stood 

 near the foot of the slope about fifty yards away. Their 

 heads were toward me and there was nothing between me 

 and them to break their view, but they did not show by their 

 actions that they had discovered me. 



*I trust your correspondent "Yo" will pardon the liberty I have 

 taken in giving his nom de plume to one of our moimtain peaks. But 

 as he has been in British Columbia, and while here, written some 

 charming letters descriptive of our mountain scenery, and also has. 

 in company with myself, partaken of a hunter's meal beneath the 

 shadow of this very mountain, the liberty is somewhat justifiable and 

 the honor not altogether an empty one. 



There appears to be as much stoical indifference in the 

 composition of this animal as is usually found in that of the 

 average red man of the forest, and I never knew but one to 

 show any weakness in this respect. This was one I owned 

 myself. I got him when very young from an Indian and 

 kept hira for about three months, when he died. He became 

 very tame and would follow me in all my collecting rambles 

 through the woods, and the report of my gun woidd have no 

 more effect on him than would the falling of a rock in his 

 own native wilds. He f:ould not bear the si^ht of a dog, 

 and no member of the canine family could remain around 

 the place if the goat could by any possible means drive it 

 away. One day a gentleman came into my shop accom- 

 panied by a setter, when the goat, who had seen the pair 

 enter, immediately followed and assumed a belligerent atti- 

 tude, stepping around the room stiff-legged, his little hoofs 

 comiQg down with a loud thump at every step. Finally he 

 halted at a respectful distance from the dog, bracing him- 

 self for a last effort, the hairs on his back .standing straight 

 on end, and, with his head lowered, he seemed to say, "You 

 just stand there two seconds longer and I'll go through you 

 Uke a shot from a Eiupp gun." The dog surveyed the 

 ungainly looking specimen for a moment, then, probably 

 con.sidering it scarcely worth his while to notice it, lay down 

 on the floor and went to sleep. This was a line of defen.se 

 the goat was not prepared for. This dog acted differently 

 from any he had yet encountered. It was probably a new 

 species and worth studying. As the dog remained motion- 

 less the goat relaxed his rigid position and moved cautiously 

 nearer until, by stretching his neck, he brought his nose 

 within an inch of that of the dog. Just then a fly disturbed 

 the dog's slumber, and in bringing up his paw to bi'ush 

 away the insect he hit the goat a sharp tap on the nose. 

 Quick as a flash, and apparently without bending a joint, 

 the goat sprang into the air fully two feet, and in coming 

 down and trying to alight as far away from the dog as pos- 

 sible, he got tangled up in the legs of a chair, which in his 

 hurry to get out of the foom he packed with him. When he 

 shook himself clear and looked around and found that the 

 house had not fallen and that the dog was perfectly quiet, he 

 put on a look of utter disgust and skulked off into a comer 

 of the yard, where he lay down in a clump of weeds and 

 remained out of sight until the dog was clear of the prem- 

 ises 



But to return to the two goats. I raised my rifle and fired, 

 kilUng one of them, the other disappearing over the steep 

 side of the bench, and when I reached the spot he was still 

 within range picking his way carefully down over the snow- 

 covered rocks. He did not appear to be in any hurry, and 

 I might have shot him, but calculating the difficulty of get- 

 ting him up even if he stopped where he fell, I let him go. 



Leaving the Indian contemplating the amount of muck-a- 

 muck contained within the skin of the dead goat, I walked 

 along over the snow to the end of the bench looking around 

 for a bare place to camp. On the next bench below me and 

 about one hundred yards away were four goats and two deer, 

 standing pretty close together, the trim-limbed representa- 

 tives of the lower altitudes appearing quite at home in the 

 company of their shaggy-coated cousins of the mountain 

 peaks. Dropping on one knee and resting my elbow on the 

 other, I sighted for the largest goat and fired, killing it on 

 the spot. This brought every head in the little band to an 

 upright position, with every eye fixed on the smoking muz- 

 zle of my rifle and the strange-looking object on the snow 

 above them. Again I fired, and another of the goats feU, 

 crimsoning the white snow with its life blood. This broke 

 up the party, the deer springing down the timbered side of 

 the bench, the two goats going over the steep side opposite. 

 On examining the goats I had killed, I found they had be- 

 g-un to shed their coat, which was another disappointment, 

 as I wished to procure two good skin.*? for mounting for a 

 gentleman in the East who had written for them; so the hunt, 

 so far as goats were concerned, was at an end. 



I remained the next day in hope of securing some ptarmi- 

 gan in the change of plumage, but as the approaches to the 

 higher peak were dangerous, and I had to confine myself to 

 the narrow strip between the peaks, I got nothing, and the 

 following day we slid down off om- snowy perch, and in the 

 midst of a drenching rain made our way to the salt water. 



The following are the measurements of the largest of the 

 three goats, an adult male: Girth, 4ft.; length to root of 

 tail, 3ft. Gin. ; length of horn, llin, ; circumference of horn 

 at base, 5iin. ; cucumference of fore hoof at bottom, 9Jin. 



In comparing this with measurements of those of other 

 goats I have killed I find it to be the largest. While on this 

 subject I reply to a question which has more than once been 

 asked me respecting a larger species of goat than the above, 

 that I do not know of such in these mountains, cither from 

 personal knowledge or Indian report, nor do I believe that 

 the average weight of a mouutain goat to be much over 135 

 pounds. My experience in this matter is in accord with the 

 views some time ago expressed in Foeest and Stkeam by 

 Mr. J. C. Hughes, of this Province, and Capt. Charles Ben- 

 dire, of Fort Ouster, Montana. The mountain goat is, how- 

 ever, a vei-y conspicuous object when seen on ttie side of a 

 cliff, even at a great distance, and if he gets away from your 

 clutches, the imaginaton is apt to picture him a veritable 

 monster. But "science is measurement," and a small pocket 

 tapeUne is a very useful thing for one to pack on a hunting 

 trip. 



As a number of gentlemen in the East have expressed their 

 intention of visiting this Province soon, and have asked for 

 information respecting the opportunities for hunting the 

 mountain goat in this neighborhood, I will, with your per- 

 mission, offer the following hints for their benefit. 



In the first place, do not come here limited for time. You 

 cannot here, as in the East, step out of your hotel into a 

 steamboat or rail car and be whirled to any point of the 

 compass you choose. You cannot even go hunting mountain 

 goats on the hurricane deck of a mule. For the greater 

 part of this work you must depend on your own muscle. 

 And then, British Columbia is a difficult country to travel 

 through ; in fact that portion of it lying near the coast is 

 simply an infernal jungle, to penetrate which wfll try the 

 patience of the most experienced hunter; and much of this 

 kind of country must be gone through before the home of 

 the mountain goat is reached. Again, notwithstanding the 

 fact that the climate of British Columbia is lauded to the 

 skies, an experience of twenty-three years here has not raised 

 my confidence in it to the betting point, and just at the time 

 of your arrival it may be wet, cloudy weather, which will 

 cause more or less delay, as you must have clear weather to 

 hunt in. Indians may also be difllcult to get, but this would 

 be the result of accident, for they are generally available. 

 One Indian for each white man, or even two Indians for 

 three white men, is sufficient. An Indian's pack should not 

 exceed thirty pounds, your rifle, of course, being carried by 



