286 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 1, 1890. 



SLIDE ROCK FROM MANY MOUNTAINS. 



VI.— BATISTE. 



TT is hard to get a good title for a short discursive paper, 

 X a heading that indicates the subject matter without 

 the prolixity of a table of contents. Such papers need 

 no title, in fact, any more than a painting needs to 

 have a motto in raised letters on the frame or than a toad 

 needs a tail, but, obedient to custom, I call this sketch 

 "Batiste." 



The name brings up the image of a lithe French half- 

 breed, dark, handsome, with the tread of a panther and a 

 multitude of songs in a soft patois. Our Batiste was dif- 

 ferent. He was an Indian of the baser sort, humble and 

 capable of labor if strongly persuaded, but without tinc- 

 ture of romance. Like most west-coast natives, Batiste 

 could be recognized at a distance by two features. One 

 was the large patch on the seat of his trousers and the 

 other his peculiar stumping gait. These are leading- 

 traits. When moccasins are worn the walk of even the 

 fishing Indians is simply awkward, but put the same per- 

 sons in boots and every step is made on the protuberant 

 heel alone, while the rest of the foot flaps the ground 

 like a dying fish. 



Aside from these points, Batiste wa3 a songster and a 

 linguist. He was acquainted with Indian melodies or, at 

 least, with that succession of painful sounds which serve 

 as the air to all native songs, and he also whistled some- 

 thing that my friend, who has a delicate if unpretending 

 musical taste, says was meant for "I want to be an angel," 

 Rather than hear. Batiste continually, I should myself 

 prefer that he should be an angel. As a linguist Batiste 

 rivaled Mezzofanti. He could speak the tongues of the 

 Thompson River, the Fort Hope, the Skagit and the Smil- 

 kameen tribes, perhaps of many other nations (they all 

 sounded the same), and of course he was a master of 

 Chinook. 



Now there are interesting details connected with 

 naturally developed tongues. You can often trace race 

 affinities by means of language. You get insight into 

 the growth of ideas and customs, and even the vocal ex- 

 ercises are sometimes extraordinary enough to command 

 attention. It is probably impossible to acquire in adult 

 years the combination of clicks, grunts and hisses that 

 forms the basis of many of the Pacific dialects, and one 

 can safely say that no person past the age of thirty-five 

 can ever learn to speak Skagit or Smilkameen without a 

 trace of foreign accent easy to be detected by a culti- 

 vated tribesman. 



Chinook, however, is not like these. It is an artificial 

 jargon, a barbarous baby talk, scanty in words, wanting 

 in accuracy, and entirely vulgar in sound. Such terms 

 as skookum, tum-tum and m,vck-a-mueh are only valu- 

 able as examples to show how far a depraved ingenuity 

 can debase articulate speech. 



But Batiste is only a subordinate person and he may 

 safely be left hewing wood and drawing water while we 

 go hunting. 



We had already inspected a good deal of country with 

 a view to the capture of game, but our success had been 

 feeble. Deer tracks, stale beyond the dreams of dyspep- 

 sia and the "sign" of early quarternary sheep are inter- 

 esting only to the eye of science. The herds of the great 

 God Pan have to come within the range of the more 

 domestic deity Frying Pan, or some of its kindred powers, 

 before their full virtues can be known. We wanted 

 meat, and meat in our camp was a great want. 



Batiste, besides being as stupid as the North American 

 Review, had other exceptional qualities not yet set down. 

 In the famous poem about Jack Sprat and his wife it is 

 not expressly alleged that the husband could eat lean or 

 that Mrs. Sprat could eat fat, but, from the cleansing of 

 the platter by the pair, there is an absolute implication to 

 that effect. Batiste combined the implied capacities of 

 both spouses to an unusual extent. He could not only 

 empty the platter at regular tri-daly intervals, but per- 

 form the same feat with entire completeness between 

 meals as often as the chance was offered. I make these 

 comments in no acrid spirit and with no grief. I grudge 

 no mouthful of whatever enormity to the worthy fellow, 

 but it is only fair to give some of the reasons for the 

 chronic need of meat that prevailed with us. 



My friend and I were accompanied on our hunt by an- 

 other man, the sole Indian of the neighborhood, who 

 proved thoroughly sympathetic. In the mouth of Chi- 

 nook Tom even the contemptible jargon took on a mel- 

 low sound, pathetic and musical. It is true that, after 

 the manner of his tribe, Tom tried gently to rob us; but 

 his effort met a swift, a stern repulse, and he retired from 

 his false position with a sweetness and cheerfulness all 

 his own. 



