Jui,Y 29, 1886.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



S 



A LAME SHOULDER. 



RETEOSPECTION is like gi-eatness in thai it is some- 

 times thrust upon us. In romance it is generally a 

 faded floAA^er, a silken tress, the strain of an old love song, 

 or a package of inlv-faded letters tied with a ribbon that is 

 the startiiit!,- post for a long journey into the past. In 

 every day life retrospection may be caused by finding the 

 cash side of the ledger to be" nil, tlie termination of a 

 horse race, a package of mipaid bills tied with a string, 

 the discovery that one's hat is too small the morning after 

 a picnic, and many other tJiiJigs quite unlike the "starter" 

 of the rosy-hued revieAv of the past that some novelists 

 delight in. 



It was not sentiment that started me on the back track 

 this morning; but, instead, a serious problem that con- 

 fronted me at an early hour. I did not Icnow but I 

 should have to wear my'ro&e de nuit all day: simply be- 

 cause I could not get out of it. The sinews, muscles, 

 tendons, ner^'^es, et eceiera, that operated my right shoulder 

 were decidedly rusty and the synorial fluid had petered 

 out, or, T had lost the coinbination, Wliatever it was, I 

 was stalled; but with considerable assistance and an oc- 

 casional ejaculation in United States frontier language I 

 managed to get dressed. Then caiue an armistice be- 

 tween the warring mus(.'leH aiid my thmldng machinery 

 started. Does tills me.an that my lishing is all up for the 

 season? Why was I not born ambidextrous, or at least 

 left-handed? ^ W\^J is it alwaj's my right shoulder that is 

 waiting until Novernl^er wlieu the fishing is over? Why 

 disabled? Why must it peg out early in May instead of 

 — but I will tamper Avitli j^iersonal histor}' and I Tuay get 

 a bit of sympatliy from some reader of FOREST ' AND 

 Stream: if not, the marks I make by anchoring my right 

 forearm on my desk and moving the paper back and forth 

 with my left will cause the printer to swear and I will at 

 least have one companion in misery. 



The autobiography of a right shoulder is a delicate 

 thing to handle. A right shoulder in writing the biography 

 of a left shoulder would not have to "watch out" for the 

 eye, and smooth over earl}^ shortcomings. I shall assist 

 as much as possilale an old but unf ortimate friend that has 

 stuck to me ck)ser than a brother these many years. A 

 quarter of a century (tliat sounds more tluui twenty-five 

 years) ago 1 rode horseback far more than I used my legs 

 and feet for locomotion. I remember that I used to feel 

 tliat my legs looked like the letter O, and when I used my 

 feet to walk, tlmt I was as graceful as a duck on a turn- 

 pike. However, I did walk at times, for my father has 

 said that if he asked me, when a boy, to go to the post- 

 otfi.ce I woxxld walk first to the stable for my pony, and 

 the stable was further than the office. When I had out- 

 gTown pomes, and such small cattle, I formed an alliance 

 with a Kentucky horse fresh from a racing .stable, and one 

 that had been educated over timber. The partnership 

 gave mutual satisfaction until one beautiful morning 

 when old Blue Grass made a miscalculation and he and I 

 went down in one heap, from which it was difficult to dis- 

 tinguish horse from rider. I knew little about the few 

 succeeding hours, which was, perhaps, fortunate, for the 

 doctors were sewing and patching me up as best they 

 could ; and later, the doctor and a friend, aided by two 

 liorses and a carriage, delivered me at home much as a 

 butcher boy wotdd deliver a roast of beef from market, 

 and make excuses for the manner in which it was cut and 

 trimmed. 



