128 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 11, 1886. 



stands. We turned away from the James River, only fourteen 

 miles away, and Rosinante — Doc Tanner — coming up like a 

 war horse, when old Joe blew the cow's horn, -with a mouth 

 like the Mammoth Cave or cornet a piston, to call the dogs 

 off and in to change the huntsman's venue. 



The writer and the Judicial Mind were posted on a pretty 

 little knoll on the old Petersburg road, and the dogs, at 10 

 o'clock, began to give tongue like mad and I saw a light come 

 into Miller s eye, like that judicial light which shines there 

 when he gives a verdict for the plantiff in the district court. 



"Down on your knees," I said, and down on his marrow 

 bones he went; and breathless we waited for the bounding 

 buck to come our way, for the quick, deep yelping of the 

 hounds told us of the near approach of the venison. Both 

 of us turned our eyes at the same instant, and there was 

 Nimrod Rice down on one knee, shotgun pointed at some- 

 thing in the bushes, and quicker than I can write a line, out 

 came a one hundred and seventy-five-pound buck running 

 like a Camden cyclone, erect and beautiful, with slender 

 nostrils distended, head well up in the air, apparently leap- 

 ing, a.t every bound, over the top of the small scrub oaks. 



The deer left the dense thicket, with the baying dogs close 

 behind in hot pursuit. He reached the middle of the old 

 road. Rice was twenty-five yards away, well concealed 

 from the vigilant but terrified eye of the beautiful animal, 

 so lithe and graceful, with the delicate completeness and in- 

 comparable neatness of limb, round, yet slim. Rice's gun 

 was 14 inch gauge, 6^ pounds weight, 28-inch barrel, 4£ 

 drams Dupont's best powder in each barrel, loaded with 12 

 No. 1 buckshot. 



He fired the right barrel, and a two-year-old buck dropped 

 in his tracks about the middle of the road. • 



Off went the second barrel, when old Joe came bounding 

 out of the brush, and exclaimed : 



"Boss Rice, de Nimble Rod (Nitnrod) what you shoot dat 

 deer two times for done kill him fust shot." Then the negro 

 began to whoop and yell like a wild Comanche warrior. 



"Well," said Rice, "old man, I meant to shoot as long as 

 the deer's ears moved." 



"Boss," said old Joe, "You 'deemed (redeemed) you'self 

 dis time. Meat drapped dere, too, as if old Hai-per Ferry 

 hisself done it." 



Crafford's horse Doc Tanner came cavorting like a Ken- 

 tucky racer down the road, trying to throw his rider, and 

 prancing wildly as soon as he smelled blood. In vain did the 

 gallant rider, Joe Sharp— all in a glow, looking like the 

 ancient Cceur de Lion— endeavor to bring Rosinante-Tanner 

 to the front, so as to saddle the horse with the saddle of 

 venison. Sharp was considerably nonplussed, not being 

 familiar with Doc Tanner's ways, for the horse stood there 

 foaming, "rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun," and refused 

 to budge. 



"Get off, Joe," said the smiling Crafford, for all were 

 hilariously joyful, and it was what the great Conkling calls 

 a "halcyon and vociferous occasion," old Joe doing most of 

 the vociferating. Charley Crafford went up to Tanner, 

 trembling in every limb, put the fiat of his hand tenderly on 

 his Rosinante's neck, and said soothingly, "Tanner, what 

 ails you? Let me whisper in yer year! I want no more of 

 this nonsense." The horse, figuratively speaking, melted, 

 became as gentle as a lamb, and the deer was quietly slung 

 across the bow of the saddle. It was nearing 12 o'clock, but 

 Director General Dick Sharp said we must have another deer. 

 I began to think the woods were full of them, and I was 

 nearly right. 



Sharp the elder jumped on his old bay mare and was soon 

 scurrying through the bushes, and in fifteen minutes we 

 knew too well by the deep-mouthed baying of the dogs that 

 the deer were running away from our stand. The Judge 

 looked disgusted and all forlorn, as he did the day the 80- 

 pound red drum broke away from his Cuttyhunk line at 

 Anglesea, N. J., when I was one big fish ahead. Sharp 

 had driven three deer from the bushes fifteen minutes after 

 he started, where they were enjoying a matutinal nap, re- 

 gardless of danger or the dogs. 



