122 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Feb. 16. 1895. 
IN u MINNESOTA WILDS. 
I.— A Race With a Prairie Fire. 
"Game of all kin tis "abounds here. Moose, elk, cari- 
bou, deer, black and brown bear, chickens, partridges, 
pintail grouse, rabbits, wolves, fox, skunk, martin, 
fisher, lynx, otter, mink, musk rats, wolverines, geese, 
ducks, crane, snipe and fish, bear, and elk come into my 
garden." Thus wrote the guide who was to take me 
into the wilderness of Northern Minnesota. Dear reader 
you have probably been written to just the same way, 
and you have probably been preyed upon just the same 
way. We are all wiser the next time. 
However, the lure proved too much for me, and on Oct. 
6 I started for this "game paradise" over the B. & O. R. 
R. to Chicago, thence to St. Paul via the "W. C. R. R. and 
over the G. N. R. R. to my destination. In mentioning 
these railroads, I desire to extend my hearty thanks for 
the many courtesies shown me and my dogs, neither 
road making any charge for transporting my dogs and 
outfit from Philadelphia to Stephen, Minn. I found the 
train hands most kind and obliging, and especially were 
they good to my dogs. After leaving the train we had 
to stage it forty miles across the prairie in the face of a 
biting wind, the remains of a blizzard which had struck 
there the day before. It was a long, tedious ride, and I 
was only too glad when it ended. After leaving the rail- 
road the cpuntry is level prairie for thirty miles, but as 
you go east it becomes broken into ridges and muskeags, 
and to one never having been in sucb a country it is 
a novelty in its way. One can almost lose himself by clos- 
j ng' his eyes and turning around. The ridges all look 
alike, and all appear to run north-east and south-west, 
with a muskeag sandwiched in between. These musk- 
eags are covered with tall grass and reeds with a bunch 
of willows thrown in here and there. In many places 
the reeds are so tall and thick that one can scarcely find 
his way through them. In the fall of the year the 
ground is soft and boggy, in places covered with water; 
in the spring-time they are veritable lakes. There seems 
to be only a crust of turf in some places and to break 
through that is to get into quicksands. The country is 
one massive spring bed to supply the lakes and rivers 
which abound there. You can dig in almost any place, 
and strike water at a depth of three feet, and in many 
places less than one foot. The ground is covered with 
tiny shells wherever you go, and from the formation of 
the country one would suppose it had been made during 
the glacial period. It is one of the most desolate-looking 
places it was ever my good fortune to visit. Game of 
all kino's was very scarce there, as the forest and prairie 
fires had preceded me and done its work most effectually. 
Apropos of prairie fires, were you ever caught in one? 
No? then your adventures have not been complete. 
Tongue or pen cannot describe it. We were camped two 
days' drive from the ranch, and about eighty-five miles 
from the railroad on a branch of the Roseau River, in a 
big muskeag after, ducks and gueese. We had noticed 
the smoke in the distance for a day, and that night re- 
tired with some little misgivings that we might be com- 
pelled to fight fire before morning; however, we were not 
disturbed. The next day by noon the fires seemed to be 
starting in all directions, and we came to the conclusion 
that it would be safer to break camp and get off the 
muskeag; in the meantime the smoke from the fire we 
had noticed the past two days had become dense and 
black, and was approaching us rapidly. We had expect- 
ed two gentlemen from Nebraska to join us in this camp, 
and so became anxious about them, as this particular 
muskeag is a most treacherous one. 
It did not require long to get camp and outfit ready to 
pull out, and we started in earnest. The wind had fresh- 
ened and. was blowing a gale, and toward us. We had 
scarcely gone a mile when we noticed what we thought 
was a camp flying a signal from a pole. Thinking this 
was the signal of our friends to attract attention, we 
started for it. The fires were rapidly closing in on us 
from every quarter. We were completely hemmed in by 
fire and water. In driving from one was to drive into 
another. Imagine, if you can, a fire covering an area of 
twenty miles in semi-circular form on your right, and an 
impassable river on your left. We drove as rapidly as 
our horses could go through the thick jungle of grass 
reeds and willows. When we had gotten within a mile 
of the supposed camp, we found it to be a log shanty, and 
the signal was a tatterei and torn Stars and Stripes. I 
don't think I ever revered the nation's flag so much as I 
did then. It proved a blessing to us, for had we gone in 
the direction we had first intended we would never have 
gotten out. About a mile and a half from this shanty to 
the right was another similar house situated in a small 
grove of poplars; this we concluded would be the safer of 
the two places should we be compelled to do battle with 
the flames. 