It -was many moous ere I saw more sunlight than ca-me 

 in my bed-room windows. My right shoulder and left 

 ankle were so totally smashed that I could not use crutches 

 because of my shoulder, nor ride a bicycle because of my 

 ankle; and my head looked as though I had been used for 

 bait. When at last I crawled out I was not particularly 

 handsome, but I knew that when a horse had jumped 

 thi-ee stone posts in succession with only room between to 

 land, that he might jump on to the next, particularly as it 

 was situated just right for the purpose. I had a glimmer 

 of tliis when the crash was inevitable, but after thinking 

 it all over for some weeks it became a fixed fact. The 

 truth is I had sense enough at the start to think it could 

 not be done without a spill , but the horse knew better. I 

 argued with him until I nearly pulled my arms out and 

 had broken a stirrup leather in the discussion, but he in- 

 sisted and it cost him. his life, and the doctor said if my 

 spm- had not caught in the saddle cloth and turned me 

 over and a httle out of the thick of it, it woidd have cost 

 me mine. I have always been grateful to that spur and 

 s addle cloth. 



My system requked years in which to manufacture 

 blood to replace what I lost on the above occasion, and 

 then I was in Utah Territory. The ankle had been good 

 enough to get well, but the shoulder complained at times 

 and seemed to expect a pension. Another beautiful 

 morning and I was riding another horse, one to the manor 

 or rather prairie born, when he made a mess of it by step- 

 ping into a gopher hole, throwing me over his head and 

 roUing over me, which was like hitting a man when he 

 was down. When I found my neck was not broken, I 

 was rather glad that the horse's was, for he was brought 

 up in the country and knew more about gopher holes 

 than I did, at least it was so supposed. My right shoulder 

 was in the way again, as though it had not already more 

 than it could bear without complaining. After the last 

 capsize the shoulder was of no use to throw anything or 

 I might have joined a baseball club. I could not even 

 throw a stone at a dog unless I used my left shoulder, and 

 that was never properly sighted. Tliis accomits for the 

 fact that from the first of my fly-casting I used only my 

 forearm: it is no particular credit to me that this is so, 

 for it had to be, otherwise I might have used my shoulder^ 

 my body and my legs, as I have seen other fly -casters. 



After the gopher hole episode my shoulder led a quiet 

 uneventful life for a few years until I attempted to save a 

 lady from falling in a skating rink (mind this was ice, for 

 I was never blamed fool enough to strap little wagons on 

 my feet); but I did not plan the rescue with any system, 

 and when the ambulance was sent for the lady was on 

 me, I was on my shoulder and the shoulder was on the 

 ice. Of course it was the right shoulder. For some time 

 after the last fracas I was like the soldiers who drew the 

 highest pension; it requu-ed someone to dress and feed 

 me or I had to go undressed and unfed. 



I must not give the entire history of that unfortunate 

 Shordder, but very recently I was fishing a trout sti-eam, 

 and always on such occasions I have less sense than at 

 other times and imagine that I can climb over, under 

 and around boulders, tree trunks and things like a 

 squu-rel, when my avou'dupois should remind me to copy 

 che agility of the snail. 



In one place I jumped from one hoary and moss-cov- 

 ered rock to another ditto— and you should no more put 

 faith in moss-covered boulders than in princes — and 

 struck the rock all right, but the moss was not glued on, 

 and I went head first to the bottom of the brook in the 

 deepest part, and I think I had a good start for the bowels 

 of tlie earth, but 1 put out my right hand as a fender. 

 When I got ashore I thought, this time my arm is broken, 

 but it was the same old shoulder as usual. When it was 

 convalescent a friend asked me to ti-y his new liy-rod, 

 which I did, and it proved to be one of the kind that 

 requires trunk limbs and a stationary engine to cast with. 

 From that day the shoulder has visibly weakened, but I 

 do not know whether fiom mortification of spirit or from 

 being overtaxed, but T incline to think the former. If it 

 could enter a complaint in ])roper form, T presume it 

 would say: "I have killed two horses, put yon forcibly to 

 bed a number of times, in spite of your two himdred 

 pounds weight, and made you howl with pain and rage, 

 but that rod was the wea,ver's beam tliat broke my back, 

 and I am in a decline. Why did you ask me to handle a 

 fly -rod with the butt on the wong end?" 



If there is a moral lurking around in this screed I am 

 not responsible for it. A. N. Chenby. 



