Dec. 30, 1886.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



44S 



Past mid-day the mists began to rise. It liad been a 

 Highland morning. The scene was worthy of Black or 

 somebodv better, as the fog rolled off and left Lone Moun- 

 tain truncated, Carizo bare and the Patos just showing 

 black. TJic suu pneped out and shone, "new liglited on 

 a heaven-kis.smg hill."" awav off to the left. But around 

 stem Baxter the clouds still rolled, forbiddingly slu'oud- 

 ing the mystery of a phantom denizen and shronding a 

 hunter himgi'v. tired and — ^lost. 



In the heedless wanderings of the morning I had lost 

 all idea of dnections, as indeed it was impossible not to 

 do. so dense was the fog. I liad not the slightest con- 

 ception of the way in which the valley lay. I did not 

 even know whether or not I was at tlie top of the moun- 

 tain, though I knew 1 could not be very far from it. I 

 sat down uiK-n a rock, tried my instinct and determined 

 what was north; tried my compass and found that was 

 south; ti-icd my cold beef and biead, and found that was 

 good. No fault about instinct there, said reason. And 

 there I sat ami whittled a t'lollipick out of the tougii and 

 yellow Pcdn a 3Ioria (wliich any New Mexican will tell 

 you makes the liest toothpicks iu the woi'ld) and looked 

 about me. And this is wiuit I saw. 



The sun cut streaks < >f' y ellow out of tlie gray mist. 

 Long avenues opened up hoaTcnward, showing the blue 

 sky very sereao. The hiJls got brown. The fogs weiit 

 rolling, rolling, rolling do\s'n tlie hill out of the wiij. On 

 the south side <if tlie mountain the wind s,'at]icred tlie 

 clouds up in its iist. whipped them, twirled tliem. twisted 

 them, and threw them up and around in a thousand tine 

 filaments of huiTying white. LTp curtain! said the wind, 

 and presto! below me lay the Enchanted Valley. 



There was magic and "witchcraft in the scene, the more 

 especially, you '.nil perceive, iu that the Enchanted Val- 

 ley was on the wroiL.y- sii'o of Baxter Peak. North, said 

 my instinct. South, said the compass. Go hang, said my 

 legs, we're tired. 



But now, the buck! said the hunter-heart. The buck 

 go hang, again said ray legs; we'i'e tired. '^Vhereat, in 

 revenge at the hrevert'nce to its guarded and favored 

 creature, the wind turned, and whipped a featlierbedful 

 of clouds around the top of Baxter Peak, and the Phan- 

 tom Buck, and the hunter, th-ed, stubborn and irreverent. 



And there I sat in post-prandial stiffness and posfc-pran- 

 dial content withal, and spite of the situation, and spite 

 of thesj)rite-ridden weather, and spite of the demon buck, 

 I fell of a rererie. Now. of such dreams as w^ere dreamed 

 therein, and of such hopes as were hoped, and all that 

 nonsense, no one shall hear a word. I have said that we 

 lived in the Enchanted Valley, down there. And I have 

 said I was not then one himdred and seventy-five years 

 old. All I shall add is, that I wasn't thinking of any 

 phantoms of the family C-ervidce. Mooniug tlms, and 

 wasting my nooning thus, my eyes were fixed upon a cer- 

 t;iin spot in the fog curtain , unseeing, unthinkhrg. "Your 

 young men sliall dream dreams and your old men shall 

 see visions." said the prophet. I say again, with asperity, 

 that I was a young man then. But I saw a vision. And 

 this is xAvdt I saw. 



The mi.st dissolved a little, and through it, by a little 

 piilontree, blending into it, but rising grand, tall, straight- 

 limbed, tree-headed, colossal — instinct with grace, 

 strength, power, life, yet gazing calm, fearless, solemn 

 — ^therestood the Phantom Buck of Baxter Peak. 



Forty yards! 



"Pity thee? So I do," ran back my mind to youth and 

 the Fifth Reader and N. P. WilUs. In the Hghtiring flash 

 of a man's muid when he is going to drown, or going to 

 shoot a deer, I remembered they used to tell me that N. P. 

 "Willis always used to ^Tite in white kid gloves. "Pity thee? 