To see Tom, shod as he was with speed and silence, 

 advance over a crest on whose further side he hoped to 

 find victims, was a pleasant sight. Lifting; each foot like 

 a pointer on a hot scent, poising it a moment with toe 

 extended and treading so softly that he would not break 

 an egg, much less a stick, Tom was the ideal guide. And 

 then his earnest admiration of our simple guns, which he 

 thought peculiarly skooknm, or strong, and fit to break 

 the bones of a "gooseley" bear. Truly Tom was unique, 

 and his early departure much regretted. But on this day 

 Tom was with us. Up a rough canon, flanked with cliff, 

 forest and slide rock, we rode for some time, turning the 

 glass every few moments on some distant speck of white- 

 ness that might prove to be a mountain goat. At last 

 we sighted quite a promising stump, as it seemed to me. 

 Tom's unaided vision pronounced the stump to be a goat, 

 but my binocular revealed no living feature. We marched 

 along. Another white stick shone out aci-oss the ravine 

 near our suspected stump, and, lo! both were goats, and 

 Tom triumphed. But between us and the goats yawned 

 a chasm. We decided to leave our horses and that my 

 friend should take Tom and stalk the game in sight, 

 while I tried my fortune further on. I will first follow 

 the adventures of the detachment and afterward (if the 

 egotism may be pardoned) relate the moving chances of 

 the main body: main only, I confess, by reason of con- 

 taining the important number one. 



I had advanced about a mile, when, on looking back, I 

 sa w that the two goats before visible had been joined by 

 two kids and were climbing the slide rock. Soon they 

 passed behind the shoulder of a ledge and Vanished, nor 

 could I see anything of the hunters, but I afterward learned 



that they were far above the game, when the latter, star- 

 tled at something below, shifted their ground. They did 

 not go far, and soon the pursuers caught sight of them 

 through the timber. Tom at once dropped to the ground 

 and four bullets sent the goats rolling in swift procession 

 down the hill. Reader, are you "ill at these numbers?" 

 I admit that four goats are an excess, almost a debauch, 

 especially as few people really relish the meat; but in 

 this instance the cause of science justified the deed, and, 

 if you see in a great museum the stuffed bodies of those 

 two kids, two nannies and a billygoat of the Mazama 

 tribe (the latter contributed by a humbler hand), you may 

 recognize these individuals: for there is but one such 

 collection in the world. 



Meanwhile I wandered on with hopeful toil. The 

 heavens grew cloudy. Rain fell at times in brisk show- 

 ers, at times drizzlings. The ridges became unfamiliar. 

 Instead of open slopes with patches of slide rock, the 

 woods grew denser at every dozen yards. I was in a 

 great stretch of land burned long ago, and a second 

 growth of young pine, called "bull pines" in the north, 

 had sprung up, their slender bodies crowded a thick as 

 cornstalks and their lacing branches forming a close "abat- 

 tia." The ground was steep, very steep, wet, and soft 

 with rotting vegetation. The sun was hidden. I could 

 scarcely see the sky, much less any feature of the land- 

 scape, and night drew on. I had climbed and descended 

 and twisted and turned until no sense of direction was 

 left me, and I was very tired. I saw a hare a few paces off 

 and shot it, thinking that it might serve for supper, then 

 I sat down to rest and smoke. 



I felt for a match. I had none. Lost in the rain with 

 the autumn night coming on and no fire! Lost in bull- 

 pines blind, steeply rising, almost impenetrable, where 

 every struggling step might take me further from food 

 and rest. The situation was unpleasant. From afar, 

 borne by fitful gusts, came the faint roaring of a moun- 

 tain river. The water seemed to have a thousand man- 

 iac voices, wailing and raving, mingling empty laughter 

 and mocking shout, voices in loud dispute and curses 

 half articulate; weird, hollow, terrifying. 



Several ideas crossed my mind. First, how disagree- 

 able it would be to be laid up there with a wood rat for 

 nurse and a magpie for doctor. Then I thought I might 

 leave my rifle and coat and, thus lightened, follow down 

 the brook that must flow below, and so reach some- 

 where. I decided, however, to retain my property, and 

 plunged and struggled down the hill. By dint of slipping 

 and falling I got to the bottom, where a tricklet of water 

 was nearly hidden by a lacework of down timber 10ft. 

 deep. Progress there was blocked, so I decided to climb 

 the opposite hillside. Slowly, with infinite effort, I 

 labored up. Clearly it would take a week to reach the 

 top at that rate, and so I modified my down stream plan 

 and followed the slant of the land, keeping above the 

 water, but with the guiding principle of going always 

 down. And now the clouds broke away a little, and 

 from a great rock I could see some bald mountain tops 

 that I knew to be across the river from camp. Soon the 

 pines became larger and opener, and I got on a game 

 trail, and with quickened steps hurried along till I 

 reached the main stream. Then at last I knew where I 

 was, but not until late that night did a weary man catch 

 the twinkle of the camp-fire through the trees and bless 

 the guidance that had led him home. H. G. Duloo. 



