122 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept, 8, 1887. 



She ^parfsttjmt ^onmt 



Address all communication* to the Forest ajid Stream Pub. Co 



A TWO WEEKS' OUTING.— II. 



" "IVTUNISING!" 'Twas the soft voice of the conductor 

 1TJL which roused me from my dreams, and soon the 

 train retreated in a cloud of dust, while we arranged the 

 disposition of our outfit with the courteous officials. 

 "Well," said Konan, "this 'ere 's about as fur north 's any- 

 body c'd get, I reckon." 



Strolling toward Old Munising we met a specimen of 

 the French Canadian, with whom we were destined to 

 have much intercourse. Like most of his class he was 

 short and sturdy, and he expressed his readiness to con- 

 vey us for a consideration to any desired point, being 

 careful, meanwhile, to extol the merits of himself and 

 team at the expense of a competitor who lived hard by. 



While seeking ineffectually for needed information re- 

 specting the streams of that region, we took lodgings 

 with this man, for there was no hotel. He had a "settin'- 

 room," in which was a stuffed eagle. On the table lay a 

 Roman Catholic book of devotion, a volume of Bob In- 

 gersoll, another of Wordsworth, and two or three more 

 oddly assorted works. In our bedroom was a bed with 

 many occupants, and I remember that I slept upon the 

 floor. 



Tne stream which we had planned to follow to its 

 mouth flows past Munising, and is known as Stuck Creek. 

 It has trout and good ones, and in many places a fly may 

 be cast with little difficulty. We, however, eventually 

 learned that our plan was impracticable, owing to the 

 existence of extensive s svamps and morasses, which at 

 times almost hide the creek from view. 



Two other streams, the Big and Little Indian, lay, the 

 first about twelve miles to the west, the othe r four miles 

 nearer. "The Big Injun's our best hold," said Konan; 

 and in the morning our host attached his two vaunted 

 steeds to a dilapidated lumber wagon and brought them 

 to the door. 



"Git op, Dan-dee," was now the cry; accompanied with 

 a few choice objurgations in a Canadian patois, which 

 with the aid of a buckskin thong liberally diffused over 

 the quarters of the horses, induced them eventually to 

 take us to the "Big Indian." Our way led for a time 

 through a tract of beech and maple timber, afterward 

 through unattractive stretches of "burnt land," where 

 blackened trunks of trees shot up amid a wind-swept 

 waste of swampy grass, or sandy plains, scantily clothed 

 with herbage ; and lastly into a forest of yellow pine. 

 The only living animal seen was a skunk, but the carcass 

 ,of a deer hung from a tree near where we crossed the 

 Little Indian. 



Arriving at our destination, we found to our discom- 

 fiture that a gang of lumbermen had just built a sub- 

 stantial dam across the river. Its gate was shut, and as 

 we found that for five miles down stream they had felled 

 trees into the river, it was out of the question to attempt 

 its passage. Some hunters whom we met were prepar- 

 ing to leave the neig borhood for the foregoing reasons. 

 We were hospitably entertained by the lumbermen, and, 

 uncertain how best to choose our future course, drove 

 back to the Little Indian, where we camped, intending 

 to test its capabilities. This we did next day, for about 

 six miles ; and at length found our further progress 

 barred by obstructions similar to those in Stuck Creek. 

 There were no fish, and but two or three ducks were 

 seen. 



We camped near a road over which hunters hauled 

 their game to market, and saw many deer, but all of 

 them were dead. Dead deer, if not seen everywhere, 

 were so numerous that we were soon wearied of the 

 sight. The forequarters were seldom saved. The deer 

 were usually hunted by means of a boat and head light, 

 along the shores of some of the numerous ponds or water- 

 courses. During the four days we remained in that part 

 of the country, we easily counted fifty deer hauled to the 

 railroad station. 



It is likely that the recent changes in the game laws of 

 Michigan and the appointment of game wardens may 

 work important changes in the methods of the hunters, 

 and tend to dimin sh the slaughter of the deer, which 

 usually keep close in the day time, and the density of the 

 swamps to which they resort renders still-hunting very 

 difficult. 



Little or no attention seems to have been paid to the 

 game laws thereabout, and though so many deer were 

 slain, there were so many hunters that it seemed, from a 

 business point of view, an unprofitable occupation. The 

 hindquarters, with the skin, netted the hunters about six 

 or seven cents a pound after paying, as the most of them 

 did, for hauling the meat to the railroad, where it brought 

 about eleven cents for shipment. 



No hounds are permitted by the hunters to run in these 

 forests, which consist mainly of high, sandy tracts, tim- 

 bered with Norway pine. Dense swamps of cedar and 

 tamarack are common, and occasionally a ridge of hard 

 wood is found, with beech and maple growth. 