It was a most fortunate thing for us that we went 
there, as we found'later. Some plowing had been done on 
one side of the house, but the other three sides were al- 
most unprotected. Going up to the shanty we found 
one poor, helpless old woman, crippled with the rheuma- 
tism so badly that she could scarcely stand; on inquiry 
we found that she and her daughter and little grand- 
daughter liv ed there; the daughter and child were away 
at the river two miles distant fishing, but were expected 
home at six o'clock. She gladly welcomed our arrival, 
and invited us to pitch camp there. Promptly at six the 
daughter returned with her child, and an old man whom 
she introduced as her father-in-law, Mr. Ripenback, who 
lived in the shanty from whose roof floated the Ameri- 
can flag. He ins:feted on us all going over to his place 
as "it "was ^ the be<t place to fight fire." "He had done 
some mowing and a little plowing during the summer, 
and it was safe," he said. We hitched the horses to the 
wagon, which was still partly loaded, and made up our 
minds that if the fire broke through the thicket about a 
mile back of the house we would pull out for the Ripen- 
back ranch, thinking of course that would give us ample 
time to make it. 
* In the meantime I climbed on top of the shanty to 
watch the progress of the fire. I shall never forget it 
As. far as the eye could see was one seething mass of 
flames, now running along the ground like an enormous 
serpent, then suddenly leaping fifty feet in the air into 
all sorts of shapes and roaring like forty locomotives. I 
did not realize how fast it was traveling until a few min- 
utes later. Almost before I had time to think it had 
broken through the thicket and was coming down on us 
bike the wind. Jumping from the roof I gave the alarm, 
hurried the old man and his daughter-in-law and child 
off in advance, so that, if necessary, we could pick them 
up on the road,[and rushed in to carry the old lady out 
and place her in the wagon. This required some little 
time, for the woman weighed about two hundred and 
twenty-five pounds and, as we were all light weights, it 
wasja case of tug. By the time we had got her in and had 
started, the flames were within five hundred yards of us. 
Then began a race for life with all the odds in favor of 
the fire should the slightest mishap occur to us. We ran 
those horses as fast as they could go, yet the fire gained 
on us slowly, but perceptibly. When we had gone two- 
thirds of the distance we overhauled those we had sent 
on ahead and'it was only a moment's delay to stop and toss 
in baby and mother; but when Ave tried to get the old 
man in that was different, he wouldn't budge, but in- 
sisted that we should go on, that he could take care of 
himself. He was carrying a grubbing hoe in each hand 
and a bandbox on one arm, a more stubborn old fellow I 
never met. By the time we had argued wilh him a min- 
ute the fire was within fifty feet of us, and it began to 
look as though it might be all night with us. There was 
no alternative but to pull him out, which was done by 
grasping his right hand and throwing the hoe away and 
putting spurs to the horse. He was about played out 
when he reached the shanty, but had he remained on the 
prairie two minutes longer he never would have gotten 
out, as the fire was within twenty-five feet of us. 
From that time until morning we fought fire with wet 
carpet and sacking, oftentimes having to stop and put 
out the fire on each other. One of the most remarkable 
things about it was that it burned entirely around the 
camp that we had vacated and did not touch it; and had 
we remained there we would have been perfectly safe. 
Strange to say the natives in that country use more 
precaution to save their haystacks than their homes and 
families. It is a common occurrence to see the haystacks 
completely plowed around, with no plowing at all around 
the house. They will actually leave women and children 
in such houses to go to the fields to endeavor to save the 
hay. Racing with such a fire as this one was is not at 
all amusing. It was my first, and I trust my last one. It 
was the most sublime, yet most fiendish sight I ever wit- 
nessed. And after it, what a dismal, blackened, dreary 
waste of country. What there is in that country to at- 
tract a man from ci vilization I cannot see. For these two 
families I have spoken of had left comfortable homes and 
were well educated people, and had evidently moved in 
very good society in one of the largest cities in Wisconsin. 