LOG CABINS. 



IHAVE seen an illustrated advertisement on the covers 

 of quite a number of your papers with this heading. 

 "Log Cabins: How to Build and Furnish Them. By 

 Wm. S. Wicks." I have never seen the work, but think 

 the title of the book and the subject treated upon will of 

 themselves highly recommend it to those who take an 

 interest in such matters, and especially to those who con- 

 template building the like. 



Although the log cabin is almost wholly an American 

 institution, yet there are hundreds of thousands of per- 

 sons in this country, especially in the Eastern part of it, 

 who have never seen any, as that kind of a structure is 

 now seldom found east of the Aileghanies and north of 

 the Potomac, except on thinly settled tracts among the 

 Adirondacks and other mountains. Now the thought 

 came into my mind, why do not many heads of families, 

 particularly those who are land owners, build log cabins 

 for the use of their children and for themselves also? 

 They would be very pleasant places for holding picnics, 

 and for staying at times during the warm season or any 

 other: and certainly nothing would please the young 

 people in any family so much as would one built in a good 

 location and fitted up with rustic chairs, tables and other 

 furniture. 



We have often seen in papers and books subjects with 

 headings something like these: "How to Keep the Boys 

 at Home," or "How to Cause Children to Acquire a Love 

 for Home," and the subjects have been well ventilated 

 already; but, digressing a little for a while, I will write a 

 few remarks apart from my subject, but still in connec- 

 tion with it, beginning with "How not to cause the boys 

 to acquire a love of home." To do this effectively, keep 

 them at work all the time at something, often at the most 

 disagreeable jobs one can find on the farm, if the parent 

 is a farmer, or keep them at work the same in whatever 

 other calling he happens to be in; if they at any time 

 would like a day or more off for fishing, gunning, boat- 

 ing or for some other sport, refuse them, and at the same 

 time quote some of Dr. Franklin's old saws about idleness, 

 lost time, the consequences of losing hours, and all that; 

 then if they enjoy any particular sport, take no interest 

 in it, but by words and actions show them how much you 

 disapprove of such folly (?). Then if they ask for a little 

 cash with which to buy a boat, a gun, fishing tackle or 

 some other sporting implements, generally give them a 

 negative answer; besides, favor them with a good long 

 sermon on spending money foolishly, coming to want or 

 something like that; or if you should furnish the funds, 

 do it grudgingly, and let the amount be so small that it 

 will barely purchase the cheapest, the poorest article, or 

 something second-hand. Now, if the father would go on 

 in that style he would make a Complete success ox the 

 plan to cause the boys to dislike home and to leave it as 

 Boon as possible. 



On the other hand, if a parent would like to have the 

 young people stay at home or if circumstance!" compel 

 them to leave it, to have them cherish many happy 

 I memories of the dear old place and its surroundings, it 

 can be easily done by methods just the opposite. Pater 



Familias should on some clay call his boys around him; 

 yes, and his girls too, and should tell them that he had 

 concluded to build for their use a good-sized, weil-eon- 

 structpd log cabin in a grove near some lake or stream. 

 The effect would be surprising. No body of savages in a 

 war dance would cut up more antics than would those 

 young people in the exuberance of their glee. "What, 

 father going to build us a real log cabin! It's something 

 we never dreamed of, too good to be true. What fun we 

 will have in it. Didn't Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton and 

 all of the other early hunters that we have read about, 

 live or stay in them, and now we can have one the same 

 as they did, all to ourselves. Three cheers for the cabin 

 and for papa too!" They would think about- it day times 

 and dream about it nights, for they have thought about 

 log cabins many a time before, and read about them too, 

 for more than' three-fourths of that pile of story books 

 that the boys have read, treated more or less of log cabins, 

 Indians, hunters and the like. 



As for the expense, it need not be much. Even if de- 

 sirable land has to be bought, it would cost but a little, 

 and the expense of building' would be next to nothing, 

 for on most farms there is a plentiful supply of timber. 

