Aug. 15, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



63 



me to ta,ke his place whispering "bear" in a very excited 

 manner. 



The bear was there, some 200yds. from where I stood, 

 and too busily engaged upon the business in hand to take 

 much notice of what was going on around hirn, and as 

 he was close to the fence, I took the smoothbore in hand 

 and determined to stalk him, telling Timayanes to keep 

 close to me with the Winchester. 



When I thought we had about reached the spot, I 

 peered over the fence; the bear had heard or scented us 

 and had paused to take notes, and immediately my head 

 showed over the fence, he slipped away at a pace which 

 1 would hardly have given him credit for. 



Fortunately I had the smoothbore in my hand, and I 

 gave him right and left in rapid succession, the second 

 ball taking him in the back of the neck, and dropping 

 him at about 60yds. I saw him still crawling away; 

 and hastily exchanging weapons with Timayanes, I fol- 

 lowed the beast up, and began pumping lead into him at 

 close quarters, but it was not until the ninth ball had 

 been lodged squarely in his brain that he turned over 

 dead. 



"We now made the best of our w T ay to the village, ar- 

 rived at which we heard the distant voices of the return- 

 ing huntsmen and beaters. 



Some game was already in camp, and active operations 

 in cooking were soon in progress, the whole party en- 

 gaging in one common feed, before making a division of the 

 spoils. Timayanes broiled a venison cutlet for me that I 

 ate with gusto, following it with a cup of fairly good 

 Mocha. This disposed of I was soon asleep, but the vil- 

 lagers hung about the fires feasting and smoking and re- 

 counting the events of the day until far into the night. 



A. 



KENNEBAGO MOUNTAIN CAVE. 



IN 1850 the State of Maine placed on the market certain 

 townships and parts of townships of public land in 

 the Bingham West Kennebec Purchase, so-called. Most 

 of these lands were remote from civilization, in which 

 were high, rugged and precipitous mountains, deep 

 ravines and rushing cascades, although in the valleys 

 between the mountains there were beautiful lakes and 

 smooth running rivers, also open meadows of tall grasses 

 and reeds, where the moose, caribou and deer roamed in 

 freedom and peace; also timber lands where the wood- 

 man's axe had never struck a blow. These lands were 

 advertised for sale by the land agent of the State, and 

 were situated in the northern part of Oxford, Franklin 

 and Somerset counties, inland many days' journey from 

 settlements or roads, or in the deep recesses of the moun- 

 tain wilderness. In the year 1835 — fifteen years after Maine 

 had become an independent State— there sprang up a 

 great excitement in timber lands, and speculation ran so 

 hign that the authorities found it necessary to township 

 off the untrodden wilderness of wild lands belonging to 

 the State. These lines were run by competent surveyors 

 at that time. Many of these townships had been sola by 

 the State to individuals and corporations, leaving the 

 most remote and least valuable portions still in possession 

 of the State. Many speculators were now on the qui in've, 

 looking up township lines and making explorations. 

 Among that class was Mr. E. S. Prentis, ex-mayor of 

 Bangor, a prominent lawyer, and he employed the writer 

 of this article to guide and assist him in exploring cer- 

 tain tracts of land situated in the counties named, more 

 especially some parts of townships bordering on the 

 Canada line. 



It was in the month of August, 1850, that we started 

 out in our light birch canoe well stored with camping 

 outfit. The basis of our supplies was salt pork and hard 

 bread, with pepper and salt, sugar and tea, a ball of but- 

 ter, and a little flour. Our cooking utensils consisted 

 simply of fry-pan, wire broiler arid two-quart tin pail. 

 Then we had each a blanket, also a light axe and a Binall 

 gun. Our ammunition consisted of powder and bird 

 shot No. 6, with bullets for bear, moose or other large 

 game, should any come in our way. We started from 

 Lake Mollychunkemunk and made our way up through 

 Mooseluckmeguntick and Cupsuptic, sacking our canoe 

 and camping kit across the carries between the lakes, 

 and landed at the head of the last-named lake, where we 

 hid our boat and made up our packs for the journey. 



We had charts of the township lines as they were run 

 out in 1835, and a good compass, and our plan was to 

 make up our course every morning, and go entirely by 

 compass. We allowed one mile an hour through the 

 thick woods as an average progress, and kept a sharp 

 lookout for old blazed or spotted trees, and when we 

 found one we cut into it to see how many years old it 

 was — counting each ring or grain of the tree since the 

 blaze was made, as signifying a year's growth. Thus we 

 distinguished between our township lines and lines made 

 by Indians years before or after the survey of these 

 lands. When we were sure we had struck a township 

 line we followed it up to the corner, where the surveyor 

 marked on a tree the number and range and whether it 

 was the northwest, southwest, northeast or southeast 

 corner; thus giving us our exact position in the forest, 

 and on the chart, and making a true starting point for 

 our next object. 