CtLENS FALIiS, N, Y, 



or boatmen), and in each a most becomingly attired 

 sportsman. Dei>ending upon Ned's well-knomi hospi-' 

 tality, the paraphernalia of rods, guns, etc, were being 

 landed, when Ned came down and welcomed them. As 

 he stood talking, from the bow of each boat were landed 

 or exposed the saddles of a deer. These caught Ned*8 

 eye. He asked aljout them (it was in season); and the 

 young men informed him with conscious pride as to where 

 and how tbey got thorn; and told further of three more 

 they had killed within forty-eight hours, all by floating. 

 "Where are they?" asked Ned. "Oh, they were does and 

 a fawn, and we left them on the bank," Ned called a halt 

 in the story; and directing the gaiides to reload the boats, 

 gave the party a very limited time to get off from his 

 premises; and 'while tliey were going he delivered a lecture 

 to the young men, which tliey doulitless well remember 

 to this day. No argument or entreaty prevailed, and 

 they went theii' way to shanty out further on. 



"Ned Buntline" w-as a noble man; and I am one of the 

 thousands who lament his loss. PiSEOO. 

 Little FALiyS, New York. 



STORIES OF "NED BUNTLINE." 



THE death of Colonel E. Z. C. Judson, whose vividly 

 drawn descriptions of sea life, under the nom de 

 plume of "Ned Buntline," first turned my inclinations, as 

 undoubtedly they did those of many other boys of thirty 

 years ago, toward the sea, seems to be a fitting oppor- 

 tunity for some of us Avho still live and remember to 

 place on record such little items as Ave jjersonaUy knoAv of 

 Mm, and thus contribute to a very large volume, should 

 any ever undertake to write his life, and group the many 

 individual acts of bravery, nobility and true manliness, 

 of which he was full. 



Knowing him from childhood thi'ough his works, and 

 haying time after time, when passing through some of the 

 vicissitudes of sea life, recalled by a flash of memory, as 

 though I myself had been there before, some of his de- 

 scriptions which fitted; haAdng thought and recalled, in 

 gales at sea, in the rivers and jungles of Africa, of Cen- 

 tral and South America, and when cruising m the Carib- 

 bean Sea, along the Isle of Pines, Tortugas and other 

 buccaneering resorts made famous by him, the adven- 

 tm-es of Ms creations, I feel that I owe to his memory the 

 slight tribute I now give, 



A few years ago I first met him in Washington and 

 then began a friendship which has lasted until his death 

 with him, my part still lives. I passed a most delightful 

 hour in his company. He was accompanied by his wife, 

 his sister and his son, a noble boy of 5 or 6, already under 

 Ms father's healthy teacMng, a little man and gentleman, 

 an adept with fly and gun, and trutMul. The party were 

 retiu'ning from Virgima to their New York home, in their 

 carriage, which, drawn by a splendid pair of Hambleton- 

 ians, made traveling a pleasure. A few AA'eeks ago he 

 Avrote me from his death bed. I answered, a,nd again, 

 June 19, he wrote me a long letter, from which I make 

 extracts: 



Headquarters "Ned Buntldte," Eagle's Nest, Stampobd, 

 N. Y., July 19, 1886. Decw Old Piseco: Your flattering comparison 

 of tlie hulk propped up on shores to do this ^^'riting, and the gal- 

 lant, yet at last used-up Powhatan received aiui read -s^lth a ao\il 

 full of appreciation. The seamanship whicli brought lier safely 

 through her last terrible battle ivitJi ocean's might and the teni- 

 pest's will, can only be appreciated by a sailor. If I live I will try 

 to work it up. I am helpless— so weak I can hardly keep up to 

 write a few lines, yet my brain, thank heaven, seems clear. If I 

 were only able to make a visit from you a pleasure, how glad I 

 would be to see you here. My horses stand idle in tiieir stalls, my 

 wife is by my bedside night and day, and I could do nothing to 

 give you joy but to put rod and flies in your hand and tell you 

 where to go. 



