Jtwb 30, 1894.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



B39 



M., who was sitting by, sprang up and gathered it just 

 as it got into the edge of the water, and after a struggle 

 captured it and threw it high up on the bank and dis- 

 patched it with a club, but in the effort received a stroke 

 from its fang-like teeth upon one of his hands that drew 

 blood. 



One hope more remained — the hunting. There must 

 be deer and turkey here. After supper two of our nim- 

 rods started out with Winchester and gun, while the rest 

 of us, our ravenous appetites satisfied, sat and lolled on 

 our camp-chairs and cots about camp and rested. No 

 sound' of shot heard we during the two long hours of ab- 

 sence of our hunters, and upon their return they reported 

 that they had seen no sign of turkeys and but little of 

 deer, and had failed to catch a glimpse of any kind of 

 game. About 11 o'clock we retired to rest on our cots 

 and in our blankets, listening to the melancholy and per- 

 sistent inquiry of a solitary owl somewhere near of "Who 

 are you? Who are you?" 



Perseverance sometimes brings its own rewards in 

 hunting and fishing as in other things; so the next morn- 

 ing, some time before day, several of our best hunters 

 again started out in search of deer or turkey. They 

 hunted diligently and long, and once we heard the report 

 of a gun; but about 9 o'clock they all returned, bringing 

 a single squirrel, and reported utter and entire failure. 



General Jackson having once more made his appearance, 

 we bestowed the squirrel on him, unanimously voted Shu- 

 Shugar Lake a delusion and a snare, lifted our wagons 

 around until their tongues pointed homeward, slowly 

 retraced our devious way through terra incognita, follow- 

 ing our yellow-jacket guide and his claybank pony, until 

 once more the open daylight shone about us, and the free 

 Gulf breezes cooled us, and timber and canebrake lay all 

 behind us. 



We took what comfort we could in fishing for the goggle- 

 mouth perch of Caney, but caught only a few, and those 

 very small; saw one deer as we crossed the timber next to 

 the prairie; bad lots of fun shooting plover, when once 

 more on the prairie, and had another first-rate dinner at 

 Dickerson's Point of fat plover, and in good season that 

 that evening reached Wharton, less tired than we had 

 expected to be. 



At a subsequent meeting of the party that night in the 

 private car of our chief and captain, we resolved unan- 

 imously that never — no, never — no. never, would any one 

 of us ever visit Shu-Shugar Lake again. After much dis- 

 cussion we also resolved that about this particular lake, 

 hereafter, we would tell the whole truth, and not send our 

 fisherman friends down there, which resolution was not 

 passed without a great mental struggle, however. But 

 last, strange as it may seem, to one not acquainted with 

 the congenial qualities of that fishing party, we further 

 agreed that after all we had had a glorious time of it, any- 

 way. Guy. 



ON THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR. 



(Continued from, Page 5S8.) 



We had determined to leave in the morning and make 

 for Maimaise Point, but when the dawn came there was 

 a gentle but an adverse wind, so we concluded to re- 

 main iintil some favored breeze kissed the waters that 

 would race us along to our destination. 



The bright day was before us, and to pass it in dreamy 

 idleness was not our desire. The river presented some 

 contemplation for our restless spirits, and though the 

 trophies we might capture would be of an adolescent 

 character, there would at least be a modicum of sport in 

 it after all. Ned being in favor of the trip, the boys were 

 ordered to the boat and once more we went up the river 

 with the big sugar-loaf mountains on our right blazing 

 in the bright light of the ascending sun. 



"Here," said Ned, pointing to an abrupt turn of the 

 river where the channel was undermining a gravelly bank 

 with the bending thickets laving the waters, "is where I 

 captured several fine trout some years ago. But then the 

 water was 2 or 3fi. deeper and the current like a mill 

 race, but now the famous Aguawa is getting to be a 

 brawling brook with nothing but infantile trout. Those 

 were rare trouting days indeed, for during an hour's fish- 

 ing you had a catch of magnificient trout that would last 

 the camp an entire day. You will see no more such 

 halcyon days, for the greedy market purveyor is reaching 

 out for all the trout obtainable, and has every red-handed 

 pot-hunter on the North Shore engaged in netting, snar- 

 ing and jigging them. Not only the matured are engaged 

 in it, but every boy that can paddle a canoe or haul in a 

 trout is also engaged in the brigandage. Law and game 

 wardens are given no consideration at all, for the barbar- 

 ous work is carried on without any attempt at conceal- 

 ment. It now matters little to me, as I am nearing the 

 time allotted to man, but when the new generation comes 

 along, a Salvelinus fontinalis on the North Shore will be 

 a rarity indeed. Then the lament will come too late, for 

 the beautiful fish of dappled robes has years agone been 

 exterminated and only lives in memory or the annals of 

 angling literature as the loveliest and most gameful fish 

 that ever swam in surging rapids or sought the rocky 

 chasms of the Great Lake. Ah me!" sighed Ned, "the 

 recollections of my outings on this great reservoir of pure 

 water will be a comfort and solace to me when I am in 

 the 'slippered pantaloon.'" And so the white-haired 

 sportsman continued as if bis honest heart were deeply 

 mourning for the illegal slaughter of the tinted innocents. 