These pine forests are in appearance much like those of 

 Florida, and as in that State, they are interspersed with 

 many small sheets of water, which have rarely any name 

 save such as the lumberers have bestowed — East Lake, 

 West Lake and the like. Names of Indian derivation are 

 rarely heard, and I think that the aboriginal inhabitants 

 confined their attentions for the most part to the larger 

 of the streams. The trees visible from our camp were 

 hemlock, pine, tamarack, spruce and alder; and there 

 were near us raspberry and blueberry bushes and the 

 trailing arbutus, over which hovered the first and only 

 humming bird we saw upon the trip. Few birds were 

 noticed in this part of the country. 



Rising early next morning, Konan went to watch a 

 deer lick, but unsuccessfully; and the black flies and 

 mosquitoes were, as he said, fearful. While waiting for 

 the team, for which we had sent a summons, appeared in 

 our path a tweed-coated and helmeted person, with a 

 $500 shotgun under his arm, and we remembered having 

 noticed him at the station. He had strolled on in advance 

 of his wagon, which had broken down, and was followed 

 by a rat-tailed pointer which, in running about the marsh, 

 flushed a sandpiper; and as the bird flew past, it was fol- 

 lowed by a double shot from the gun of the stranger. 

 The bird, seemingly unaware that mischief was intended, I 

 settled on the bank of the stream about thirty yards dis- ( 

 taut. "Damme eyes," began the.fowler; but stayed his ' 



speech as Konan , grimly smiling, raised his rifle, and at 

 the report the poor bird dropped headless into the water. 



"By Jove, but that's a devilish good shot, donchernaw," 

 said the man of tweed, surprised for the moment out of 

 a certain reserve which we had previously noted. 



" I hadn't shot off my gun before, sence I left hum," 

 replied Konan, " 'n' eenamost forgot how she was 

 sighted." 



" Git up, Dandy," here sounded squeakily from the 

 forest. It was the voice of the teamster, in this case a 

 lad about twelve years old, the father having gone to 

 Au Train as delegate to a political convention. On our 

 way back to Munising, we observed that the black flies 

 did not light on this boy's unprotected face, although 

 Konan and myself could only repel their attacks by the 

 use of some "punkie dope." 



Archy's wife had gone to Au Train to lure him home 

 from the seductions of the convention as best she might ; 

 and about four o'clock he made his appearance, full of 

 whisky, and running over with what Konan termed 

 "dum canuck gabble." 



" Bah golly," he exclaimed, " I drink more like two 

 gallon wis-kee. Zat damn shereef up to Au Train. I 

 knock him more like ten foot." 



We had arranged that this man should drive us to 

 Jeromeville, from which place we could best reach Indian 

 River; but I had some misgivings as to his fitness for the 

 trip, and had I been alone, I should not have risked the 

 experiment ; but the broad shoulders of Konan loomed 

 like a tower of strength in the fading light, and off, at 

 length, we drove. 



We were delayed for half an hour or so at a small 

 "saloon" just outside the hamlet, where the Frenchman 

 laid in more whisky, but at length we got him started, 

 and when fairly cn the road, he uplifted his voice in a 

 song of the sad sea waves, which as nearly as I can re- 

 member, ran somewhat after this style : 



" Wen 'e scow bus' up on 'e Lac St. Pierre, 



An' 'e cappen's swum away, 

 An' leave 'e cook to de mas' lash fas', 



De cook he's gon' to pray. 



(Dat cook s'appelie Rosa). 

 " 'N' he cut dat lash wiz a couteau croche, 



'N' de scow he strike ker-bim, 

 'N' de cook he stan' in de larbo'd gang, 



'N 1 he fix he feet for swim. 



" Den 'e wave he wash wiz a swish and swash, 



\N' 'e cook he lif he toe, 

 He clear de wave 'n 'e water grave, 



'N' 'e lan' on 'e sandy sho\" 



"Smart cook, that 'ere," observed Konan. "Whatd'yer 

 say his name was, Archy?" 



"R-r-r-Rosa. Git op, Dan-dee," replied Archy. 



"Rosa — why that's a gal's name, ain't it?" 



"Oui oui. sar, did'n' I tell you he's a gal?" 



"Darn them Canucks," muttered Konan, "they don't 

 know 'he' from 'she.' " 



"Now," said Archy, "where my bot-tel? You boy— 

 w'at you do my bot-tei? Ah-h, here — here he are. Luck, 

 zhontihnens. I d-r-r-rav you Jer-r-rome-ville ingr-r-reat 

 hor-ree, mais but we now go w'at you call circom — w'at 

 ze dev' — w'at you call zat? — oh, ch-combendibus. We 

 dr-r-rav two mahl for git one quartare. Git op, Dandee. 