This lire burned over an area of seventy miles. We could 
have back-burned, of course, and moved on to it, but in 
such a country that is a last resort. One hesitates to 
start a fire there as you never know where it will end, or 
how many helpless people it may destroy. A man who 
has once had such an experience will never forget it, and 
certainly' it should remind him to never throw lighted 
matches around, or leave camp-fires to burn out. Even 
fire knocked from a pipe in the dry grass in that country 
will more than likely start a fire that might burn for 
days, and destroy much life and property. 
Last summer a certain lawyer living not many miles 
from Argyle was hunting big game on a muskeag near 
the main road running to Jadis. He became tired wait- 
ing for the game to come to him, so thought he would 
drive it out by firing the muskeag, which he proceeded 
to do. He succeeded in escaping with his life, but had to 
fight for it. Many of the settlers lost everything they 
possessed, and barely saved themselves. That one fire 
must have burned over an area of seventy-five to one 
hundred miles. 
It will not be healthy for this same attorney to hunt 
again in that locality, as among those who lost every- 
thing, are many low-caste Bohemians who swear they will 
kill him, if he is caught there. And can you blame 
them? It seems to me the only thing to deplore is that 
hp escaped the fire he started. 
We didn't waste any more time in the burned country, 
so early in the morning pulled out for the Manitoba line, 
where we camped on a branch of the Rouseau River, 
which I will endeavor to describe to you together with 
the sport to be had there. Wabash. 
[TO BE CONTINUED.] 
THE RHINO'S PROMENADE. 
Arusa, Gallas, Africa, Dec. 14, 1894.— Since my letter 
to the Forest and Stream on elephant shooting a year 
ago, I have spent most of my time in the best game 
country in Africa, where previous to my expedition the 
sound of a rifle had not been heard. 
We camped one day by a sandy river-bed, where there 
were pools of water about a mile apart. Tracks of ele- 
phants, rhinos, zebras, and lions were to be seen at every 
step. I determined to have a try for the beasts over a 
water-hole, so I had a little zariba built on a high rock 
above the water. I took my boys, Karsha and Hersi, to 
keep watch during the night, while I made myself a com- 
fortable bed with rugs. But there was not to be any 
sleep that night. The sun had scarcely set when we 
were on the alert. Yes; there were distinctly the sounds 
of a heavy beast approaching. Was it an elephant or a 
rhino? 
Steadily the footsteps drew nearer, and then suddenly 
a huge animal ran down the bank on to the broad stretch 
of sand in front of the pool It was a rhino, and I could 
distinctly make out whether he had good horns or not as 
the night was so bright and starry. He did not come to 
drink, but walked up and down within twenty yards of 
where I was, as though he had made a rendezvous there. 
Four zebras were the next to appear and several hyenas. 
The zebras tried to approach, but the rhino repeatedly 
drove them away. 
Now, I thought, surely elephants were approaching, as 
I heard several heavy footsteps ; but no, it was a family 
groupe of rhinos. On they came, now halting, now go- 
ing forward a few steps, apparently without any object. 
Three were full grown, while the fourth appeared, as 
small as a young donkey. It was amusing to see the lit- 
tle one's perfect behavior. It kept close to its mother's 
heels the entire time, never looking to the right or to the 
left, but stopping when she stopped and advancing just 
as many paces as she did. The scene was most interest- 
ing. This spot, which in the daytime was one of the 
loneliest places in the world, now presented a most gay 
appearance. Rhinos, zebras, and hyenas were scattered 
all over the sand. The country about was very bushy, 
and I believe this large open space answered the purpose 
of one of our parks. The animaLs were there, not only to 
drink, but to see their friends. This sort of thing kept 
up all night. As soon as one lot of beasts had disap- 
peared another came to take its place. I was so ab- 
sorbed watching the love-making and fights of the ani- 
malsthat I did little shooting. 
Only two drank from the pool, which I considered 
rather strange. My boys were constantly urging me to 
shoot, but I would not do so for a long time, knowing I 
had plenty of shooting before me. About midnight a 
rhino appeared that seemed to have better horns than 
usual. He stood for some time directly in front of me, 
and I succumbed to that desire for killing that does take 
possession of one at times. I put up my 577 express rifle 
and fired. Up went the sand in all directions, and there, 
was such a snorting and puffing as only a rhino can make. 
The huge beast was as active as a thin pig, and after 
turning in many circles made his way up the opposite 
bank into the bushes. Here there was a crash, a few 
snorts, and we could hear that all was over with him. I 
went out with my boys, and found my rhino as dead as a 
stone. He had, as I had judged, a fine pair of horns. 