Sharp's old mare made a good record as to speed across 

 the barrens, and taking a cross cut, he caught sight of a fat 

 fawn at the coiner of a "goober" field, got in a first shot 

 which made the fur fly, then gave chase, still on horseback, 

 and at the corner of the negro grave yard gave the fawn her 

 quietus with his left barrel. Here was glory and game enough 

 for one day. And these gentlemen sportsmen, for such they 

 all were, did not desire to depopulate the forests. We had 

 game enough for the table for a week, and some to send to 

 our homes in the Jerseys. Old Joe was wild with joy. If 

 he had brought along his dilapidated fiddle he would 'surely 

 have stopped along the roadside to play "Leather Stockings," 

 or danced a Virginia breakdown on the amply-shaded piazza 

 at home as he gazed with irrepressible emotion at the glossy 

 hides of the two big bucks and a fawn triumphantly hang- 

 ing in a row near the kitchen. 



It was one o'clock P. M. when we reached the house, tired 

 but happy huntsmen. At sharp two P. M. the cooks gave 

 us a dinner which Lucullus might have envied, and over 

 which, if now alive, Sam Ward, the literary gourmet of the 

 lobby, would have smiled his blandest benison, and as Sam's 

 dilletanti stomach distended, he would have rendered with a 

 grace all his own, his best Rabelaisian stories. The presence 

 of some of the brightest and wittiest of the sex, kept us on 

 our dignity between the wine and the walnuts. The scribe 

 felt that sense of fullness so aptly described by Washington 

 Irving, when Mynheer Van Tassel, having dined volumin- 

 ously, tumbled over asleep on the greensward, while good 

 digestion waited on appetite. Old Joe was a never ending 

 source of wit in others and of infinite amusement to him- 

 self. He explained to us how his wives left him, post-bel- 

 lum, when, as he tersely expressed, "Massa Linkum freed 

 the nigga' man." 



"Nimrod" L. Rice was the hero of the hour, and did not 

 hesitate to declare that he was exceedingly glad that he had 

 killed his first deer and on that particular hunt had earned 

 the right to wear his undiminished "phylactery" or shirt. 



Charles Ellison, who mourned because we could not each 

 get one deer on the same day, and who is the crack shot of 

 Surrey, coaxed the Judicial Mind to take a shy at the 

 quail, and when Richard sees a gun or a game bag or a 

 hound dog, it does not require much blandishment to get 

 him out for a shoot. It is a case of the war horse who snuff - 

 cth the battle from afar. So, before the November sun had 

 found his "bath beyond the western stars," or black night 

 had dropped her curtain over our joyous but tired party, they 

 bagged and returned with two dozen quail. 



It was Keats who told so charmingly how his^or some- 

 body else's) sweetheart slept on the eve of St. Agnes. But 

 she never revelled in balmy sleep with half the joy that 

 gladened our tired sportsmen, whose dreams were filled with 

 Jack rabbits galore and turkeys innumerable, while the deer 



roamed the happy hunting grounds of sleep, thick as stars 

 in the MUky Way. What would civilization be without a 

 gun and a dog, and, if you please, lacking the quaint humor 

 of poor old Joe, who deserves in the great hereafter a home 

 where his Harper's Ferry musket will be ever bright. That 

 merry party will not soon forget the days "we went gypsy - 

 ing" through the balmy woods and over the fertile "goober" 

 fields of old Surry, nor will we ever cease to remember how 

 our hearts warmed before the open fires of our generous host, 

 and how glad we were made by the open-handed and large- 

 hearted hospitality on Dick Sharp's plantation in Surry 

 county, old Virginia, in November. J. M. S. 



Camden, N. J. 