Previous to Col. Judson's retirement to the Wilderness 

 for a congenial home, he spent a portion of Ms life in this 

 village ; and his late death recalls many anecdotes as to 

 his peculiarities — aU. to his praise, for he was much liked 

 and respected, and exercised great influence over the 

 young men, m whom he inculcated the most manly ideas. 

 Among things spoken of are Ms organizing and drilling a 

 military company, and Ms pecuUarly chivalrous treat- 

 ment of ladies, whom he never passed without raising his 

 hat. I was then in CMiia, and did not meet him, but the 

 boys — some of them old ones now — ^remember him most 

 kindly. 



After he had built his home, "Eagle's Nest," on the 

 banks of the Uttawana River (between Blue Mountain 

 and Raquette Lakes,) he became a very noted character 

 in the woods. His cabin door was open to every one, and 

 his hospitality unbounded to all who would comply with 

 two or three simple rules. 



No diinking of liquor was allowed on the premises. 



No killing of any kind of bird or animal, and in season 

 or out no hounds. 



As I M^as lying on the boughs at Ned Bennett's Hunter's 

 Camp, on the Raquette, one evening not long ago, "Ned 

 Buntline" became the topic of conversation, and nearly 

 every one of a dozen guides present had an anecdote; eveii 

 old Alvah Dunning, a Long Lake guide, who bore him no 

 love, was hiclined to chip in, which he did with a song of 

 his own composition , in which Ned and his peculiarities 

 were most graphically described. One of the guides had 

 before Alvah came in told the story of the origin of the 

 feud between them. As I recollect it was this: One day 

 Alvah, in defiance of Judson's decree against hou.nds, un- 

 dertook to cross his premises with a couple, -with which he 

 intended rimning a deer. Ned spied Mm, came out with 

 his rifle and ordered him off the grounds. Alvah refused 

 to go. Ned gave Mm five minutes, at the end of which 

 he would shoot the dogs. Alvah, still defiant, called them 

 in to heel and interposed his bulky body between. At the 

 end of the allotted time the Colonel fired, apparently at 

 Alvah, really at a dog, but the ball went between his 

 legs, which were a httle bowed, and there was one hound 

 less. Alvah jumped at the shot and the other hound was 

 at once sent to join his mate. Both balls had passed by 

 their own width of Alvah's legs; and when told that the 

 next ball was for Mm if in sight at the end of another 

 five minutes, it is said that Alvah made some very lively 

 tramping; and as he stiU lives, it is probable that he was 

 out of sight on time. 



It is but fair that the other side of this story should be 

 given. It is short. Alvah says, "It's all a he." 



Another anecdote illustrative of the peculiar nerve of 

 Col. .Judson I remember. There pulled into his wharf 

 one rainy evening a couple of boats, each with two guides 



Address cM communicaUnns to the Forest and Stream, Pub. Go. 



AN HOUR WITH THE BIRDS. 



I HAD been ill, and, feeling too miserable to either work 

 or read, I made my way to a iiistic seat under some 

 trees on the lawn, thinking to jjass a weary hour. Pres- 

 ently I became aware of a low sweet melody like the 

 strain of an seolian harp, or the music of Ariel, which 

 seemed to be in the air all about me. On glancing up- 

 ward I found that the music came from the throat of a 

 little golden warbler directly over my head. I felt very 

 grateful, and even somewhat flattered, by his efforts to 

 cheer me, till I chanced to perceive that I was not the 

 only listener, and in fact I began to doubt if he was sing- 

 ing for my gratification at all, or was even aware of my 

 presence, "as Ms whole soul seemed absorbed in the little 

 brown lady who sat near him, and who to all appearances 

 was completely entranced by the dehcious solo. I felt 

 decidedly de trojJ and tm-ned my attention to the other 

 bird voices around me. 



