Oct. 30, 1897.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
845 
squirrel hunting as lie never saw. You see, the spirits 
which so cruelly worked their racket on poor, defenseless 
me, had ordered me to take this man into the wilderness 
and give him a fair sample of what 12k cents would accom- 
plish in the way of rocks and stumps, briers and brambles, 
swamps and bogs — but no squirrels. 
AU in vain were my earnest endeavors to save this man 
from the punishment marked out. The fiat had gone 
forth and perforce 1, as the humble instrument of the 
avenging spirit, must obey. So when he and his friend 
put in an appearance the next morning before it was fairly 
light, I was ready, and getting into the wagon directed 
them to drive to the "big woods" some eight miles away. 
This locality was quite an extensive tract of primeval 
forest some eight or nine miles in length^and three to five 
in breadth, and was well known for many miles around 
as a famous resort for squirrels, and they were there, too, 
in plenty, if one only knew where to look for them; but it 
was hard lines for the uninitiated, as nine-tenths of the 
tract was entirely desolate, so far as game of any descrip- 
tion was concerned. I had left my dog at home, as he 
needed rest; and both my companions being totally unac- 
quainted with even the rudiments of the science of squirrel 
hunting, they never thought of a dog until 
it was nearly night. 
We arrived at our destination shortly after 
sunrise, and leaving the team at a farm- 
house, made a break for the woods, all of us 
as fresh as daisies and full of animation at 
the prospect of sport. I soon learned from 
the conduct and conversation of my com- 
panions that neither of them had ever killed 
a squirrel and that a rest for the gun and a 
good, long aim were necessary adjunts to 
success, as they at once beean practice on 
such birds as would hold still long enough, 
and after several baulks and two or three 
shots each I had a couple of bluejays to 
carry, when they decided that they were up 
to the mark and good and ready for the 
business of the day and ordered me to bring 
on the squirrels. Now, I was under instruc- 
tions from the spirit whose slave I was, not 
to lead them to the haunts of the game, but, 
instead, to lead them a wild goose chase, and 
show them what the old, primeval forest was 
like; but when I found that the bushy tails 
would be safe, or very nearly so, I took the 
liberty to modify, or rather to change, the 
programme, and led them to a favorite corner 
where I had often had lots of sport. I must 
say, however, that the half-hour we stayed in 
that vicinity showed me more fun than I 
had supposed was possible to be found in so 
small a corner. Several squirrels showed 
themselves, but, although I waved my hat at 
them in token of amity when the Nimrods 
were crawling up to them, they would not 
hold still, and, although four or five shots 
were fired, I do not believe that a single 
squirrel had cause to regret our visit. 
When we bad exhausted the resources of 
this locality I led them, for the sake of 
variety, straight through a rather unpromis- 
ing bit of swamp some twenty rods across, 
and as the opposite side was a capital place 
for blackberry parties we had still another 
change. Just beyond the briar patch was a 
small but very steep hill covered with a 
dense growth of tangled hemlocks. There 
was a cart path a short distance to our right 
that led around the hill; I had always fol- 
lowed this when going that way and I tried 
my best to do so on the present occasion, 
but it was no go, I was led by an irresist- 
ible power straight over the top of the hill, 
and the only consolation I got out of it was 
the satisfaction of treading ground that 
mortal foot had never pressed before, and of 
course the pleasure of giving my compan- 
ions the most striking variety they had yet 
encountered. Then we had some more fun 
with the squirrels, and somehow between them they 
managed to kill one and shortly afterward another 
one was added to the score. This brightened things 
up a bit and helped them over the rough ground 
in much better style than had been apparent for the last 
hour or two; but the sun was getting low and the order 
was given to return to our team and I started in the 
proper direction; but that insatiate spirit seized me by the 
collar and in spite of my best efforts we came out into the 
open more than two miles from where we should have 
been, just as the sun was setting. 
Although a mere boy, I had been the captain and guide 
of the expedition; but now that it was plain sailing, I fell 
to the rear and had an opportunity to study my compan- 
ions. I had known from the start that their costume was 
not just the cheese for a squirrel party in the thorny 
thickets of the big woods; and I placidly saw by the way 
they glanced at each other that they now knew just as 
much about this part of the business as I did. Not only 
were their clothes in a demoralized condition, but their 
hands and faces unmistakably showed they had not heeded 
my oft-repeated injunction to look out for the thorns or 
briars, as the case might be. Our progress toward the 
house was exceedingly slow and laborious, the free and 
springy grace that had been so marked a feature of our 
advance in the morning was entirely lacking, but then 
there was no need to hurry now, as arrangements had been 
made for food and lodging at the farmhouse. 
