Aug. 27, 1885.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



8B 



wJliilj'^ from behind tlie far-off haystack, waving his arras 

 and shouting. The panic-stricken plovers delayed not to 

 make inquiries as to the uatui'e of the apparition, but rose 

 as one and made haste directly toward me. They were al- 

 most within shot and my fingers tingled, when suddenly 

 they seejned to remember something and wheeled off to the 

 left. They kept on thus till my position shut them from 

 view, and I kept still praying they might come back. Then 

 there was a soft flutter of wings right behind me. I was 

 pinioned between the rails, but 1 wrenched my neck about, 

 and there was the whole flock reconoitering my position 

 from the rear. They discovered me as my barrels went up, 

 and huddled close together for an instant. Of course I 

 could take no aim. With bothhands high in the air. my head 

 nearly twisted off the neck, in the most absurd of postures 

 I fired. Just a glimpse of fluttering feathers through the 

 smoke, and I hardly dreamed that anything else had fallen. 

 But as I wriggled to my feet and stepped forth, to my de- 

 lighted wonder I found seven birds upon the ground. The 

 shot had been tired upon so wild a chance that I did not look 

 upon it as a pot shot, but was greatly elated over its result. 

 And how C.'s eyes .stuck out at sight of the spoils! 



By this time the flock had vanished utterly, and we rightly 

 concluded we should see no more of them, for that day at 

 least, so we too sought pastures new. As we rounded a spur 

 of the uplands we passed ttirough an open swale, wherein we 

 put up a brace of snipe, both of which C. brought down 

 neatly. Then on the sunny slope of a dyke, among wild 

 pea vines and ropes of wild convoloulus, we reclined to 

 aiscu.ss om* biscuits and too scanty crullers. As Ave lunched 

 indolently three yellowlegs flew over us, and piped a note 

 of startled inquiiy. A little way off we saw a large reddish- 

 brown hawk questing noiselessly above the tops of the long 

 grasses ; it was looking forward evidently to a dainty luncheon 

 of field mice. Then a small flock of plover rose from a field 

 in the distance, took a short flight and sank again. We 

 swaUowed our last mouthful of cruller and went in pursuit. 

 Three birds were brought down this time, and then the 

 flock made such effectual retreat that we could not dream 

 of following. At this point the marsh was narrow and we 

 decided to try the flats outside the dyke for a change. It 

 wo\ild be a waste of time to enumerate the various smaller 

 snipe and rail which we bagged out here. There were at 

 least a couple of flocks of birds in sight all the time ; and 

 every flock was the most heterogeneous mixture imaginable. 

 The result of a pot-shot made by C. into a passing swarm 

 was eight birds, which turned out to be representatives of 

 five different species. One of these is a very plump, short- 

 legged and short-necked bird weighing as much as a jack 

 snipe, slate-colored and without markings, which I know 

 not how to name. 



We bagged several cm'lew also, which we found poking 

 their retrousse hilis into the mud at the very edge of tide. 

 Then the sight of a flock of plover called us in on the 

 marshes again, and by dodging this flock persistently we 

 got three several chances at it, and had only one miss to 

 record. That miss was mine, but I retrieved myself later on. 

 I had the delight of revenge upon C. for his rnockery when 

 he missed a fair chance at a duck. But I won't anticipate. 

 When this flock of plover got away from us we realized that 

 we were very hungry. But we could not think of going 

 home. There was a most likely-looking series of ponds near 

 at hand where we felt some ducks would come towai-d sun- 

 set, and we were fain to be on hand to receive them. There 

 was yet an hour before we could hope for their coming, so 

 we resolved to devote that hour to our stomachs. It must be 

 borne in mind that we had not suffered ourselves on this 

 day to go very far from the uplands. To the uplands we 

 now returned, and coming upon an unprotected orchard, we 

 ate our fill of a crabbed and sour little apple growing 

 therein. Then we found a grove of birches, and armed our- 

 selves each with a clean and firm piece of tough birchbark. 