The next animal I shot was a zebra. He had had a 
rendezvous here with his mate. The female first ap- 
peared, trotting straight up to the pool. She stopped, 
put up her ears, and waited like a statue for some min- 
utes. Then there was a sound like a mule's bray, only 
more shrill, and out galloped a splendid stallion from the 
opposite direction. There was much crowded into the 
space of a couple of minutes for that fond husband, as 
he was to meet his doom almost before the sound of the 
wedding bells had died away. His mate trotted away, 
pleased as Punch, while he stooped to take a long drink. 
I needed meat, and here was the beast to take. I put a 
ball into his vertebrae that settled his career on the spot. 
I did not shoot for some time after this, but toward 
morning there was such a spendid pair of rhino horns in 
front of my zariba that I let the owner have it in the 
neck. Off he dashed up the opposite hill, turned, ran 
amuck among the bushes, and finally fell down a bank 
twenty feet high. This tremendous shock was not 
enough, however. He disappeared around a curve on a 
run, and I was afraid I had lost him. The day broke, 
and I had not had a wink of sleep. Except for a short time 
after my shots there had not been an instant but what 
some beast could be seen from my zariba. I went out 
with my boys to track the rhiDo I had wounded. We 
found him half a mile off, dead. His front horn meas- 
ured twenty-fotu' inches around the curve. 
My experience was not yet finished. On our way back 
to camp we started a rhino out of the bushes close to us. 
I fired quickly, and hit him too far back. Without a 
second's hesitation he charged us like a steam engine. 
We had just time to dodge behind bushes. He kept on a 
straight line for fifty yards, and stopped. He let me get 
quite close to him before I fired, and put an end to his 
sufferings. A. Donaldson Smith. 
PIONEER LIFE IN MAINE.— II. 
BT GEORGE SMITH, 
In accordance with the suggestion of those who had listened 
many times to these stories ot the dangers and privations of the 
pioneer settlers, the following- account of the early settlement of 
the town of Freedom, Me., and pioneer life in that region, accom- 
panied with a brief record of the years spent in the West, was 
written by the author a} the age of eighty-one. — D. C. Smith. 
Departure for the "West. 
Before proceeding further, it is important that I should 
give a more detailed account of myself and my brothers 
connected with me; especially as my brother Joshua was 
the first, who entertained an idea of going to Ohio. 
After contemplating the undertaking for a long time, 
he at last started on the enterprise in Sept. 1808. Having 
heard of mechanics being in good demand in the new 
State, and as all business was at a stand-still, an embargo 
having been laid on all commerce between England and 
the United States, as war was expected to take place be- 
tween the two countries, he thought he should be more 
out of its reach; and, besides, he would be able to see 
more of the country, and give us all au early account of 
its facilities for a f uture residence of young men. With 
these impressions, he started on horse-back, at the time 
stated, and arrived in Ohio in twenty-five days. He went 
to work at his trade, in Zanesville, at $1.00 a day. As he 
wrote us that business was good, we determined to fol- 
low him, as soon as possible; but times were so hard, and 
money so scarce, we must wait till we had the means 
to undertake the journey. 
Then followe three years of harder times than ever. 
War being declared in June, 1812, many young men 
enlisted to go to Canada to fight the British. At last, a 
company was called for to go "Down East" to stop the 
smuggling on the line, and as there was nothing else to 
be done to get a dollar in money, I enlisted for one year, 
and was all the time on the frontier, from Eastport to 
Calais," where at last I was discharged, having served out 
my year fully. In the year 1813, my brother John, hav- 
ing married and settled in the town of Readfield, wanted 
me to work with him at the carpenter's trade; said he 
was going to Ohio in the fall, and as I had read Joshua's 
letters, I felt quite anxious to go on witli him to see the 
new country, So I went to Readfield that summer, and 
made all preparations to start in September, at an early 
day, which we accomplished. 
A Ghost Story. 
My brother Stephen, a mate to me, was determined to 
go on to Ohio with us, so I went down one Sunday after- 
noon, from Readfield to Augusta, where he was ai work, 
to inform him of the time of our intended start. As he 
was about ready, he concluded to go back with me that 
night. Some little business detained him, and I walked 
on, intending to wait for him at the Davis Hill Ceme- 
tery. The sun was down and the weather fine, and as 
I was soon to leave this part of the country, the thought 