''Look at me! see! see! see!" came a clear voice, and 

 balancing himself on the telephone wire I perceived the 

 black-throated biuiting, a handsome little fellow he is, and 

 well worth looking at. His vanity is very pardonable 

 and I think I shall look at him to his heart's content. But 

 now that my ears are opened I am conscious that a grand 

 concert of sweet bu-d voices is being held in the trees 

 aroimd me and I camiot devote my attention to one voice 

 when there are so many to be heard, but must give each 

 a hearing if I would judge of their respective merits. 



"Whee tooral, ivJiee tooral, whee tooral, whee toora, 

 toora, toora, whee tooral loliee,"' sings the Baltimore oriole 

 in his rich melodious voice, then away he goes in hot pur- 

 suit of a rival, and as they flit hither and thither their 

 golden breasts gleam like balls of fire, while the demm-e 

 Httle lady for whom they are contesting qruetly looks on, 

 and will no doubt dutifully reward the victor with herself, 

 be it which it may. 



"Hallo, look out, it's me, d^ye seef cliimes in a sweet 

 clear voice, and the orchard oriole dexterously swings by 

 Ms feet from the twig of an apjjle tree, and snips the in- 

 sects from the imder side of the leaves. 



'^Cah-yah-ha" screams a shrOl voice, and there is a 

 flutter among the bu-ds as a rascally bluejay drops down 

 among them. Audacious feUow! biit then he is so hand- 

 some! He is a soldier bird, you know, and is elegantly 

 dressed in a suit of navy blue with white trimmings and 

 black velvet collar, and, mischievous rollicking fellow that 

 he is, he enjoys nothing more that to scare the wits out 

 some of the smaller birds. His black eyes sparkle with 

 merriment at the flutter he creates. But we must not be 

 too hard ui^on him, and if he plunders a few eggs occa- 

 sionally we must conclude that he but deems it a soldier's 

 right and privilege. He is thorougMy miMtary and goes 

 away shouting "Yankee-doodle, Yankee-doodle," in a deep 

 rich voice. 



'^Mary, Mary," with startling clearness, a sweet voice 

 caUs, and a slender graceful bird in modest gray attire 

 alights in a branch near by. Why this bird should ever have 

 been called the catbird we never could imagine. ''Mary, 

 Mary." Ah! I never can hear that plaintive call without 

 a f eehng of sadness and a vision of a fair young gkl with 

 great dark eyes and raven curls who died when I was a 

 little child, sister Mary. I remember that afterward, when 

 visitmg om* old haimts I heard these birds, I fancied they 

 missed her and were calling her name, and would go home 

 in tears. 



On the groimd the purple grackle are ninning hither 

 and thither, hunting for and can-ying away timber for 

 building, their bronze and rainbow-hued plumage flashing 

 in the sunlight. The robin redbreast is tugging away at 

 the angle- worms, and the little brown wren is scolding 

 and chattering here and there, busy housewife that she is; 

 and no wonder, for had they not taken possession of the 

 nicest little brown cottage imaginable and had everything 

 to then- taste when the bluebirds came and drove them 

 away? And there on the verandah of that same httle 

 brown cottage, in Ms blue cloth coat and russet vest, the 

 saucy gentleman is enjoying their discomfiture and war- 

 bMng in his glee. 



From the deep woods across the river come the moiu'n- 

 ful notes of the dove, the sweet medley of the brown 

 thrush, and many other voices. But we are reminded 

 that the air is damp and chill, and reluctantly we return 

 to the house, feeling refreshed in mind and body, and 

 resolving that hereafter if we are troubled with melan- 

 choly we will spend an hour among the birds. 



Violet S. Williams. 



OOBALVTLLE, lO;^ 



Albino Red Squirrel.— While Mr. F. Satterthwaite 

 was diivmg neai- Allamuchy, N. J., July 11, a white red 

 squirrel sprang on to the rail fence and ran along for a 

 considerable distance, perhaps forty panels of the fence, 

 and then went into a chestnut tree by the road. The 

 animal was all white except just back of the neck and on 

 the shoulders where it was cream color. The fence on 

 which it was seen is on the property of Mr. Rutherfm-d 

 Stuyvesant, 