 These we twisted into something of the nature of a bowl, 

 and with softened voices, many endearments, and our very 

 tenderest smiles, we approached some cows that were feed- 

 ing lazily near. Our demeanor had its effect at once, and 

 we helped ourselves to some long, delicious draughts of new 

 milk. On the edge of the marsh, moreover, we espied some 

 well-fruited beds of cranberries, which went most excellently. 

 Then heedless of the possibilities of cramps, etc. , on the 

 mon-ow — possibilities which were never realized — we 

 wended our way across the grassy acres to the pools, where 

 we hoped for ducks. 



To the very brink of the most promising pool — indeed be- 

 yond the brink and beyond the fringe of reeds — ^ran a worm 

 fence, with long grass and weeds on either side of it. This 

 was just to our heart's desire. Concealed in the deep gTass 

 we lay at ease, close to the water, and waited till our game 

 should come to us. We didn't mind delay, for we were in- 

 clined to be luxurious by this time, and the sight of our 

 already well-plumped game bags gave us a blissful sense of 

 attainment. But the best was not yet — or, rather, as we 

 spoke we looked up and saw the best coming. A whirr of 

 wings and a line of seven black ducks drew swiftly toward 

 us. Our arrangement was that each should lire at the bird 

 or birds that were toward his own side. The ducks had 

 plainly no intention of stopping at our pool, but they flew 

 within easy range, and just as they got past all four barrels 

 were emptied at them. The two hindmost birds fell to me, 

 and the leader of the flock dropped in answer to O.'s first 

 barrel; but his second charge went astray somehow, and he 

 muttered an execration on his luck. An obedient cur which 

 we had borrowed from a farmer waded in and brought our 

 birds ashore. Three black ducks! We felt justly elated. 

 Then all fell quiet again beside the lonely pool, which was 

 beginning to flush warmly under the reddening west ; and no 

 voyaging bird could have guessed at the swift death lying in 

 wait for it among those pleasant gi-asses. • 



Next a familiar low whistle greeted our ears, and two 

 yellowlegs paused on wide wing, uncertain whether or not 

 to aligtit. Just as the dangling legs touched the smooth sur- 

 face we fired and saved them forever the trouble of coming 

 to a decision. Every now and then came more yellowlegs, 

 singly or in pairs, and found their way to our bags. At last 

 came a solitary duck. It was C.'s turn. I had just time to 

 mark it as a "golden eye," when C. fired, first* one barrel 

 and then the other, and the duck, with a horrified squawk, 

 added fourfold speed to its journey. C. sprang up and gazed 

 after it. Then he sat down with" perfect meekness and en- 

 dured my comments— a mere echo of what he had said to 

 me on no remote occasion. When 1 had finished he humbly 

 suggested that perhaps he had left the shot out of those cart- 

 ridges, to which I replied. "Exactly!"' After this there was 

 another succession of yellowlegs, till it began to grow dusk- 

 ish, and we debated the advisability of going home. C. said 

 wistfully that he would like another shy at those confounded 

 ducks. And even as we were speaking the whistle of wings 



was on our ears again; then a splashing and quacking that 

 thriUed our inmost souls, and there, under our very noses, 

 was a flock of black ducks swimming and feeding in the 

 pool. There was time to pick and choose what should fall 

 to our first barrels. C. was fortunate enough to get two 

 birds in range. So three were bagged at that discharge, and 

 as the flock rose wildly we gave them our second. Result, 

 five ducks. 'Then we rose also, dragged ourselves homeward 

 with heavy legs but light hearts, put away a most uncon- 

 scionable supper, and proceeded to display, count, admire, 

 discuss, the booty of the day, I shall not here enumerate, 

 as I think it would be hard-hearted to make men's mouths 

 water unnecessarily, at a season when they cannot well go 

 straightway to visit the Big Marsh of the Tantramar. 



Charles G. D. RoBEKm 



Fredericton, N. B., March 4, 18S5. 



A HUNT ON THE YAZOO. 



SAUNTERING along 8t. Charles street, in New Orleans, 

 one bright day during the winter of 1853 (indeed all 

 days are bright there), I was hailed by Ed Ball, a person 

 with whom 1 had but a slight acquaintance, but whom 1 

 knew to be a crack rifle shot and a lover of the woods, quali- 

 fications quite ample to impress me in his favor at that lime. 

