604 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[June 25, 1898, 
Huldah instinctively drew hef boy behind her as she 
took a step backward, and swung the sled stake above her 
shoulder, for there was no time nor way for flight. Just 
as he passed her, little Antoine tripped upon a naked 
root, and his mother, close at his heel.s, plunged headlong 
sprawling over him, raining a shower of red berries far 
before her. 
The bear in hot pursuit was almost upon her prostrate 
foes, when Huldah, putting every ounce of strength in 
the blow, brought down the heavy ' cudgel across the 
beast's back with such paralyzing el?ect that the hinder 
parts crippled down helplessly. Down came the club 
again on the skull, cutting short a whining growl of 
pain and rage, and the bear sank down with ovitstretched 
paws and relaxed jaws almost within reach of Ursule's 
feet that were wildly hammering the ground in a last 
desperate effort of defense. 
Huldah dealt repeated blows upon the head until 
the bulging eyes stared fixedljf and there was no answer- 
ing quiver of muscles when the stroke fell; and then, 
her own strength almost as completely gone, she 
dropped her weapon and sank trembling to the ground, 
clasping her dazed child convulsively to her breast. 
At the first appearance of the bear Huldah's com- 
panions, who were seated on the standing rave of the 
broken sled, arose simultaneously and attempted a retro- 
grade movement into the bushes; but Jane Briggs' heel 
caught on the rave, and she fell prone upon her back 
into a bed of ferns, carrying Maria down with her and 
plunging both of her elbows into the two baskets of 
berries, and there the two women lay discreetly silent 
for fear of giving their whereabouts to the enemy. 
When Ursule became assured that she was not in the 
clutches of her pursuer, she rolled herself off of her 
half-smothered son, and grasping him by the arm as she 
regained her feet, tore down the road at break-neck 
speed, uttering discordant shrieks, to which Antoine 
the younger piped a shrill accompaniment, . . 
When the outcry grew faint in the distance Maria Hill 
called cautiously: 
"Huldy, Huldy, be you killed?" 
"No, I hain't, Marier, but I b'lieve the bear is,"_ Hul- 
dah answered, in a voice between laughing and crying. 
"What! you don't say! What killed him?" 
"Why, I s'pose I did, erless he died o' somethin' sud- 
den. It's a she one, I guess. Sam says they're ugly 
when thev've got j^oung ones." 
"You killed her? Why, Huldy Lovel, what be you 
talkin'? Be vou crazy?" 
Maria and Jane scrambled to their knees and .stared 
in new alarm" at Huldah sitting limply on the wrecked 
sled, with the boy in her arms. 
"The critter's gone arter them French! That is what! 
I heered 'em yellin' bloody murder," said Jane Bri'^-s. 
Huldah bent forward, looking fixedly at the motion- 
less form of her late antagonist. 
"No, she's dead. There's flies lit on her eyes and 
flyin' into her maouth. Come an' look! Ugh! don't 
she look ugly yet?" 
Huldah stood up and her comrades came forward 
timidly. 
"An' you killed her. Haow did you?" Maria asked, 
still incredulous. 
"She was most on tu Antwine's womern, an I give 
her a lick ont' the back wi' that ol' stake, an' somehaow 
it stopped her. An' then I give it to her with all venge- 
ance over the head till she lay still. Oh, I don't know 
haow I done it, only, thinkin' o' that womern an' her 
young uns!" 4 , , . , 
"Ah, oh, Hu-Huldy Lorel! You be the be-beatin est 
of all Avomen 'at ever I see, so there!" Then breaking 
down completely after struggling through this tribute 
of praise, Maria hugged Huldah and wept upon her shoul- 
der, while Jane Briggs, with more self-restraint, wiped her 
eyes upon her juice-soaked sleeve. 
Presently the men came running up the road, bam, 
Joseph and Solon in the lead, for Ursule meeting them 
had told a doleful story of their wives' peril and her own 
miraculous escape, which she attributed to the interposi- 
tion of the several saints to whom she had prayed. 
The three husbands were greatly relieved when they 
counted their due allotment of wives, and Sam, his boy 
under Huldah's wing, all standing unharmed by the 
roadside; and then all stood stock still in dumb amaze- 
ment before the dead bear. . , , j 
"I was goin' to scold you some for leaving the sled 
so sliif'less," said Huldah, when the other women had 
told the story of her exploit and shown the blood- 
Stained, fur-clotted stake in evidence, "but now I know 
you left it just right an' in the right place." 