 He felt every word he uttered and the maledictions he 

 heaped upon an indifferent government, the semi-barbaric 

 tribe and the market-fisherman were as "black as the 

 damning drops that fell from the denouncing angel's 

 pen ere mercy wiped them out again." 



The rapids being reached, Ned's soliloquy went sighing 

 with the vernal airs that quietly moved the treetops and 

 rippled the translucent stream while we prepared for the 

 warfare on the rose-tinted beauties. Ned, being some- 

 what of a lotus eater, cared not for toilsome tramp, so I 

 left him where we had landed, and with my man Friday, 

 the Ananias of the lake, I began my wandering along the 

 shady banks for the first favorable pool. Reaching it 

 after a long and unpleasant walk over a surface of mini- 

 ature boulders, I cast my first flies, which were ? trifle 

 larger than a gnat, and caught a trout so infinitely small 

 that I instantly returned *t to the sinuous stream from 

 whence it had been taken. After a few casts more I 

 hung another that required skillful measurement to make 

 it reach the legal limit. This was all I could entice here, 

 and again we tramp along until we reach a pool partly 

 shadowed by some sprawling cedars, from which some 



golden-hued "mimic of the woods" was fairly splitting 

 his little throat warbling his delicious notes. Here re- 

 poses a trout, thought I, for all this sylvan beauty must 

 have the spangled naiad of the brook to make the 

 harmony perfect. 



I cast at the edge of a shadow just where a fluttering 

 butterfly was skimming along, and as quick as thought 

 the golden gleam and rapid splash came and then a 

 deceived trout was shooting down for the rippling rapids 

 below; but I head him off with my little Chubb rod and 

 make him fight in the half-shaded pool for his life as a 

 forfeit. Lovely gallant of the jeweled stars, you have a 

 cruel foeman who will not yield to your Circe-like beauty, 

 but who will gloat over every mantling spot and every 

 dash of gold and crimson that beautifies you, as if he were 

 a Titian or a Tintorete. Ah, ha! he tires, but alas too 

 soon, for the pleasing emotion of the angler is too short- 

 lived, the victory too easy. His superhuman efforts at 

 the start rapidly exhausted his vitality, while his weight 

 was not sufficient to prolong the struggle. I led him 

 gently to the shore, where, the bronzed-faced Peter netted 

 him with an artistic grace, and then laid him with his 

 golden side to the glinting sun where he soon panted his 

 life away. He was simply a pound trout and would, I 

 know, prove the blue ribbon fish of the day. 



This seemed to be the only denizen of this picturesque 

 pool, for not another rise could 1 obtain in any part of it, 

 no matter what lures I used or how lightly I cast them. 

 He was undoubtedly the autocrat supreme of that lovely 

 basin, and for him alone did the shadows fall and the roses 

 bloom around his isolated retreat. 



Onward the march again began, and it was over a bed 

 of boulders just large enough to make it quite tiresome. 

 We finally reach a weird and mysterious ravine from 

 which the purling waters come clear and cool, and 



" where the eddies, so pearly white, 



Slink away into gloom or wheel into light; 

 Where the trunk of decaying pine-tree doth throw 

 Its leaning bridge o'er the current's flow." 



Here we take our stand, and with a blue-dun and black- 

 June the surface of the water breaks in gentle ripples as 

 they seek the quarry. Once, twice, thrice they drop, and 

 then some mother's prettily painted pet in glittering dyes 

 snaps at the blue-dun and suddenly realizes that "all is 

 not gold that glitters." He was of the genus small, but 

 the law legalized him and he was accordingly consigned 

 to the larder. Another Lilliputian of rosy dots and sea- 

 shell pink was taken by the trunk of an old pine tree, and 

 then cessation ensued from the lovely nurselings. 



I look ahead and a gleaming bed of gravel and boulders, 

 once part of the river's bed in high water, lies before me 

 and must be traversed ere we reach another pool. It is a 

 long distance and the sun is in gleaming scarlet, and every 

 rock blistering hot and glowing like an agate. But 

 "We are beastly, subtle as the fox for prey; 

 Like warlike as the wolf, for what we eat;" 



and dash ahead with perspiration moistening the shining 

 stones at every footfall. An isolated tree here and there 

 on the river's bank, invites us to grateful shade, while 

 some little rivulets of cooling water, seeking the parent 

 stream through leafy ravines, quenches our thirst, and 

 thereby revives our faded energies. It is tramp, tramp, 

 tramp, but at last we reach the desired pool, to be greeted 

 by our old familiar friend of the wandering brook, a 

 gorgeous kingfisher, who eyes us in wonder from a treetop 

 that overlooks the waters we propose to fish. It is a 

 favorable sign, but halt, he may, like us, have had wolfish 

 aspirations and made the pool tenantless. 