 So I do," ran on my mind, "but does the robed priest for 

 his pity falter?'" In short. Sir Phantom, said I, I will slay 

 thee f(jrthwith. Whereupon I dropped Prometheus and 

 took up Martini-Hemy, vrheredown a cat might crawl. 



Foi-ty yards. Exj^anding, wavering, towering, always 

 there stood the buck, soleniu-eyed. 



Against that noble point, dim-seen in the mountain 

 mist, I directed, with a hand tolerably steady, the long 

 barrel, retaining enough coolness to hold somewhat lower 

 than where I wished to strike — the Martini-Henry shot a 

 picturesque curve, I knew, I felt the stock firm at my 

 shoulder, felt my left hand firm on the barrel, felt my 

 eye firm and weU down in the sights, then I asked if 

 everybody was ready, said pull, and pulled. 



Now a Martini-Hem\y has no hammer outside ; what it 

 has inside the Lord only kiiows. It has a little iron fix- 

 ing on the side of the lock plate, and if you push that 

 forward — or Ijackward, I forget which — you couldn't pull 

 tliat gun oft" withont a yoke of oxen. It is, so to si^eak, 

 the stannchest gun made. Tliafs the kind of automatic 

 safety-bolt she is, A cliild can operate it till that iron 

 fixing is shoved over; then, as 1 remarked, a yoke of 

 oxen coiddn't. 



I had neglected to pull the iron fixing over. 



At the word "Pull" I pulled. Nothing happened, and 

 I pulled harder. The gim gave a little soueak, but noth- 

 ing came loose, and I pulled harder yet — vdth all my 

 might. If the gun had not been well made I should cer- 

 tainly have pulled oft' the tiigger-griard and rore-end. 

 As it vras, nothing broke. Then, slowljs I bethought me 

 of the neglect of a certain necessary preliminary. 



Thereat I gToaned. 



Thereat the buck stamped. 



Thereat, all at once, I went nervous and shook. Timied 

 down the ban-el to get at the locking contrivance. Struck 

 a rock with the barrel. 



Whisk I A rustle of the boughs. A start — a whistle. 

 Then, thump; thumpity thump! 



"Thump, thimip," said my heart in accompaniment. 

 Oh, fool! fool! said I, wretch! fool! dupe! There goes 

 tlune opportunity, bounding down the monnta.in side. 

 There goes the Phantom Buck. 



Aye; and he goes stfil. To-day I doubt not he stni 

 circles bold-toxjped Baxter Peak, free as the wind, and as 

 fleet — part of the wind and the mist for aught I know. 

 For none have ever come neai'er to solving the mystery of 

 the Phantom Buck than 1, And as maturer judgment 

 supervenes, as spite fails, and regret becomes more dim, I 

 can see that the incident of the safety-catch was only a 

 safety-catch devised for the phantom deer by the spirits 

 which dwell in that wild spot, by the mystic influences 

 which saw fit to give a charmed life to one certain 

 creature. 



Do I honestly believe the buck was a phantom? Dear 

 friend— about the faun's ears, how say you? 

 Chicago, ni. 



WHITE GOATS AND BULL TROUT. 



LITTLE did I think that my iuefl&cient pen would 

 record the events of our autumn hunt. I had ex- 

 pected that " Yo" wonld, as usual, be the scribe, and in 

 his bright and entertaining way% relate our adventures 

 on lake and mountain, and faithfully portray the beau- 

 ties of the LTiiper Lake, Business matters, however, jire- 

 veuted him joining our party. I shall not give a record 

 of each day's events, for wc were at the Lalvcs over a 

 month; and some days had no events, while an account 

 of those that did would fill a volume of no mean propor- 

 tions. My main object is to tell you somethrug about 

 the white goat and the "bull trout." 



There were in our ]3arty three gentlemen from Eng- 

 land— the Colonel and the Governor, aged 51 and 49 years, 

 and C;ecil, a younp; man of fotu- and twenty. Then there 

 was .Jack-, from the Yellowstone, Joe, wdth a cook, a 

 herder, and the writer, eight yjorsmis all told. Our outfit 

 comprised a four-horse team and ^vagon. a number of 

 saddle horses, tents, stove, and all the grub and dufBe 

 necessary for such a trip. 