Sam, Joseph and Solon skinned the bear, and as they 
bore the shaggy trophy down the road, each with his 
wife beside him and little Sammy astride his fathers 
shoulders, Solon for the first time remarking the crim- 
son stains upon his spouse, asked: 
"Why Mis' Briggs, have you likewise brewed your 
hands and face in ursuline blood and be'n a-wadm' elbow 
deep in gore?" ^ . . 1 . 
While she was denying the flattering impeachment 
and explaining the harmless nature of the apparent bat- 
tle stains. Uncle Lisha met them with a roar of wel- 
come, and Gran'ther Hill, after bestowing unstinted 
praise on Huldah, marched at the head of the party 
whistling toothlessly his favorite military air. _ 
At la.st the whole company was gathered again by the 
brook with the addition of Ursule Bissette and her 
children, among whom she sat dejectedly mourning the 
loss of her berries and the discovery of the richest part 
of the field by these intrustive Bostonians. 
"Met'ink, Mis' Lovel, you ought for give me halt 
dat bear," she whined dolefully, "'cause, you see, me 
poor hwomans lose mos' all mah berree for dat bear, an , 
you see, if 't a'n't for me you a'n't keel it an gat de 
baounty, prob'ly." , 
"It kinder seems 's 'ough," said Joseph, breaking the 
silence which followed this audacious demand ^ s it 
Mis' Antwine hed ortu be thankful the bear didnt git 
her " ' . 
No ,one seemed to recognize the justice of the claim 
ing at Mrs. Purington and smiling grimly upon Huldah, 
"I don't see, Eunice Borden, haow you an' Pur'nt'n ever 
come tu have that gal. She hain't none like nary one 
on ye. But then you can't never tell. Joseph don't 
take arter me ner yet his mother. Come, le's all go 
hum." 
Rowland E. Robinson. 
Rare Creatures. 
n't'ral'y want no bear. I guess I ortu give her a leetle 
suthin' if I do git the baounty.'' 
"By the Lord Harry!" cried Gran'ther Hill, glower- 
How to Disarm the Scorpion. 
Naturalists assure us that there are 750,000 distinct 
species of insects, exclusive of those called parasitic. A 
hundred years would not suffice for one to become 
familiar with such a multitude of forms. Indeed, any 
museum collection requires more study than most of us 
are able or willing to attempt. But while dwelling in 
forests, where one has time to meditate upon nature, he 
cannot fail to delight in examining some of the marvel- 
ous creatures that thrust themselves upon his attention, 
though their gay-colored bodies may contain venom 
that will entail upon the traveler sickness or death, par- 
ticularly in tropical countries. 
While exploring the interesting old ruins in Yucatan 
(Mexico) we found the insects more dangerous and 
troublesome than leopards and snakes. The last two 
were not aggressive; the former intruded everywhere, 
and sharply resented interference. If any spiteful, big, 
red ant was disturbed while walking over us, its cruel 
fangs sent a shock from the crown of our head to the 
end of our big toe; the sensation was about like having a 
red hot needle thrust into a nerve. 
In climbing to tlie roof of an old building, on one oc- 
casion, we saw a rare and beautiful spider that had spun 
its web in the branch of a tree. The spider's back was 
shaped like that of a common black beetle, but re- 
sembled polished steel, Avith many crimson specks, and 
its legs were lil<e bronze. This handsome creature's Aveb 
Avas as soft and fine as floss silk, brilliant and yelloAV as 
gpld, abundant and strong. 
The Indians entreated us not to meddle with the in- 
sect, insisting that it Avas both spiteful and poisonous. 
Among the many lizards that Ave examined there Avas 
one called by the natives toloc, said to have a venomous 
tooth. The body was only 6in. long, but the tail meas- 
ured nearly thrice that, the creature's total length be- 
ing about 24111. Its head Avas completely surrounded by 
a bright 5^ellow crest or coronet, like a A^eritable crown 
of gold, v,fhose upper edge terminated in a series of 
small peaks. 
The scorpion, often alluded to by ignorant persons as a 
reptile, is a spider very common throughout Central 
America. The commonest species is nearly black, from 
4 to 8 in. long. At the end of the tail there is a good- 
sized, very sharp dart. The venom exuded from this 
is so poAverful that, although only one-thousandth part 
of a drop is infected into the Avound, it sufflces to im- 
mediately paralyze the victim's tongue, making speech 
difficult. If antidotes are not quickly applied, fever sets 
in and is followed by prostration, which in rare cases 
only culminates in death. _ • 
Physicians recommend various remedies to assuage 
the suffering — ammonia, opiates, or emollients _ are ap- 
plied to the Avounds, the first two being also administered 
internally. The negroes in Honduras rub the Avounded 
parts Avith indigo, asserting tliat this neutralizes the 
venom and prevents its baneful effects. 