STATE GAME PROTECTORS' REPORTS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Protector Seymour C. Armstrong, of the fifth district, in 

 his annual report says: "A club has been organized at White- 

 hall for the protection of fish and game. R. H. Cook is 

 president, and W. N. Weeks, secretary. The club is com- 

 posed of active, intelligent men, from whom I have received 

 much assistance in enforcing the law. The club has already 

 done good work, having secured the passage of an act by 

 the Board of Supervisors prohibiting the netting of fish in 

 the county of Washington at any time. In May last, I de- 

 stroyed six very large fyke nets in Lake Champlain near 

 Whitehall, and liberated about 600 pounds of bass and a 

 large number of pike and other fish. One net contained 

 fifty-seven bass that would range from one to six pounds in 

 weight. I confess that my heart warmed toward them, but 

 I let them all go free — every one. Several other nets have 

 been destroyed since that time, and I am assured that there 

 has been less illegal taking of fish in that vicinity the past 

 year than ever before. I also arrested five men for illegal 

 fishing and recovered from them fines aggregating $53. 



"I have effected the organization of a protective club at 

 Lake George. Robert Lenox Banks is the president, and W. 

 W.Price, secretary. The chib was organized late last sea- 

 son. A strong effort will be made by the members of the 

 club to enforce the law in that locality. I am under official 

 obligations to Hon. Robert Lenox Banks for valuable assist- 

 ance rendered. I would recommend the organization of pro- 

 tective clubs in every county. 



"At the October term of 'Hamilton County Court two in- 

 dictments were found. One against Chas. D. Rousseau and 

 the other against Richard Birch. At the June term, Elijah 

 Camp was indicted for having venison in possession, was 

 tried, and escaped conviction by proving that the deer was 

 owned by and in the possession of Norman Shaw. The 

 Grand Jury would not indict Shaw on the testimony of the 

 same witnesses. 'Consistency thou art a jewel,' but such 

 jewels are not found in the courts of Hamilton county. At 

 the October term an action was discontinued on the payment 

 of $100 by the offender. This was a case for having trout 

 in possession out of season. J. C. Dunn was fined in justice 

 court for taking trout out of season. I made a personal ex- 

 amination of the fish baskets of three young men from Sara- 

 toga. They have agreed to pay fines for taking trout less 

 than six inches in length. In August I destroyed a number 

 of set lines in Saratoga Lake. 



"I have commenced suit against parties in Washington 

 county for using dynamite infilling fish. I have also begun 

 suits in the Supreme Court against Philander Shaw and 

 Charles D. Rousseau for having deer in possession out of 

 season ; against Peter Wilson for spearing fish and against 

 Leander Pasko for hounding deer on two occasions. 



"At the September term of the Warren county court I had 

 five cases presented to the Grand Jury, and four indictments 

 were found. One of these was for spearing fish, one for 

 taking trout less than six inches in length, and two for 

 hounding deer. This jury was composed of fair-minded 

 men who seemed to be willing to do their duty. There seems 

 to be a decided improvement in the sentiment of the people 

 in regard to the enforcement of the game laws, save in a few 

 localities. 



"There is one case out of which a few interesled parties 

 have been trying to make a little capital. In the spring of 

 1884 I was notified that Judson N. Barton, Warren Duel, 

 and others had fish racks built on the outlet of Brant Lake 

 for the purpose of catching pickerel, and that other parties 

 were spearing and shooting fish The racks were similar to 

 the one built by Charles H. Faxon, at the outlet of Loon 

 Lake, and which I destroyed as previously reported. On 

 giving Mr. Barton and the other parties notice that it was 

 illegal to catch pickerel save only with hook and line they 

 immediately removed the racks. I found four men in the 

 marsh with guns and spears, but as it was a cloudy they 

 had no fish. I told them it was unlawful to shoot or spear 

 fish and if they were not anxious to be arrested to go home. 

 They went. There was much talk about this matter and 

 there was not a man or boy in the vicinity who did not learn 

 that it was unlawful to take fish in this way. In the spring 

 of 1885 Peter Wilson speared a pickerel in the presence of 

 witnesses. He said he did not care for the law and if he 

 saw Armstrong he would tell him what he thought about 

 fishing. A few days later I advised the man to go before 

 Justice J. N. Barton and confess judgment for the penalty. 