After a good supper our two squirrel hunters— as I sup- 
pose I must now call them — woke up a bit, and as two or 
three of the neighbors dropped in and began to talk squir- 
rel, they seemed quite cheerful, and after listening to tales 
of the countless legions that thronged the woods in the 
opposite direction from that taken by us, they reconsidered 
the motion that had been passed for an early return in 
the morning, and decided that they would try it again and 
visit the Eldorado that had been pointed out to them. In 
the morning, although still lame and pretty generally 
used up, we took a fairly early start, and striking the 
woods turned in the opposite direction from our course on 
the previous day. 
I was well acquainted with the favorite places in this 
o:!aUty, b:it aoiaeijoiy we failed to pooneet, and when we 
sat down to lunch we had but one head of game. My 
companions were discouraged, and during our meal they 
fully discussed the matter, attributing their luck, or rather 
the lack of it, to almost every reason except the right one. 
Our penurious friend was very positive in asserting that 
the game was much too wild for successful hunting. I 
could have told him that if he had not gone back on the 
old gun, he would have had opportunity to have seen this 
statement knocked sky high. Then when he said that they 
were hard to find, I could have told him of a little dog that 
would have had a word to say about this, or I could have 
told him when he bitterly complained of the rocks and 
brambles that I was not the sort of boy to strew his path- 
way with roses for 12J cents a day. But I would not tell 
him what was the matter, nor would I agree with him, for 
that would be telling an untruth, and I could not do that, 
so I just kept quiet and enjoyed myself ruminating on this 
entirely new, to me, phase of my favorite sport. Had our 
parsimonious friend been alone in the case I should have 
been supremely happy, but his companion, the Doctor, 
had developed into a pretty good sort of a fellow, and my 
conscience rather smote me when I thought that he was 
sharing punishment which belonged solely to another. 
|>YR>G HT ta^*] , SY' K L..S HAW. P. C^Rt- LA ri-Q , M A ! e . 
TUtSHAUBuSihB^S COLLEGP 
a graceful bow and a 
of his hands, and then, 
of "Well done, Doc," he 
and taking me by the 
me into a chair, and 
for silence disclaimed nearly all 
HEAD OF A UAINE OEKB. 
Killed by Mr. F L. Shaw, of Portland. 
While musing thus, my companions had discussed the 
matter and arrived at the conclusion that we had better 
go home; so I was told to take a bee-line for the house, 
and I started in the proper direction, and partly for the 
reason that I had had about enough of it, and partly to 
comply with the mandate of the inexorable spirit, in 
whose jjower I was, who well knew that a straight course 
would intersect quite a swamp, as well as some pretty 
rough ground, I held my course, regardless of bog or briar, 
and in a short time we' were at the house. The Doctor 
gave me a cordial invitation to be his guest at the hunt 
supper, which I thankfully accepted, as I was anxious to 
see what it was like as well as to meet the goodly array 
of hunters that would be there, so we took the direct road 
for headquarters, instead of going to my house. Our penu- 
rious friend was to keep me over night, while the Doctor 
was to send his team home with me in the morning. 
Arriving at the village, my companions left me to shift 
for myself, while they retired to change their tattered 
clothes for something more presentable to wear to the sup- 
per. The first place I visited was the hotel, or tavern as 
it was then called, where the supper was to be given, and 
as the landlord had been hunting with me on several oc- 
casions, I wa6 soon on the best of terms with the whole 
household, and had a capital opportunity to see what was 
going on. But the best fun was to watch the hunters as 
they came straggling in; there were nearly fifty on each 
side, and as each one arrived he would report to the judges 
and hand in his string of game; then he would join the 
crowd in the bar-room and in nearly every case proceed to 
explain why he had not brought in a larger bag. I stood 
near the door taking in the whole of it and thoroughly 
enjoying myself, when just at dusk the door opened and a 
young fellow stepped inside, and after glancing around the 
room beckoned to some one, who came to him, when he 
told him that he had just stolen a big bunch of squirrels 
from Tom Morley's wagon, and had hidden them, together 
with his own string, behind the shed. As they meandered 
through the crowd in the direction of the bar I started for 
behind the shed and soon found the two strings of squir- 
rels, and for fear that some one might steal them, I took 
them in charge and put them in a safe place and started 
io find Tom Morley. He and I had enjoyed many 
a hunt together and were fast friends, and I was bound to 
see him righted. I had taken but a few steps when I met 
the Doctor, and at once gave him the details of the affair 
and asked his advice, as it was now too late to return the 
game to Tom, for he had discovered his loss and was mak- 
ing "Rome howl" just around the corner. The Doctor was 
quick-witted, and patting me on the head called me "good 
boy" and bade me take the game to his office, a short dis- 
tance down the street, where we cut the string and packed 
them in a basket; then carrying the burden between us, 
we started for the hotel. 