We, however, attempt the solution of the aqueous 

 larder, and are delighted at our first venture, for it yields 

 us an eight inch trout. The kingfisher has surely not 

 depleted it, but I have no doubt that he now thinks we 

 will, as he sees the golden fins leaving their element with 

 the fly in their reddened jaws. We lure three more here 

 and then the run on the pool is at an end, and our tree 

 top beauty in plumage bright sails away with the blazing 

 rays of the sun displaying his beautiful colors with 

 heightened effect. 



"She rears her young on yonder tree; 



She leaves her faithful mate to mind them; 

 Like us for fish, she sails to sea, 



And plunging, shows us where to find 'em." 



The pool ahead was too far distant to make that morn- 

 ing, and particularly under such a glaring sun as prevailed, 

 so we retraced our steps, and after a tedious tramp came 

 upon Ned, pipe in mouth, sitting quietly in the boat gaz- 

 ing upward at the mountain ranges. He seemed to be 

 deeply enthused with their boundless crests, their knolls 

 and slopes with rounded woods, their jutting crags with 

 castle or watch tower, their narrow ravines carpeted with 

 greensward and haunted by traditions of fairy and gnome, 

 and the grand and impressive beauty that attach to the 

 towering hills. 



Ned, during my absence, had picked up three of the 

 infantile class, and had he have not become disgusted 

 with their dimensions could have doubtless caught many 

 more. The memory of the big trout he had years ago 

 impaled here was still with him, and therefore these 

 juveniles that were just budding into beauty had no 

 charms for him at all. He would rather solace himself 

 with the pipe and the loveliness of the grand scenery 

 with which he was surrounded. 



It took but a few minutes to bring us to camp, and 

 when there we sought the shade under foliaged branches 

 while the half-breeds busied themselves preparing the 

 meal. 



The noon hour was of a tropic nature, the lake un- 

 wrinkled, the forest without a moving leaf, while the 

 trumpeting troop of little blood suckers were around in 

 armies for their feast of blood. We succeeded as usual in 

 keeping them at bay with the magic liquid, latigbing at 

 their futile efforts to stem the torrent of the subtle odor. 



After I had cooled off from the morning's work I con- 

 cluded that a bath in the icy lake with a change of under- 

 clothes would not only make me very comfortable but 

 keenly sharpen my appetite for the meal in preparation. 

 Ned, being in an indolent mood, declined the bath just 

 then, stating that he would take it toward evening wnen 

 the sun was less piercing. 



I found the water so icy cold as I waded in that it fairly 

 made me shiver, and as a consequence the soap suds flew 

 over my anatomy without loss of time, and with a souse 

 or two I was capering over the slippery boulders which 

 lined the bottom for the shore and a towel. A good rub 

 with the rough crash and then after a few finishing 



touches with the smooth linen I hastily slipped into clean 

 clothes, feeling as if I had been electrified with heroic 

 i strength. In fact, such a bath would have made a beggar 

 imagine he was a prince of the realm. I reached oamp 

 just in time for the meal, and I assure you that the table, 

 after we left it, looked as if a famished wolf had been the 

 guest at the feast. Peter informed me during dinner that 

 the Hudson Bay agent was quite sick and suggested that 

 we go over and see him with a view of givfflg him some 

 relief. Ned said as I had more knowledge of pharmacy 

 and diseases than he, that I take the medicine box and go- 

 do wn to the sick man's cabin and administer the remedy 

 to the best of my knowledge. I at once consented, and 

 as my way lay through the encampment of numerous 

 Indians, who had but lately arrived at this post to receive 

 their pensions, I thought it would fee a happy idea to take 

 a dog or two along, which were over abundant here, on 

 which to test the virtues of the medicine, d la- "Old 

 Sport." 



On entering the house of the old agent I found him on 

 a cot moaning and tossing around as if final dissolution 

 were about to take place. His pulse was beating rapidly, 

 his head feverish and great pains distressed him at his 

 stomach. I was. satisfied from all indications that a 

 cathartic was about what he needed, and so, the dog not 

 being necessary upon which to test th»s simple remedy, 

 he was omitted. I immediately gave him the potion, 

 which he took with a very wry face, and then insisting, 

 on a i-educing regimen left him with full faith in my pre- 

 scription and a promise to call again if needed. 