 He informed me that he had just received a letter from 

 Yazoo City informing him that, in consequence of the open 

 winter, there was but little likelihood of a rise in the Missis- 

 sippi or its tributaries, insuring an abundance of game in the 

 "Swamp," a locality lying between the latter river and the 

 Big Sunflower, subject to occasional overflow, but most of 

 the year as free from water as an upland meadow. Mr. Ball 

 could not have made a proposition more to my liking than 

 this. He also informed mc that an acquaintance of his 

 desired to be of the party, a Mr. Henry Radburg, a native of 

 New York State, but for many years a resident of the Cres- 

 cent City. (He proved subsequently to be a first-class wing- 

 shot, a "warm-hearted, genial fellow, and as trae as steel. 

 Although a good wing -shot, he was attacked by the "buck 

 fever" badly one night when he and I were fire-huntiog. He 

 stood in the bow with his gun and myself in the stern guid- 

 ing the boat down stream, when three deer came down to 

 drink, so near to us thai,t I could easily have cast a stone to 

 where they stood. He deliberately fired three shots at them 

 before they got away, and apparently did not displace a 

 hair). 



A few minutes sufficed for us to arrange preliminaries. I 

 handed over to Ball one-third of the expenses necessary for 

 IKOvisions, ammunition, fare up the river, etc., he readily 

 agreeing to attend to aU details. He owned a comfortable 

 tent and cooking utensils, which of course were indispensa- 

 ble in the .woods. Had I known anything of Ball's antece- 

 dents I should never have chosen him as a companion in a 

 hunting expedition where true courtesy and kindness between 

 man and man are seldom wanting, and are an almost univer- 

 sal characteristic of the lovers of the chase. He was an un- 

 mitigated rough and cut-throat; had beaten an inoffending 

 man to death in Kentucky and fled the State, and a large 

 rewai'd was even then offered for his arrest. 



In a few days we were ready, so sending our traps down 

 to the levee we were soon on board the steamer bound for 

 Vicksburg. An evening of pleasant chat, enlivened by 

 laughter and song, served to shorten the hours which seemed 

 endless to hunters more than anxious to reach the sylvan 

 solitudes which at that date had seldom been profaned by 

 the tread of man. In those daj^s game and fish were so 

 abundant that no one ever thought of any necessity for pro- 

 tective laws. I soon after saw and appreciated the necessity 

 for such laws; but we were young then and bent on sport. 

 We retired, and were lulled to sleep by the plantation melo- 

 dies of the negi-o deck hands, who solaced their hours of 

 labor with song and legend. Morning came, and before we 

 were thoroughly awake the steward with his fearful gong 

 announced breakfast and Vicksburg. After breakfast we 

 took a stroll through the town. In our loiterings a stranger 

 pointed out to us a house as. the residence of S. S. Prentiss. 

 This had an especial interest for me, as I had read the public 

 speeches of that gentleman as well as listened to his oral 

 efforts, and I never knew his peer, except in the person of 

 my friend, the late David Wilson, of Washington county, 

 N. Y. This was the only point in the town that interested 

 me, save the wharf-boat, where seven gamblers had been 

 made to walk the plank by the outraged citizens, one only 

 out of the gang escaping. 



An incident on the up trip is worthy of note. At dinner 

 on the previous day an old gentleman boarded the boat at a 

 woodpile, a designation which will be appreciated by all 

 travelers familiar with the Mississippi in those days. He 

 had evidently footed it some distauce, and was perspiring 

 freely. He seated himself at the table, and, without a glance 

 to the right or left, seized the finger-bowl, which was then 

 considered the thing at all polite tables, and emptied it. As 

 he sat down he placed his hat— a black beaver— on the flopr 

 at the end of a side table, on which was placed a huge bowl 

 containing a delusive egg-nog mixture called floating island; 

 and presently the boat struck a snag whicn mixed things up 

 sufficiently to empty the bowl into the old man's hat, and 

 the "islands" floated in their new bowl. 