 Besides, the boys if large enough would bt; only too glad 

 to do nearly if not quite all the work. Or if the father 

 has no woodland from which to get a suitable quality of 

 timber, even then the expense would be but a little, as 

 the material could be bought in the rough state and the 

 boys, with the assistance of mechanics, cotild in a few 

 days prepare the structure, as well as make the rustic fur- 

 niture to be used in it. Then if it was near a lake or a 

 stream, let the boys have a canoe, a rowboat or a sail- 

 boat, or all three of them; swings and hammocks could 

 be hung to the neighboring trees for the use of the girls, 

 so that there would be no end of harmless pleasures for 

 all the children. 



Now and then Pater and Mater, with friends of their 

 own ages, might themselves again wish to be boys and 

 girls for the time being, and wotdd once in a while go 

 with their children to the cabin for the purpose of having 

 a regular old-fashioned picnic. How pleased the younger 

 members of the family woidd be to think that their par- 

 ents enjoyed the outing as well as themselves. With 

 what pleasure would they unpack the baskets, and how 

 soon the flames would be roaring to boil the water in the 

 teakettle, hung on the crane in the broad, deep fireplace! 

 Then what a jolly time would both old and young have 

 together when the table was spread; and when the day 

 was over the parents would feel that even if both they 

 and the boys had lost that amount of time from business, 

 the pleasure received by the family would more than 

 compensate for the time lost and the money expended. 



And in after years, when the parents were no more, 

 the children scattered, the family broken up and the old 

 homestead perhaps in the hands of strangers, how fondly 

 the thoughts of those children would revert to their early 

 home, and especially to that log cabin! It would never 

 be effaced from their recollections. A. L. L. 



Hohnehstown, N. J. 



CALIFORNIA JOTTINGS. 



LAKEPORT, Cal. , April Id.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 We have been hibernating up here for the greater 

 part of the winter, owing to the heavy rains. It has 

 teen one steady downpour since Oct. 1 until about a 

 month ago: then it would stop long enough to give old 

 Sol a chance to show his smiling face for a day or so, 

 when he would again be obliged to take a back seat. 

 The oldest inhabitant scratches his head, looks wise, and 

 says, "I never seed such a winter since the fall of '49 or 

 spring of '50," and I do not think he ever did. But it is 

 over now. 



We are resurrecting our trouting outfits, looking up 

 our rubber boots, fish basket, bait box and so on. The 

 straps are gone, having probably been used for lines to 

 play horse with by our boy, and things generally are 

 scattered, but at last we have got everything together 

 ready to start trouting. The small boy is seeking the 

 tempting worm, and we are all watching and waiting 

 until the streams get low enough and the weather warm 

 enough to assure us good fishing. Then we will strive 

 hard to see who will get the first fish out of the best 

 streams. 



We think we have one of the most healthful and best 

 game counties in the State. Deer are in great abund- 

 ance, but not as plenty as formerly, owing to disregard 

 of the law. We have plenty of unscrupulous hunters 

 that kill deer all the year around. A few bear are killed 

 every year, the black and brown. Grouse are very 

 scarce, and only to be found in the mountains. The 

 plumed and helmeted, or, as we call them, mountain and 

 valley quail, are found in great abundance. A great 

 many were killed last season. 



On our lake we have the mallard, canvasback, teal, 

 widgeon, sprigtail and other ducks. Last fall and winter 

 a good number came in for a few days, but soon went 

 away again. Some fine bags of snipe were taken. 



A great many salmon came up our creeks and rivers 

 this winter. There were several wagonloads brought to 

 town for sale. 



I received a letter from the State Board of Fish Com- 

 missioners that an appropriation had been made to pur- 

 chase and import certain game birds for propagation; 

 among others the Bob White quail; a consignment was 

 to be sent to me to be turned loose. The laws of this 

 State make it a misdemeanor to kill Bob for five years, 

 bo if people will only regard the law we will have regular 

 old Eastern quail. Thus, when you Eastern people come 

 to see us, you will be welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Bob 

 White, which will no doubt remind you of the land of 

 cold weather and cyclones. Mack. 



Shooting Prospects in Dakota.— Britton, S. D., 

 April 19.— Editor Forest and Stream: Never in the his- 

 tory of this part of Dakota have the geese, brant and 

 ducks been seen in such numbers in the spring, but to the 

 honor of Che resident sportsmen be it said very little 

 shooting is being done. Prairie chickens are also reported 

 to be unusually plentiful. Owing to the short growth of 

 grain last season, a large amount was left in the fields, 

 and with the mild winter and plenty of feed, the spring 

 opens with very favorable indications for an excellent 

 fall's sport. I will endeavor at another time to give you 

 some of the advantages possessed by this locality for the 

 ! sportsman. — Rex. 