TJie 9th of Se])tember we arrived at the foot of the 

 Lower Lalce. The Colonel and the Governor had their 

 fly-rods jointf'd in no time, and while we were putting up 

 the tents and getting things in order they went to the 

 outlet and caught a .string of trout for supper, all red- 

 thi-oated trout {Salmo purjjuratus) aiul none over 2|lbs. 

 weight. After supper 'a council of war was held, and it 

 was decided that the first trip should be made up Swift 

 Current. 



By noon of the next day we had the horses packed and 

 were on the way, leaving the cook behind to watch the 

 mam camp and take care of the spare horses. It was a 

 windy day, and dark clouds enveloped the mountain tops. 

 But tiien such was to be expected. I never yet went up 

 Swift Cmrent ^vitllout havmg to face a driving wmd, 

 accompanied by rain or snow. "Yo," in his " Walled-In 

 Lakes" papers last year fully described the grand and 

 rugged scenery along this valley. We saw lots of bear 

 and some elk sign along the trail, and Cecil shot a couple 

 of dusky grouse. When we were within a half mile of 

 tlie camping grotmd it began to snow, and right glad we 

 were to reach the shelter of the pines. The tent was soon 

 up, and in spite of the storm, the Governor caught a num- 

 ber of trout, none very large, but all as fat and firm 

 fleshed as fish could be. As night dre\\' on how cheering 

 was the warm, dxy tent. Having partaken of a generous 

 supper, we lay back on om* beds and smoked, and were at 

 peace. Without the wdnd soughed thi-ough the pines and 

 shrieked past the crags above, the hail rattled down on 

 the roof, and the roar of tlie waterfall near by joined in, 

 making withal a combination of sound pleasant to the 

 ear, and so soothing that some of us fell asleep ere the 

 pipes were half bin-ned out. 



The next morning the first thing that met my eyes as I 

 stepped out was a band of goats near the top of the wall- 

 faced mountain, just where "Yo" and I saw some last 

 year. "Goats in sight,"' I cried ottt, and such a flinging 

 of blankets and hurried scrambling from fur bags you 

 never saw. No need for any one to ask where, for we 

 were camped almost at the base of the mouncain, and one 

 looking u p the sheer wall cotildn't helj) seeing the white 

 animals so sharply outlined against the black slate rock. 

 They were probably 1,500yds, above us. Glasses were 

 brought out, and every one took a long look at them. In 

 a short time breakfast was ready, a,nd during the meal it 

 was decided that Jack should go behind the mountain and 

 then climb to the top. We could see with the glasses that 

 the mountain w^as quite broken at the top and from the 

 point where the goats were sloped back a little, and we 

 hoped that Jack would be able to get down to them. That 

 he could not see the animals until right on them we well 

 knev\-, so a system of signals was arranged to guide him 

 in his movements. After JacJi had gone the Colonel and 

 Governor got ottt then fly-rods and fished below the falls 

 for an horn- <.ir more, but'didn't get a single bite, although 

 they tried several kinds of flies. The rest loitered aroimd 

 camp and watclied the goats. They didn't move about 

 much, and after a Avhile some of them lay down, at least 

 we thought they did, for they suddenly disappeared. 



After a long time Jack came in sight on top of the 

 mountain, and to the left of the goats. We signaled him 

 to move down and to his left. We soon saw that it was 

 dangerotis work, for he moved very slowly and often 

 went up back and tried another place. After an hoiu- or 

 more, aided by otn signals, he succeeded in getting 

 directly over the goats, and apparently not over 75yds. 

 above them , Soon we saw the smoke of his gim and 

 then heard the report. Not a goat moved. Again and 

 again he fired. Yet the animals heeded not. We con- 

 cluded that he was shootuig at a goat we could not see. 

 After a wliile we saw him tmn and ascend, sometimes 

 crawhng, and again going up JjancT over hand, and we 

 watched him until lie had reached the toj) and dis- 

 ap].)eared ih-om vie"s\'. 



As we w ere sitting down to the evening meal, the 

 hunte]- appeared and told us the result of his climb. 