When we arrived upon the scene there was consider- 
able going on; Tom had just whipped one of the opposing 
side and was loudly calling for another one to come on, 
when at the Doctor's instigation I went to him and 
whispered a few words in his ear which at once brought a 
change over his countenance, and with a wild whoop he 
caught me in his arms and swinging me on his shoulder 
started forthe house, where we arrived just in time to see 
the Doctor, as coolly as he would have passed over a box 
of pills, hand the big basket to the judges, giving them the 
name of our penurious friend together with his own; but 
the most enjoyable part was to see the modest manner in 
which he received the storm of applause tliat 
followed the emptying of the basket on the 
table. There was a perfect uproar of stamp- 
ing and clapping, which he modestly ac- 
knowledged with 
deprecatory wave 
amid hearty cries 
came over to me, 
hand he hoisted 
motioning 
the credit for the performance, and point- 
ing to me called me his friend and guide, 
to whom the largest share of the honor was 
due, and when he solemnly averred that he 
should believe to his dying day that instead 
of taking them to the game I had in some 
mysterious manner brought the squirrels to 
them. The crowd cheered and stamped 
again until all was blue, and I was quite the 
hero of the evening. It is perhaps needless 
to say that I bore my honors in a becoming 
manner and thoroughly enjoyed myself, but 
there was one thing that troubled me. I had 
come to like the Doctor for his all-around 
good qualities, and the fact that I had led 
him such a wild scramble through the briars 
and brambles of the big woods rather put a 
damper upon my enjoyment, and I resolved 
that I would within a few days see him and 
make a clean breast of the whole business- 
but opportunity served sooner than I ex- 
pected. 
It appeared that our penurious friend, as 
soon as he found that his side was beaten, 
and that he would have to pav the bill for 
some one else as well as for 'himself, took 
his departure and did not return, thus saving 
one-half the bill, and as a result I was left 
out without a place to sleep, and was about to 
start for home, as I had not a cent to pay 
for my lodging. As I started to go, the 
Doctor came to me and asked if I had been 
paid, and as I shook my head he put his 
hand in his pocket and asked me how much 
I was to have. With a tone and manner 
intended to convey my appreciation of the 
munificent amount, I named the sum, when 
he raised his hands in the air and ejaculated: 
"Je-ru-sa-lem," then muttering to himself, 
"that settles his business," he dived down 
into his pocket again, and pulling out all the 
change he had— a little more than $3— he 
poured it into my hand and bade me stay at 
the hotel and he would pay the bill and 
send his team home with me in the morn- 
ing. This broke me up, and I poured into 
. his willing ear the entire tale of this man's 
conduct and the motive that led me to try 
and mete out to him at least a portion of 
the punishment I thought he deserved, and ended 
by ti'ying to express my regret that he should have 
received any part of it. The Doctor was in ecstasies, 
and laughed until I was fearful that he would burst a 
blood vessel, but he finally sobered down, and plac- 
ing his hand on my shoulder he told me that I was 
just the sort he was looking for and that we must be the 
best of friends, and declared that he would not have for- 
gone one thorn or bramble of the punishment for untold 
gold, adding that I had done him inestimable service, for 
that sneak had very nearly roped him in to join him in a 
business transaction, but that this had settled that busi- 
ness forever. This removed the last bar to my complete 
happiness; in fact, it added not a little to my enjoyment, 
and I went to bed and slept the sleep that only comes to 
the innocent and good. Shadow, 
[to be continued.] 
The Sportsmen's Exposition. 
There is no longer a doubt about the ultimate success of 
the fourth annual Sportsmen's Exposition and bicycle show, 
to be held in January, at Madison Square Garden. At first 
there was a hesitancy on the part of some of the trade to take 
space, but the popular feeling was too strong to withstand, 
and as the leaders in both the sporting goods and cycle in- 
dustries have taken advantage of securing good positions, 
many of the others have followed suit. It is too early now 
to announce the special features that will go to make this the 
greatest exposition that America has ever seen, hut plans are 
being formulated that will be sure lo attract the attention of the 
many thousands who are interested in out and in-door sports. 
The advent of the chainless wheel, the horseless carriage and 
the scores of other improvements in sporting goods and 
cycles will he sure to maintain their prestige against any of 
the beautiful spectacular effects that have of late been such 
prominent features of industrial expositions. The committee 
who have the exposition in charge are leaving nothing undone 
toward making it a success, and within a short time the 
special features will be announced. Applications for space 
and other information may be obtained at the office of the 
National Sportsmeu's Association, 377 Broadway. 