As we struck into the thick woods from our canoe we 

 soon saw marks and signs of wild beasts— deep paths — 

 worn into the ground a foot or more, and fresh tearings 

 on the bark of trees made by bears; also foot prints of 

 denisons of the forest. The further we proceeded north- 

 ward and away from the habitations of man, the thicker 

 these signs became, until we not infrequently got a 

 glimpse of some heavy animal just escaping out of sight. 

 Partridges and other birds were extremely tame and 

 abundant; indeed we did not pretend to shoot them ex- 

 cept just before a meal; and we never lacked for game 

 at our meals on this trip. We made our time pass 

 pleasantly by each in turn relating some adventure 

 either of his own or some one else's experience. 



Two persons traveling together in the woods make much 

 more noise than one, and I think if there had been but 

 one, or in other words, if I had been alone, I should have 

 got chances to shoot many large animals of various kinds. 

 But we were not on a hunting excursion, still we were 

 amid wild animals. On coming to a brook we would 

 try for trout and soon catch enough for a good meal. I 

 often saw them jump out of the water and take the 

 hook before it touched the water. And all the streams 

 and ponds on our way seemed to be just swarming with 

 fish life. Camping at night we cut large trees and built 

 big fires at our feet, spread fine-picked evergreen boughs 



on the ground for a bed. and sketched but in the open 

 air covered with our blankets— with the starry heavons 

 over our heads— minding well to keep up a, good blaze, 

 for we well knew that our best protection from wild 

 beasts was our fire. 



Everthing went on pleasantly for several days. We 

 traveled about ton miles a day over swamps, mountains, 

 streams, large or small, and this would have grown 

 monotonous only for the spice of hearing the cries of 

 wild animals every night, some of which seemed to come 

 uncomfortably near, especially when we awoke to find 

 our fires growing low and detecting in the howl not far 

 away the well defined voice of the wolf. But after a 

 few days our tired bodies would give way to slumber in 

 spite of tbe varied noises all about us after nightfall. It 

 stirs the blood of the fatigued woodsman to sit on a log 

 in the early evening and listen to the calls of the denizens 

 of the forest. They seem to take that time to try their 

 voice and see what reply they can get. One unaccus- 

 tomed to this manner of life would expect to be eaten up 

 alive before morning. 



After ten days steady traveling northerly we found 

 mountains growing more abrupt, ravines deeper, timber 

 shorter- bodied, and very little level ground, and the gen- 

 eral face of the country rough and rocky, as if nature 

 began to form an impenetrable barrier to our advance, 

 the whole region looking cheerless and forsaken, impart- 

 ing to us a forlorn feeling of hopeless insecurity. Often 

 while reflecting in these woods we could not but realize 

 the horror of our situation should either of us get injured 

 by any accident, either with gun or axe or in any other 

 way, so that he could not travel. Surely the sick one 

 would have to be left to the mercy of the elements and 

 wild beasts that even one of us might be saved. 



Our object of exploration having been secured, we 

 turned our faces homeward. The morning we started 

 back was cloudy and ominous, the rising winds soughed 

 through the treetops, the smothered roar of the distant 

 waterfalls, and all nature seemed pregnant of some fear- 

 ful uncertainty. 



We had so crooked about in our wanderings, exploring 

 various townships, and estimating their timber capacity 

 and cash value, and other objects connected with our 

 enterprise, that to make a comparatively straight course 

 home necessarily took us in an entirely new course. The 

 East and West Kennebago Mountains were all the land- 

 marks we had seen that we knew since we left our boat, 

 and our course must be made entirely by compass home, 

 as it had been on our journey out. In setting our compass 

 for a start a large high mountain not very far away 

 loomed up exactly in our course, and somewhat dampened 

 our ardor, as we had had a taste of climbing many such 

 eminences on this trip. We had materially lessened in 

 weight our knapsack, and so considered ourselves in light 

 marching order, and started off as if every step carried 

 us nearer home. The day grew darker as the afternoon 

 wore on, but nothing of note occurred until two or three 

 o'clock in the afternoon, when we found ourselves grad- 

 ually ascending a mountain. We set our compass and 

 found our course correct and traveled on, the ascent 

 growing steeper as we advanced. I heard a subdued 

 rumbling and called the attentions of Mr. Prentis to the 

 faot. We had before heard the shaking of the ground 

 under the heavy tread of wild animals, but this was 

 different, and we unwillingly had to admit that a thunder 

 storm was approaching, and we were with no protection 

 from the elements except our common clothing. We 

 held a council of war, and decided to go on and run our 

 chances. 