As I passed through the encampment of Indians on my 

 return, with my professional cares in a great measure re- 

 lieved, I was more impressively struck with the chaotic 

 scene the camp presented. Men, women, children and 

 dogs were sprawling in and out of tente in a sort of 

 medley, a heterogeneous mass, as it were, in rags, tatters 

 and dirt, looking more like slothful lazzaroni than of 

 the once noble race of the pathless forest. The dogs, 

 however, which they used for sledging in the winter, 

 were getting the worst of the situation, as -they were being 

 kicked and cuffed on all sides in a very cruel and unfeel- 

 ing manner. The whole day through these poor brutes 

 are heard yelping, and altogether they have a very seedy 

 appearance. Their great object of life is to crawl into 

 the huts and carry off something eatable; but they are 

 continually driven out by the women and children, and 

 recommended by a smart blow, to satisfy themselves with 

 the fish and beaver bones thrown out for them. But they 

 soon detect some convenient hole, and— presto! a dozen 

 of them creep into the hut again. For a while they may 

 be left in peace, but when one gets in the way, the kicks 

 and blows begin again, and the dogs bolt with most heart- 

 rending whines. So it goes the livelong day. If you 

 speak kindly to him he does not understand what you 

 mean; he tucks his tail between his legs and slinks off to 

 a convenient distance, where he begins growling. In 

 truth, the Indians seem not merely unloving, but even 

 cruel to their dogs. 



I found Ned on my return down where the "bold merry 

 mermmen are under the sea" undergoing a transformation 

 with a bar of soap, and shivering as if in the last throes 

 of a desperate chill. He soon found an ample recompense 

 in it, and after he had combed out his snow-white locks 



Roman, the hero of a hundred combats. 



As we were beyond all danger of quarantine, we felt as 

 if a few games of cribbage would materially aid in pass- 

 ing the idle hours of the afternoon. So at it we went 

 with an active shuffle, cut and deal, and then after the 

 , discards, the fifteens and the runs came tumbling 

 over one another with surprising swiftness. The games 

 ran along quite evenly for a while, when Ned, feeling the 

 spirit of a gamester dawning upon him, was for doubling . 

 the stakes, while I not only met him but went him two 

 better, making it a quadruple ante. There is no friendship 

 in cards, they say, and it was soon evinced, for we were 

 arrayed against each other as if a kingdom were at stake, 

 playing with a Monte Carlo desperation till supper time, 

 and then jNed cried quits, called me a millionaire, and 

 went looking for his gun as if it alone could only give him 

 solace for his terrible losses. My winnings were enormous, 

 and, of course, gave me great delight and visions of in- 

 numerable bonds, stocks, etc., began to dance before my 

 blazing eyes as if there were no end to them. After much 

 time and trouble in stacking up the huge piles of coin I 

 ascertained my winnings to reach a surprising total of $1. 55. 



After supper one of our great delights was in watching 

 a colony of fan-tailed fly-catchers that made a tall elm, 

 immediately overlooking our camp, the base of their 

 evening raids. They would assemble to the number of 

 twenty or more, and every few minutes a party of them 

 would sally out and skim along the river and one of its 

 bayous near the mouth, snapping up the flying insects for 

 their evening meal. Sometimes they would all start off 

 together and then divide in small bands, each taking a 

 different direction. The first that returned would give a 

 cheery call and then they would all gather once more upon 

 the same tree. They industriously kept up their search 

 for the nocturnal insects till the stillness had settled down 

 and the soft blue shadows were in their fullness, and then 

 they were off, 



"To the solemn shadowy cedars, and ghostly pinea so still." 

 This bird is one of several species of birds forming the 

 Linntean genus Muscicapa, and having a bill flattened at 

 the base, almost triangular, notched or hooked at the 

 upper mandible and beset with bristles. They are so 

 named because they feed entirely on flies and other winged 

 insects. 



Peter and Kenosh , after they were through with their 

 camp duties, went up to comfort and console the sick old 

 agent. As he was Peter's prospective father-in-law, and 

 well fixed in wordly goods, the future bridegroom was 

 doubtless looking to the main chance when he extended 

 his aid and sympathy. They returned just before we 

 were to take to our blankets, and r< ported the sick man 

 much better and in a fair way to soon have a clean bill of 

 health. I was much pleased at my success, for, be it 

 known, I practiced without the necessary "sheepskin." 

 The boatmen declared I was a good medicine man and 

 would be willing to trust me with their lives if they were 

 --unf ortunate enough to get on the sick list. We were in 

 hopes, when we retired that night, that we would be 

 greeted the coming morn with bright skies and a favor- 

 able and spanking breeze that would soon carry us to our 

 destination. 



Our sleep was unusually sound, and when we arose ia. 

 the morning felt as refreshed as if we had partaken of an 