After laying in some vegetables at Vicksburg we boarded 

 our skiff, Ball and myself taking the oars, with Radburo- 

 at the rudder. A vigorous pull of an hour or more brought 

 us to the mouth of the Yazoo, into which we rounded, and 

 continued our way against a stiff current until noon, by 

 which time my hands were fearfully blistered, and I sug- 

 gested a halt for dinner. A fire on the bank soon enabled 

 us to fry some bacon and make a pot of coffee, hard bread 

 or sea biscuits doing nicely in lieu of regulation bread, with 

 the relish which hard work and pure air generally give. 

 Re-embarking we continued our way up until the lengthen- 

 ing shadows told us of the day's decline. 



We had reached the mouth of Big Sunflower River, where 

 we found an elegant camping ground. Landing, we put up 

 our tent and prepared for supper and sleep. Opposite the 

 camp a long sand-spit stretched near the other sUore, and 

 presently a flock of wild geese came along and settled there. 

 Ball seized his rifle and shot one from the camp ground. 

 This proved a welcome addition to our evening meal. Just 

 before turning in I baited an ordinary perch hook with a 

 piece of wild goose, and attached to about ten feet of line, 

 cast it from the stern of the boat to which I fastened it. The 

 following morning I went down to the boat and observing 

 the line was taut, commenced gently to haul it in. You can 

 hardly imagine my surprise to see a pair of enormous jaws 

 following the hook without the least resistance. Of com-se 

 I recognized the species to which they belonged— the catfish 

 —but their size astounded me. I put my whole hand under 

 the gill covers of one side, and with great effort hfted the 



fish over the gunwale. I will say nothing of the size of my 

 capture, suffice it that the party enjoyed steaks from it ad 

 Ubitum, aud stiU a large portion was left to the buzzards. 

 We then loaded up again and breasted a still more rapid 

 cuiTent, and after rowing the enthe day reached a fine 

 plateau on the left bank, which was selected as om* resting 

 place for thejnight. The usual routine of camping followed. 

 While my companions were getting supper I strolled along 

 the river bank in the edge of the forest. Suddenly a snort, 

 which I knew to be from a deer, attracted ray attention. I 

 turned in the direction of the sound and could plainly see a 

 fine five-pronged buck gazing at the unwonted sight of our 

 fire. Suddenly 1 heard a shriek which frightened me clear 

 to my toes. The buck heard it, too, and without more ado 

 he shot like an ariow from a bow into the forest and wa-s 

 gone. I went, but with undignified haste, back to camp. It 

 was a panther. 



The next morning we proceeded up the river about five 

 miles, where, on an abrupt elevation, we pitched our per- 

 manent camp. We blazed roads in three directions, having 

 the river for our base, and extended our marks on the trees 

 subsequently as we had occasion to go further out. The 

 woods had to me a most somber appearance. The trees, fes- 

 tooned from branch to branch with graymoss, had a depress- 

 ing effect upon me, and illustrated the "valley of the shadow 

 of death" mentioned in holy writ. But there is scarcely a 

 situation in life from which some good cannot be extracted 

 if one is inclined to look for it— 



"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods; 

 There is a rapture on the lonely .shore; 

 There is society where none intrudes, 

 By the deep sea, for there's music in its roar." 



The chattering of the black squirrels, of which there wefe 

 myriads, and the song of the birds enlivened the scene some- 

 what. 



In preparing for our possible game, I sought some water- 

 soaked logs for the purpose of getting the bark to roof our 

 shed with, and while thus engaged (I was barefooted) I hap- 

 pened to glance downward, and there within two inches 

 was a black Spanish tarantula. I think I must have jumped 

 ten feet at least, and I lit on the bank, when I put on my 

 shoes and stockings, and they did not leave my feet again 

 until I arrived at New Orleans. 



Opposite was a natural arbor, one of the most beautiful I 

 ever beheld. Commencing at the water's edge aud extend- 

 ing about sixty feel back was an open space with small trees 

 on either side whose branches were drawn together and inter- 

 laced by climbing vines, forming a network as perfect as if 

 laths or other artificial devices 'had been provided for the 

 roof. The ruddy beams of the setting sun glancing through 

 these lattice panes chequered the watery pathway and almost 

 tempted me to explore this haunt of the naiads, but remem- 

 bering that I was not web-footed, I did not. Besides an alli- 

 gator might have settled himself in the lily-pads, or a black 

 or red tarantula might be disporting overhead. 