The Maya Indians in Honduras, Guatemala and Yu- 
catan know that if .the scorpion can distil a most Adru- 
lent poison in self-defense, its body also contains the 
best antidote to counteract its noxious efifects. No soon- 
er is an Indian stung than he kills the insect and applies 
its bruised intestines to his Avounds. At once aU pain, 
the palsy of the tongue and other symptoms disappear 
as if by magic. When unable to catch the offender, these 
natives apply to the sufferer a ligature to check the cir- 
culation of the blood, and then suck the virus from the 
wound, first coating their mouth with tobacco juice. 
These natives occasionally gather a few pennies by 
fearlessly playing with live scorpions, armed Avith their 
sting and using it freely before a crowd of astonished 
persons, awe struck at seeing the objectionable creature 
crawling over bare hands and arms, even on the face of 
the man, Avho handles it unconcernedly and cares not 
how many times it stings him. He is regarded as a wiz- 
ard who, by occult means, special charm or magic Avord, 
has bewitched the insect and deprived it of all pOAver. 
The man has, in fact, rendered the scorpion inoffen- 
sive by clipping off two small A'esicles situated at the 
lower end of its thorax, outside, that seeni to have 
a direct action upon the poison gland, which is situated 
in the last abdominal segment, at the base of the sting. 
The vesicles are feather-shaped, transparent, and erect 
when the insect is angry; they adhere to the body by tiny 
pedicles and can be easily cut aAvay without injury to 
the creature. Seen through a magnifying glass, they re- 
semble small pancreatic glands filled Avith white translu- 
cent liquid. By amputating these, and causing the insect 
to spend on any inert substance the small quantity of 
poison contained in the duct connecting the poison gland 
and the sting, it is rendered as harmless as a viper whose 
fangs have been extracted. 
The scorpion is not viciously spiteful, it only defends 
itself when molested. Trustworthy persons have affirmed 
that it Avill commit suicide if surrounded by fire. Re- 
peated experiments have convinced us that all scorpions 
will not do this any more than all men \yill commit sui- 
cide under pressure of events and conditions. 
The female scorpion is consumed by her offspring, and 
to see her dragging herself about, with many young ones 
clinging to her like leeches, is a piteous, revolting sight. 
Atom by atom she is devoured. When only an empty 
shell remains, away scamper the many, produced by one. 
The scorpion casts its skin, as snakes do; Ave have 
found very perfect discarded ones, quite Avhite, standing 
as when filled with life, and the tail upturned— its usual 
position. It is remarkable that the creature can emerge, 
like a snake, through its mouth, without even breaking 
its lobster- shaped claws. 
/ AuCE D, Le Plongeon. 
Old Porter's Spirit. 
Editor Forest and Stream: . - . . 
I send youT by even mail two time^stamed issues, 
of Porter's Spirit of the Times, dated March 14 and 21,. 
i8=;7 the leading article continued m both numbers- 
bein'c- my own. It is entitled "The Bandit and the: 
Borderer," and is descriptive of wild life west of the 
Missouri River at that period when the plains Indians, 
were yet untutored, and "devil bent for lia r. I have 
kept them hitherto among my archives for the forty-one; 
intervening years, but as I am growing rusty, myself 
I have decided to turn them over to you for keeps. 
You will be interested to see hoAV the leading sporting: 
paper of the day looked, antedating the Forest and 
Stream, as it did, by seventeen years or more. But 
most striking is the coincidence that your two publica- 
tion ofiices should be located at precisely the same spot 
and number, at 346 Broadway, on the corner of Leonard 
street. Verily, the mantle of the earlier occupant has 
descended upon you! Wm. T. Porter, the "tall son of 
York," was the leading spirit of the paper then, and a 
host of those old sports whose memories are so much 
revered now used to gather there in those days, of 
whom possibly the Arenerable Isaac McLellan is the sole; 
surAWor. . • 1 r Cl- 
in these two issues will be noticed the arrival of Sir- 
Charies Napier, British Ambassador, accredited to Pres- 
ident Buchanan, who had just been inaugurated, as well 
as the celebration of the annual Mardi Gras festivities at 
New Orleans, Avhere Pandemonium and the entire court 
of His Satanic Majesty Avere represented in tableaux, and 
hosts of evil spirits appeared in Tartarean costumes 
on the ballroom floor in polka, waltz and redowa. The 
death of Charles A. King, a faA^orite actor, is noticed, as 
Avell as the return of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Florence from 
a successful European tour, the first attempt of American 
artists abroad. Also the introduction into America of 
the Cashmere and Angora goats — into South Carolina 
and Tennessee — and the arrival at Indianola, Texas, 
of a consignment of forty-one camels from Africa by 
the steamship Suwanee in charge of two Turks and five 
or six Greeks. They were imported by the Government 
for mail and military purposes, arriving in good condi- 
tion, and served their purposes well for several years 
until the occurrence of the Civil War in 1861, when the 
camel serAdce Avas incontinently broken up, and the ex- 
periment came practicafly to an end. Survivors of these 
introduced camels have been seen at times in desert 
districts until very recently. The animals on arrival 
were delivered to Capt. Van Vocklin, U. S. Quartermas- 
ter at Indianola. Mention is also made of an 800 mile 
sleighride from Dixon, Minn., to St. Paul and return, 
accomplished by the Messrs. Noble and their wives, oc- 
cupying three weeks. 