The mountain grew steeper and the storm nearer and 

 the timber growth shorter, until as we emerged up and 

 out of green woods into an open, led gy, bare mountain 

 top, and about the same time the storm broke on us in 

 all its fury, with wind, rain and lightning. The duel of 

 the elements was tremendous; no adequate description 

 can be given of its fury. The play of the lightning below 

 us on the mountain side and in the valleys, the flood of 

 rain beating through our clothing to the very skin, the 

 awful roar and reverberation of the thunder among the 

 mountains, all gave us a feeling of awe, seeming more 

 like something supernatural than a common storm. 



It was growing toward night and we were on top of a 

 barren mountain; but we had great hopes that by press- 

 ing on with our utmost speed we might cross the top and 

 descend far enough on the opposite side to reach the tim- 

 ber, and so make a fire and shelter for the night. The 

 short brush and vines spread out thickly under our feet 

 and retarded our progress, and occasionally threw us 

 sprawling upon hands and knees by entangling our feet. 

 The whole top of the mountain was a ledge, having been 

 burned over by fire, leaving an occasional stub of short 

 wood or sharp stick stub to help trip us up. Reaching 

 the top we found it comparatively level for half a mile 

 or so; and as the storm cleared off we stopped, wonder- 

 stricken with the majestic view before our eyes. To the 

 south we could see one of the Eangeley lakes, and to the 

 north Moosehead Lake, and intervening many ponds and 

 sheets of water and high mountins in a wilderness of 

 woods as far as the eye could reach on every side. 



But we must push on, for the sun was lowering fast, 

 and we knew not the distance we must yet travel to get 

 to a comfortable place to camp for the night. As we 

 descended the south side we found the mountain much 

 more precipitous and dangerous traveling. The north- 

 west side of our hills and mountains in Maine, as a rule, 

 are very gradually sloped, and the southeast sides are 

 abrupt and often perpendicular. Naturalists say this 

 formation was occasioned by the drift from northwest to 

 southeast in the glacial age of the world. Our drift was 

 southeast, and we hurried on, often finding large seams 

 or openings in the ledge well grown over by wild vines. 

 A stifled cry caused me to stop and look around, as T was 

 a little in advance of Mr. Prentice, who had fallen into a 

 crevice or fissure a little on one side from the path I had 

 taken; and in answering his call 1 found he had slipped 

 down fifteen or twenty feet in a narrow seam in the ledge, 

 and was sitting on a shelf of the rock that protruded out 

 over a large, dark place, which appeared to be a room. 

 I asked him if he was much hurt, and he said he had 

 sprained his wrist — he guessed that was all. I worked 

 myself down toward him with difficulty, and found it 

 next to impossible for us to get up again that way; so, 

 worming our way carefully down by stepping on and 

 clinging to projecting spurs of the ledge, we soon found 

 ourselves in a large room, and fearing to advance in the 

 darkness, I gathered some dry sticks and leaves that had '• 

 fallen or been blown into the crevice and lighted a torch, 



And now my pen fails me to describe the beauties of that 

 cave, with its stalactites of various hues hanging pendant 

 from the roof, golden, silvery and all shades of the rain- 

 bow, as the fire cast its light against their tremulous 

 sides. We have read of fairy tales, of mountain retreats 

 and wonderful sights in the recesses of the earth; but I 

 never imagined anything one-half so beautiful as I now 

 saw. 



The room itself was oblong, perhaps 20 X 40ft., and its 

 irregular sides m ight be 20ft. high. We did not stop long 

 to examine the beauties of this cave, feeling it possible 

 that we were prisoners in this lonesome den, but began 

 to search for some opening to make our way out; but 

 what was our surprise and horror on looking about to find 

 bones and skulls of animals scattered promiscuously about 

 the place, some of which were very large and different 

 from anything we had ever seen before, although we had 

 hunted and killed all kind's of wild animals indigenous 

 to this part of the country. 



Going around the unequal sides of the room we discov- 

 ered a passage way, long and narrow, leading into another 

 apartment, through which ran a small stream or brook 

 out of whose sands we brought away specimens having 

 the appearance of gold; and listening we could hear the 

 growling and snarling of some large animal, which ap- 

 peared to be some distance further into the mountain. 

 This gave us quite an impetus to escape if possible from 

 our seeming prison. 



Creeping along a well-worn pathway on the south side 

 of the cave, we discovered a glimpse of daylight in the 

 distance, and lost no time in following the pathway out 

 to the light. We were, not, however, one moment too 

 soon, for the animal, whatever it was, had discovered us 

 by scent or our talking, and came toward us fiercely 

 growling and gnashing his teeth, until we had gained tire 

 open air through what appeared to be a common pathway 

 for wild beasts. 