 Zat on accoun' of ze r-r-railr-r-road. You boy, w'at you 

 do my bot-tel?" 



So our driver maundered on, while the shades of night 

 fell fast, and the bottle's gurgle punctuated his words. 



The road crossed the radroad track in several places, 

 and some of these were bridged across broad ditches with 

 a system of loose poles, dangerous at best, but in the 

 night and with a drunken driver, scarcely to be attempted. 

 Konan, an accomplished whip, now took the reins into 

 his own hands, while Archy and the boy alighted and 

 walked the track, in hopes thereby to dispel in part the 

 fumes of the villainous whisky. 



I was not quite well at the time of leaving home, and 

 had been anxious to get fairly into camp, which I was 

 sure would set me right; but circumstances had not 

 favored me, and the jolting of the wagon over the cordu- 

 roy roads was hard to bear. 



We spent the night near Jeromeville, in a log building 

 owned by a Mrs. Sawyer, and the next morning drove 

 fourteen miles further to the Big Indian River, where we 

 camped for two days, and I began to feel like myself 

 again. 



Here we caught a few small trout in the main river, 

 which is a fine, clear, rapid stream, the current, as we 

 judged, maintaining a nearly uniform speed of about four 

 miles an hour. 



The river is about 50ft. wide, its channel deeply cut 

 through the high, sandy plains, which, as elsewhere on our 

 road, are mainly timbered with Norway pines. There are 

 several small lakes hereabout, said to contain bass, pick- 

 erel, etc. On our way hither, Konan had fired at a deer 

 he had seen, but which for a wonder was too quick for 

 him ; and had snipped the head from a ruff eel grouse 

 which was sitting upon a tree by the roadside. 



We were now near the supply road from Jeromeville 

 to Manistique; and several persons passed the camp dur- 

 ing our stay. One of these had a watch chain of real 

 gold, and carried a "sporting" Winchester express. 



Finding that he took Forest and Stream, I became 

 interested in his conversation, and we compared maps. 

 I had found no map of this region which at all compared 

 in accuracy with those obtained from the officials of the 

 D. , M. & M. Railroad. Our new acquaintance knew the 

 woods quite well, and gave us much information. He 

 also informed us that Indian Lake was a historic lake, 

 and that upon its banks stood an old block house, built 

 by Pere Marquette, as also a portion of his church ; and 

 that certain magic springs of fearful repute among the 

 Indians were near the shores of this lake. One of these 

 in particular, they pronounced "wicki-nishi," and never 

 presumed to gaze thereon. 



Well, one morning we slid the Otter down the bank and 

 into the water; she switched her tail in farewell and we 

 were off. 



At this camp we had seen one Cooper's hawk, also a 

 woodchuck, and had heard one owl and a lynx. We 

 floated down for a time and I landed to fish for trout, but 

 unsuccessfully. Walking along the bank I soon found 

 myself in a gloomy glen, where had lately been enacted 

 a tragedy. The forequarters of a deer were left to tell 

 the tale. 



Our journey was diversified by the frequent necessity 



of cutting out logs, or hauling over obstructions 

 river, many of which had purposely been placed 

 ers to serve as bridges. They became less frequenm! 

 advanced. 



The current ran at a nearly uniform velocity <wj 

 haps four miles an hour. The navigation of the fflf 

 easy enough to practiced hands, but a greenhorn Mo- 

 have a chance to upset in dodging fallen trees. 



Deer tracks were numerous, and those of bear*»i 

 often seen along the shores and the face of the H 

 bluffs, where they sometimes showed like the train 

 barefoot boys. 



I seldom take canned eatables into the woods, iffl 

 this trip I had brought a can of tomatoes and another 

 corned beef , which last, by the way, remained unopci 

 during the cruise. When we camped at evening, 1H 

 "Konan, how do you like your toma oes cooked?" ■ 



"Never eat 'em," he replied, while he proceeded t(5i 

 the feathers from a spruce grouse he had shot neBjj 

 last camp. 



"That's a pity," I said, "for I don't care about™ 

 myself. I put in a can at the last moment, thinkijM 

 you might like them for a change. We've carrieqH 

 far enough, anyhow." 



I then proceeded to open the can, and essayed th J 

 ery of its contents, but with very different result^B 

 ing along the stream some bushes of the tree-cranfe 

 (Viburnum opulus), laden with their scarlet fruitage 

 held up the empty tomato can and said: "Konfl| 

 might if we liked, have some cranberry sauce." 