Quoting from the Albany correspondent of the Courier 
and Enquirer, it states that "efforts are again making to 
pass a law to prevent the cruel and wanton destruction 
of deer," and urges that "there are seasons when the 
deer should be allowed to roam unmolested, and it is 
an outrage on all Avoodcraft that the slaughterer has 
taken the place of the sportsman." 
With this issue of Porter's Spirit its readers were pre- 
sented Avith a colored lithograph of Flora Temple, she 
being the fastest trotter at that time on the American 
turf. This bit of enterprise entailed such extra labor 
in the mailing department as to delay the edition. 
It would be entertaining at least, if not instructive, 
Avere recurrence oftener had to old files. In looking up 
facts which are overgrown by time, I haA^e recently 
had occasion to refer back to the files of Forest and 
Stream for 1873-4, and am surprised to discover the 
A-ery intelligent and coniprehensive treatment which I 
find there regarding a multitude of topics geographical, 
phj'siological and biological. In those years pains were taken 
in the theses, and accuracy was the first aim; but in the 
present era of exploitation and hero-making writers 
for sporting journals, like all the rest, seem to aim es- 
pecially to dress up in a fantastic or sensational way 
the identical materials which educators of the old school 
were fain to present in homely colors, but ahvays with 
accuracy and truth. The neAV generation of thinkers 
and explorers had rather adopt the flying machine than 
abide by the staid old methods of travel; and so from a 
high intellectual plane they map out new courses of 
thought, Avhile they overlook or ignore the footprints 
of the pioneers. Whoever is not up to date is necessa- 
rily a back number, and the old A-eteran, if not actually 
decrepit or superannuated, is relegated to the high shelf. 
Hence, at my ripe age, I have no call to hie on with 
the hustling croAvd, or to seek vantage ground which 
I can never hold. Fain Avould I lead in the old paths, 
but the beaters point to the new. 
In the era of canoes and saddles our old foresters and 
field naturalists Avere able to solve problems by the 
light of tried experience. They could obseiwe closely 
because they moA'cd sloAvly and flew loAv; but in these 
days of scientific aerostatics, AA'hen time is distanced 
and space is set at naught, the speculative student 
claims to be able to compass more at a bird's-eye glance 
than we of the old school could ever know who have 
plodded the ground over for generations. In his esti- 
mation there is more glamour in the upper air than 
along the lower earth. Nevertheless the making of his- 
tory must continue, and upon this rock the record- 
breaker must build. It is well, though, sometimes tO 
search among the crypts. Charles Hallock. 
The interest felt in the Forest and Stream and the permanent 
value attaching to it are shown by the continued demand for back 
numbers which we receive from libraries and other public in- 
stitutions. Such institutions always bind each volume of Forest 
AND Stream when it is complete, just as they bind other period- 
icals,' which are useful for reference, and when at the end of the 
volume the twenty-six numbers are sorted out to go to the 
binder, if any issue is missing the office of publication is requested 
to supply the lacking number. Such demands come to us from 
all over the country, and one. of the most recent reads as follows: 
"United States Department of Agriculture, Library. — Washing- 
ton, D. C,, June 7, 1898.^ — Dear Sir: Will you not favor us with 
the following' issues of your publication, which have failed to reach 
us. Nos. 21, 22, Vol. L., 1898. The Department is carefully 
preserving the files of this publication and indexing many of the 
articles. Sespectfully, W. P. Cutter, Librarism. 
(per M. N. Barnard.) 
"Address: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 