 He wanted a chance to test the matter and I brought suit 

 against him in the Supreme Court, and at the _ September 

 term he was indicted for a misdemeanor. Parties were at 

 court to 'log roll' with the jury, but the members were true 

 and the indictment was found. Then the man's friends set 

 up a howl in a newspaper about 'prosecuting boys,' that he 

 was 'the son of a soldier' and that I was 'afraid of a man 

 with a gun.' I do not know whether the writer of the 

 article was paid for it or not but he is welcome to all the 

 capital he and his friends can make out of it. 



"Pasko, the man indicted for hounding deer, had previ- 

 ously been fined for killing deer out of season. He was 

 afterward iudicted for burning a building which was the 

 property of the man who first made the complaint against 

 him. Pasko has told me that I would not make anything 

 out of it. I told him I had my buildings insured when I 

 was first appointed. 



"About midnight, May 20, I captured three men on Lake 

 George who were spearing fish. I confiscated the spears 

 and jack and took the men to Sabbath Day Point to have 

 them identified. The only fish found in their possession were 

 suckers. It was a violation under the law passed last winter, 

 but when I found the family of which the men were mem- 

 bers were very poor, having recently lost all they had by 

 fire, I was disposed to be merciful. I advised with Monroe 

 Green and others and on their advice told the offenders to go 

 their way and sin no more. I can begin suit against them 

 at any time and will when ordered to do so by your honor- 

 able Board, upon whom must rest the responsibility here- 

 after. 



"I have sufficient evidence to warrant the prosecution of 

 quite a large number of persons for hounding deer. I vis- 

 ited Indian and Blue Mouutain lakes in December to look 

 up additional evidence. I returned home Dec. 24 and have 

 been confined to my house and bed with pleuro pneumonia 

 much of the time since. 



"I have been particularly interested in the case of an Albany 

 gentleman who hired the game constable as one of his guides 

 to put out dogs. They killed several deer between Oct. 9 

 and 10. I presume he can give the dates, if not I can inform 

 him. 



"The suit against Wescott is still pending. Lately I have 

 discovered the witness upon the testimony of whom Wescott 

 was indicted is the very man who killed the deer. Wescott's 

 dog drove the deer and the witness killed it. Wescott and 

 the witness divided the venison. 



"Several suits are still pending, though it is through no 

 fault of mine. 1 have done my best to push them along, 

 but find I cannot hurry the court. The above report con- 

 tains an account of only a small part of the work performed. 

 I have visited the different localities where offenses were 

 committed, have looked up evidence, chased after witnesses, 

 attended courts and have done all in my power to see that 

 the law was enforced. I have investigated every complaint 

 made to me. Sometimes there is not suffiicient evidence to 

 warrant prosecution and sometimes no offense is committed, 

 complaint being made by a party ignorant of the law. 



"I suggest that protectors should be allowed to appoint 

 deputies. In some towns they purposely elect game con- 

 stables who will not qualify. One half of the fines should 

 go to the protector and half to the informer. 



"The law should allow the destruction of pickerel in any 

 manner and by any device. They are destroying the trout 

 in the Hudson River and its tributaries. 



"The game protectors should be allowed to read the evi- 

 dence in game cases before the Grand Jury, in order that 

 they may know it is all given. Much time is now spent in 

 collecting evidence never used. Sometimes it is purposely 

 omitted. 



"I can assure you that I was much pleased to receive your 

 letter, in which you expressed your approval of the manner 

 in which I have performed the duties of protector since my 

 appointment. I have done my best to merit your approval 

 and that of all who desire to see the law enforced." 



Matthew Kennedy, of Hudson, State game protector for 

 the third district, in his annual report states that he was 

 employed 63 days last year and that he traveled 3,604 miles. 