 Gitided by our signals he liad got dowai to where we saw 

 him shoot, but further he could not go withottt a pair of 

 wings. He liad seen no goats, but fu'ed, hoping to scare 

 tliem out where he coidd see them. Having thus briefly 

 described his adventures, he fell to, and ate such a supper 

 as only a man can after climbing mountains all day. 



During the night the wind again came roarmg down 

 the valley, and the morning broke dark and cMlly. Away 

 down on the St. Mary's we could see clear sky and the stm 

 shming brightly on the hills beyond the lake. So we 

 decided to leave^ this gloomy and unlucky place for easier 

 htmting grotinds and a more congenial climate. The 

 goats were still in sight, near where we had seen them 

 the previotis day, and after breakfast the rifles were got 

 out and we tried to scare them away. The English gen- 

 tlemen had 110-grain express rifles, double-barrel, and 

 the rest of its were armed with big Winchesters, except 

 Joe, who had a " '73 model'' carbine, a relic of buffalo- 

 running days. For some time we kept up a lively fnsil- 

 ade, at all elevations, but we cotildn't see the bullets 

 strike and the goats never moved. The herder, who was 

 watcliing them through the glasses, said they never even 

 stopped feeding. We soon packed up and left the place 

 hi disgnist, yet had we stayed a day or two longer we 

 would have got game, for there are other mountains be- 

 yond, and on the opposite side of the valley apparently 

 easy to clunb, and that there are plenty of goats is beyond 

 a doubt. I made up my mind to try it again some"^time 

 and explore the upper part of the valley, which I am sui-e 



has never been visited by a white man, and seldond if ever 

 by a redskin. 



With a feeling of relief we left the gloomy valley and 

 emerged into the sunshine at St. Mary's. After supper 

 the Colonel and Governor once more tried the fishing, and 

 with good success, for dming the few moments they had 

 before dark they caught more than enough for breakfast. 

 Again the council was caUed, and it was decided that we 

 move camp to the foot of the Upper Lake, and the boats 

 begot in readiness for an exploration of the unknown coun- 

 tiy beyond. The "Yo" boat was akeady there. V\'e had 

 a canvas affair in the wagon, brought all the way from 

 London, and the old scow was at the head of the "Lower 

 Lake. I^arly the next morning aU the duffle Avas stowed 

 on the wagon, the horses lutched up, and we started. The 

 distance was only nine or ten miles, and in a few hours 

 we were comfortably settled in camp at the foot of the 

 lake close by the outlet. As the creek leaves the lake it 

 flows very swiftly for about twenty-five yards, and then 

 foi-ms a deep, wide pool. Here, after dinner, rods were 

 jointed and we proceeded to fish. The first trout was 

 taken by the Governor. It was a Salmo jpurjmratus and 

 weighed Sllbs. Quite a number of these fish were taken. 

 Down deep ut the w^ater I could see quite a number of 

 large fish. Some, I knew, w-ere lake trout, and others I 

 surmised were "bull trout." The flies we had were very 

 small, so I rigged a large hook for the Governor and 

 baited it with a generous slice from a trout's belly. 

 This he used exactly as one would a fly. At the 

 second cast there was a tremendous splurge. A 

 large fish rose clear from the water and took the hook 

 with him as he went down. The Governor struck at the 

 jjroper time, and now the fun began. You all know how 

 it is: "merry Avhii-r of the reel," "line hissing through the 

 water," "rod bent nearly double," etc. The fish made a 

 gallant fight and in due time was brought to the landing- 

 net. It proved to be, as I thought, a "bulltrout," and 

 wneighed 7|lbs. In shape these fish are long and slender, 

 the head is long and pointed and the mouth large. The 

 color on the back is like that of Salmo fontinalis. The 

 belly is generally a golden yellow, sometimes yellowish 

 wMte, and the sides are dotted with faint red and yellow 

 spots. It is, I suppose, an Arctic trout, but whether it 

 has been identified I know not. After this we caught 

 here as many of these trout as of the red-throated ones, 

 and once in a while a laker was taken, just for a change. 