We made the best of our way down the side of the 

 mountain until we reached the timber, when we cut 

 spruce and white birch and made a roaring fire, stripped 

 ourselves of our outer garments, and commenced the pro- 

 cess of drying our clothes and cooking our supper, after 

 which we laid our tired bodies down to rest and sleep. 

 Although the stream in the ravine beside which we were 

 sleeping roared like the elements in a thunderstorm, and 

 the wind howled among the craggy rocks of the steep 

 mountainside, and the proximity of wild beasts we had 

 heard, all would, in the beginning of our journey, have 

 kept sleep far from us, and a scary night of frightful 

 visions before us, we slept on, and awoke in early morn- 

 ing refreshed and ready to devour our frugal meal. After 

 breakfast, our courage being somewhat renewed, and the 

 morning clear, I said to Mr. P., "Let us go back to the 

 cave and look it over a little." "Well," said P., "if you 

 feel like it, and have got some bullets left, I am willing, 

 but we-nnay have some serious business with that varmint 

 that followed us out last night." "We must run our 

 chances." I said, "but this is once in a lifetime, and too 

 good to be lost." So w T e were soon climbing up the steep 

 sides of the ra^untain on our back tracks again, with a 

 good -si zed roll of birch bark for a torch. 



Arriving at the entrance we came out of the night be- 

 fore, we were amazed at the perpendicular height of the 

 mountain over our heads, very near seventy-five feet, 

 along the whole side as far as we could see. Had we not 

 come down the crevice into the cave and out on the lower 

 side, we should have had to go the length of the moun- 

 tain around to get down its steep side. 



We now cut a stick three feet long and split one end of 

 it, and filled the split with the bark, touched a match, 

 and started in. Watching for signs beside the little 

 stream that ran along the passageway, we discovered in 

 the golden sand a footprint of a large animal with long 

 toenails or claws — a round foot pressed deeply in, as if 

 the creature was a heavy fellow. We also saw lesser 

 tracks in the sand of various animals; some we thought 

 were of the loup cervier, others bear, wolf, badger; in 

 fact it was a well-trodden path into the cave. The ave- 

 nue we were following narrowed after leaving the brook, 

 so that we had to stoop and sometimes crawl through 

 narrow holes. After going 100ft. or more we came into 

 another room, not so large as the first, but darker and 

 covered over the top with small stalactites and on the 

 bottom with bones and skulls much the same as the first. 



Looking, with our torch in hand, we found another 

 passageway leading further in, and on starting inashort 

 distance we got a draft of air strongly impregnated with 

 the odor of wild beasts, such as we had smelled in a 

 menagerie. We hesitated; and, listening intently we 

 heard the crying of what we thought was young pan- 

 thers. After listening intently for some moments, I said 

 to Mr. P., "Shall we go on or go back?" "Do as you 

 like," said he, "but I think it foolhardy and dangerous." 

 And I was as willing as he to retrace our steps. 



On reaching the great chamber into which Mr. P. had 

 fallen the night before, we heard the well defined growl 

 of the animal that so frightened us before coming through 

 the narrow passage from the outside; we involuntarily 

 crept back to the further side of the cave. I cocked my 

 gun, which was loaded with two bullets, and as the ani- 

 mal rushed along the narrow passage I fired. The sound 

 stunned us both, and the effect lasted several days, feel- 

 ing very disagreeable. As our torch was now almost 

 gone out I hardly think I hit him, but he gave an un- 

 earthly yell as he leaped along toward the room we had 

 left before. We only got a glimpse of his receding form, 

 but that was all we wanted of him. 



We took some specimens of what was in the cave and 

 made our way out as fast as possible and down the moun- 

 tain to where we had camped the night before, and pack- 

 ing up, again started on our journey homeward. 



Our trip back was very much like the first, only we 

 shot a fisher, a black wildcat and a martin, which we 

 had mounted, and of which I still have a specimen. 



When we struck out on the shore of the Cupsuptic we 

 were not ten rods from our birch canoe. 



This was thirty years ago last August, and I have never 

 seen that cave since, but I have a great desire to once 

 more visit the wild animal den of the Kennebago moun- 

 tain cave. J. G. Rich. 

 Bethel,, Maine, 



Forest and Stream, Bos 2,832, N. Y. city, has descriptive illus- 

 trated circulars of VV. B. LeffingwelTs book, " Wild Fowl Shoot- 

 ing," which will be mailed free on request. The hook is pro- 

 nounced by "Nanit," "Gloan," "Dick Swiveller," "Sybillene" and 

 other competent authorities to be the best treatise on the subject 

 extant. 