 He prosecuted 22 persons for violating the game laws and 

 all but two were convicted. Fines aggregating $255 were 

 recovered. He has two suits still pending. Mr, Kennedy 

 says: "I would recommend a change in section 4 of Chap- 

 ter 534 of the laws of 1879. The provision relates to the 

 shooting of wildfowl, and says, 'any person who shall at 

 any time kill any of said birds between sunset and daylight, 

 or pursue or fire at any of said birds with the aid of any light 

 or lantern, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor,' etc. 

 It is very difficult for me to fasten violators of that part of 

 the section, as the hunters who do night shooting do it with- 

 out the aid of a lantern. They do the most of their hunting 

 by twilight or moonlight. I had three violators of the sec- 

 tion in October, 1884, and the district attorney could not 

 hold them for the reason that the justice held that as the par- 

 ties did not have an artificial light they were not liable. It 

 is a custom for Troy and Albany parties to come here on 

 afternoon trains and not attempt to do any shooting until 

 after sunset, when they go among the birds on the feeding 

 beds. Shooting is done in the vicinity of Coxsackie and 

 Stockport. If the section read 'to pursue or fire at any of 

 said birds between sunset and daylight,' and the words relat- 

 ing to artificial light were omitted, it would be an easy mat- 

 ter to dectect and convict offenders." Portsa. 



A VIRGINIA GAME SCORE. 



SITTING this cold February evening before an old -fash 

 ioned Virginia fire place, with dry logs piled up high 

 and the bright blaze leaping and curling around the wood, I 

 naturally fell into a meditative mood. My two red Irish 

 setters Nemo and Uno, and a pointer pup, lemon and white, 

 whose name is Clio, are my only companions, and as I 

 looked from one to the other my thoughts reverted to the 

 shooting season just passed, and the many halcyon days I 

 spent in the fields and woods, of times without any compan- 

 ion save the Irish setters. Partridges were very plentiful 

 the past season, and I think I did fairly well as to the num- 

 ber killed. I kept a diary of each day's shooting, and look- 

 ing over it- this afternoon I find my best score for any one 

 day to be thirty-nine, and the total of the past season to be 

 760, which does not include doubtful birds, i. e., birds fired 

 at by any other person, for it frequently happens when two 

 or more are shooting together that two men claim the same 

 bird, in which event I never count such a bird in my day's 

 score. My setters are both good retrievers, and I cannot 

 now recall but one single bird that I shot down and they 

 failed to find, but on the contrary can recall many birds 

 retrieved by them which I would never have known 1 had 

 killed but for the sagacity of my dogs. There is one fact in 

 connection with Nemo's retrieving which I think is worthy 

 of mention, and that is that he rarely ever retrieves a bird 

 any other way except; by the head. If the bird is only 

 winged he catches it in any way he can, but once in his 

 mouth he manages to get it by the head, and brings it to me 

 with only the head in his mouth and the body of the bird 

 hanging down. This is not due to any superior training of 

 mine, but is a habit which he has fallen into of his own 

 accord. Then again, when birds are only winged he rarely, 

 if ever, kills one in retrieving it. I mention these two traits, 

 if such I may call them, because while I have owned a great 

 many dogs, it is the first time I have ever seen these two 

 traits in the same dog. In addition to the 760 birds, I also 

 killed the past season one deer and half a dozen wild turkeys, 

 and hares by the quantity. Now that the season for shoot- 

 ing game is passed, I am turning my attention to the 

 destruction of hawks and owls, and such beasts of prey as 

 are destructive to our game. The Board of Supervisors of 

 this county pay a bounty of fifty cents for the scalps of all 

 hawks and owls presented to them at their annual meeting 

 in July of each year, and also a premium for the scalps of 

 red and gray foxes, wildcats, etc.. which practically does 

 more for the protection of game than the game laws to be 

 found upon our statutes ever did. T. E. E. 



Delhi Sportsmen's Club.— At the fourth annual meeting 

 of the Delhi (N. Y.) Sportsmen's Club the following officers 

 were elected ; President, R. F. Mitchell; Vice-President, D. L. 

 Wight; Treasurer, G. E. Maxwell: Secretary, E. L. Hitt; 

 Directors, G. M. Harby, F. H. Griffis and D. A. MeNee.— 

 E, L, Hitt, Secretary. 