At supper on the evening of our first day a stranger sud- 

 denly emerged from the depths of the forest and saluted us. 

 We invited him to join us, which he decUned, and after sat' 

 isfying himself who we were and what was oiu' mission, he 

 disappeared as suddenly as he came. He told us before leav- 

 ing, however, that he had followed us from the mouth of the 

 Yazoo to our camp, probably to gather from our conversa- 

 tion the object of our trip. He carried a rifle as long as him- 

 self, and of 1-ounce caliber. We subsequently learned in 

 Vicksburg that he was an outlaw for whose arrest a large 

 reward was offered, for he had committed a mm-der and was 

 a fugitive from justice. If he had been satisfied we were 

 after him, not one of our party would ever have left the 

 woods alive. 



A breakfast of hot coffee, fresh biscuits and fried bacon, 

 and we were ready for business. Each took a separate 

 course, and agreed before starting upon a signal— the screech 

 of an owl— to announce our approach or a desire for assist- 

 ance in an emergency. I took an up-stream dhection, Ball 

 down stream, and Radburg took the center. I wended my 

 way through the cypress trees and underbrush, the stillness 

 only broken by the'chattering of the squirrels and the scold- 

 ing of a jay. Approaching a branch that emptied into the 

 river near the camp, I peered cautiously through the trees 

 and presently discovered a drove of eight deer. I shot the 

 leader, when the rest scattered, one crossing the stream and 

 coming directly toward me, which I also brought down 

 with my other barrel. Bending down saplings I soon had 

 my deer suspended and dressed. The tugging of two deer 

 the distance of a mile to camp was a very arduous task, and 

 by the time it was accomplished I was ready for supper aud 

 bed. The latter was of primitive structure, but never in 

 my memory, not even on spiral spring mattress or air bed, 

 di'd I enjoy such grateful, unbroken rest as on our camp bed. 

 We drove four crotched stakes into the ground, having the 

 tops about a foot high, and on these we laid poles two ways 

 close together, aud then placed moss aud leaves to the depth 

 of about eighteen inches. On this pile, with our blankets 

 around us, our feet to the camp-fire, we were soon lost in 

 slumber. It was a bed to make the eyes of the most cheeky 

 tramp turn green with envy. 



The morning following I went alone to the rear of Hodg- 

 son's Landing, at the confluence of the Yazoo and Big Sun- 

 flower rivers. I believed that the mound which constituted 

 the landing was of artificial formation and determined to ex- 

 plore it as far as I cotdd. This I did, and exhumed some 

 arrow heads and human bones, which I deposited in the 

 museum in New Orleans. The geologist in charge pro- 

 nounced the fossils to have belonged to a human being of 

 gigantic stature, by comparison with corresponding bones in 

 his possession. I believe, if the mound was thoroughly ex- 

 plored, many interesting relics of the mound builders would 

 be unearthed. Returning to camp, being unarmed, I floated 

 down stream using only my paddle to guide my course. I 

 observed on the bank what I first supposed to be a log. As 

 I approached in passing near enough to touch it with my 

 paddle, I could see what it was, an alligator, and quite as 

 long as my canoe. As I passed he turned over twice and 

 sunk out of sight in the stream. I did not know whether to 

 expect an attack or not, but I pushed the canoe ahead with 

 all my strength. I glanced over my shoulder once or twice, 

 but the saurian appeared no more. 



Retiu-ning to camp we loaded up our skiff' with deer, and 

 Ball started for Vicksburg, where we shipped them to oui- 

 friends in New Orleans. He reached camp at the end of the 

 week, bringing with him some vegetables, notably some 

 onions, and such onions! Some of them would cover a 

 breakfast plate, and as tender and sweet as Bermudas. Ball 

 was accompanied by his brother, who had the manners and 

 evinced the instincts of a gentleman. 



While Rodbiu-g and myself were away on the following 