 They average about 51bs. in weight, but I have seen sev- 

 eral which I dare say would weigh more than 151 bs. 1 

 have never seen one which weighed less than 31bs. As a 

 game fish they cannot be excelled by any other trout I 

 have ever seen, nor by the bass. They are desperate fight- 

 ers, and like the salmon, break Avater many times before 

 they are enveloped in the landing net. I have never 

 caught them except in the fall, and have never found any 

 eggs or milt in them. I conclude, therefore, that they are 

 spring spaAATiers. Seldom, too, have I found anything in 

 then stomachs, though the fish were always in good con- 

 dition. What a ptizzUng study is the distribution of fish. 

 Here in these lakes the tribe' is represented by species 

 from the Mississippi water shed, from the Great .Lakes 

 and from the Arctic, as follows : 



Mississippi Avaters : The cusk (Lota mamlosa) and the 

 red-throated trout (Salmo purxmratus). Great Lakes: 

 Tlie maskmonje (Esox nobilior), lake trout (^Salmo iia- 

 viaycusli), and Avhitefish (Coregonus unlsonii). Arctic 

 Avaters: Bull txout (Salvelinus malincJ). The maskinonje, 

 however, are A^eiy rare. In all my fishing here, I never 

 caught but two, wMcli weighed respectively 13 and 161bs. 

 I think the water is too cold for them to thrive. White- 

 fish are also found in many lakes and rivers of the Arctic 

 watershed. J. W. SCHULTZ, 



Montana, 



AN EAST FLORIDA RESORT. 



I WOULD like to suggest to those of your readers who 

 contemplate a trip to Florida this Avinter, that Lake 

 Worth, on the east coast of Indian Eiver, be placed on 

 their list as one of the places to be Ausited. I spent three 

 months there last Avinter and was delighted with it. To 

 me it is the gem of Florida. There can be seen grass 

 laAvns rumiing to the Avater's edge, cocoanut groves with 

 acres of trees in bearing, large pineapple and banana 

 plantations, oranges, lemons, limes, coffee plants, castor 

 oil beans, pomegranates and everything that grows in a 

 tropical country, besides many things that we do not ex- 

 pect to see, as our common po'tatoe and tomato, the latter 

 of which we had on the table in a raw state all whiter. 

 This, with an air that is superb, safe rowing and sailing, 

 fine bluefishing in quiet waters, church privileges and 

 intelligent neighbors, make Lake Worth a place hard to 

 be excelled as a winter resort. It is a paradise for ladies 

 and cMldren. Lake Worth is a sheet of salt w^ater, .85 

 miles in length, and from one-half to a mile in width, and 

 is fed by an inlet from the ocean a few miles north of the 

 settlement. The tovra, which takes its name from the 

 lake, lies betAveen the lake on its west side and the ocean 

 on its east, distance between the tAvo being from one-half 

 to three-fourths of a mile, Avdth good roads between. The 

 settlement is located on the lake side, the borders of which 

 in many places are frmged Anth cocoanut trees and 

 flowers in constant bearing. The residents are composed 

 of about 100 families from aU parts of the Union, and they 

 are noted for tireir push and inteUigence. Land is rapidly 

 rising in value and the day is not far distant, judging 

 by the class that are taking possession, that desnable 

 places cannot be had at any price. One of the advantages 

 claimed for Lake Worth is that the Gulf Sti-eam here ap- 

 proaches the coast nearer than at any other point on the 

 coast, and it is claimed that the dehghtful winter climate 

 is due to this. Board is $10 per week, less by the month, 

 at the house of E, N. Dimick. To reach Lake Worth take 

 cars from Jacksonville to TittiSAdlle at the head of Indian 

 River, and there take a sharpie (anything else will prove 

 a delusion and a snare) for Jupiter, where a stage wiU 

 meet you that will take you to Lake Worth. Should the 

 inlet at Jupiter be open a short run of ten miles on the 

 ocean aaoII bring you to Lake Worth, otherAnse, the nine 

 mile stage ride vpiU be necessary. The sharpies Illinois 

 and Ruby Dye are both owned at Lake Worth, and are 

 running constantly between Titusville and other points 

 on the river to Jupiter, Avhere good accommodation can 

 be had if necessary. For ladies not desiring to remain 

 over night on the Avater, half-way between Titusville and 

 Jupiter is Indian River Narrows where accommodation 

 can be had with a very intelligent family from Illinois, 

 Mr. Dorson, the postmaster at Indian River Narrows, 

 whose island home will prove a desu'able stopping place. 