" Shore enough," replied the tall woodsman, slj 

 away in the direction I had indicated, and in a fa 

 ments the tomato can, pressed again into servia 

 filled with berries, was simmering over the fire. 



After supper, Konan strolled away with his riflejl 

 I proceeded to sketch the surroundings of our camp 

 which I tasted the cranberry sauce, which had now 

 cool. Looking up from the experiment as Kon 

 proached, I said with some dissatisfaction : 

 about the meanest thing I've tasted in these. woodaM 



"That so?"' said Konan, "I shouldn't hev tho™ 

 was much wus 'n them termaters you was a m 

 on so long, 'n then hed ter hea e away the most Ojfl 

 arter all. 



I replied with some tinge of asperity, that I hadJH 

 before attempted to prepare for the palate the e lm 

 under consideration, and added that were my 

 clination to be consulted, it would be long 

 before I again made a fool of myself in that particu i 



" Well," said Konan, " I never tried to cook m 

 b'ry sass afore 's I know of. What's the matter 

 and with the aid of a spoon he at once " sanr 

 preparation. Looking up, and holding aloft tl 

 with the light of inspiration gleaming in his eye. 

 claimed : " I declare, I don't believe I've put th< 

 mite of sugar into it." 



" Well, you'd better," said I, and soon a new 

 berries was simmering: in the can, which when coi 

 was pronounced by Konan to be " fust chop." 

 tainly was excellent, and during the remainder 

 trip we had all the cranberry sauce we wanted, 

 venison of our own shooting with which to eat 1 

 saw but one deer along the river, and that wasj| 

 sight in one bound. 



Near this camp we saw a wolf track, and as th 

 not now many of these animals left horeaway, it 

 thinking of old times. 



"Konan," said I, "were you in the crowd the t£fl 

 ran the last wolf on the Gasconade?" 



"No, I warn't. I was over to Rolla that time, Jfl f 

 on't, though. You mean the time when old 'Peasow 

 a duckin? 



It was down in Missouri, just after the war, and-Bft 

 or four of us had one night ridden up to old M mB 

 plantation and secured sleeping room upon themp 

 One of our party was a big, black-bearded Breton, wiic 

 I will call Eliduc. He had been a bugler in the arm 

 and had with h m a particularly noisy specimen «T 

 favorite instrument. 



We became much interested in the after-suppffl 

 about a large wolf, which had killed some voungW 

 for the farmer about that time. No such creature In 

 been seen for years in that region, and while we»1S& 

 talking one of the boys came in, bringing fresh mBf 

 his depredations. It appeared that he was hi the habit 

 frequenting a small valley, into which led several de» 

 ravmes and where was good pasture for the stoojfij 

 Eliduc, who had had some experience in 1 'riding 7 ' wolvt 

 proposed that we form a party and attempt his capttin 

 Some of the neighbors agreed to join the hunt and or» 

 then dogs. 



The following morning found us in the saddle aw 

 break, armed in various fashion. Eliduc, who niffl 

 moving spirit in the affair, cheerily slung his bugleSjJ 

 shaking a heavy trace-chain which he carried in E 

 hand, said : " That's the thing for punish wolf." 



There was a motly collection of dogs, mostlj^H 

 among which, however, were conspicuous two lar* 

 brindled hounds, of no particular breed, but evijHffl 

 possessing strength and coinage. Old McKay undeffl 

 the duty of placing the hunteis on the stands hk:l3H| 

 give them a chance at the wolf, and gave his boys dirr 

 tions concerning the management of the dogs. 



Being unacquainted with the country, and not believii 

 that there would be any sport, I felt little interest iU tl 

 proceedings, and rode along with one of the farmers ffl 

 took a different course from the main body of huntsBH', 

 After riding a short distance, he turned back for n 

 lets, which he had left upon the table at McKay's, (WO 

 rode on alone, uncertain after a little time in wLii 

 direction to look for the party. Soon, however, Ibea- 

 a shot in the distance, followed by the deep baying ol 

 hound. Then came the keen ring of a bugle blast, sk 

 ceeded by a chorus of barks and whoops, mingled w> 

 the deeper cry of the hounds. 



I now spurred on to join the hunt, but was soon thro* 

 out by a large wet marsh. On the opposite side of y> 

 the chorus thickened, and soon near the summit of «j 

 appeared the wolf, running his best, while the pack w 

 close behind, and the leafless boughs of the copy'' 

 crashed, where Eliduc came with his whirling chain si 

 thundered down the slope, riding over two or three m 

 as he held on in his wild career. His course lay pa^ 

 little wood which concealed from his view what I n° 

 saw plainly as I reached the brow of the hill up wbicb 

 rode, the bluish gleam of the Gasconade as it sparkled 

 the morning's sun. 



