70 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Jan. 28, 1899. 
Proprietors of fishing and hunting resorts will find it profitable 
to advertise them in Fokest and Stkkau. 
Fishing with a Tenderfoot. 
In the summer of 1H96, a party to which I belonged 
made a very disastrous trip into the trout country, which 
I consider one of my richest experiences in camp Hfe. The 
peril and privation experienced in that camp was of the 
kind to try a man's soul, and while we could have come 
home in a day, we were always hoping for the weather to 
cleaf, and we clung to the hope that we would have a 
day or so of good weather further on to make up for 
some of our discomforts. It has become a custom with. 
us to go to the woods for a few days on the Fourth o£ 
JulJ^ Conforming to this, we resolved to go, but the cir- 
cumstances Avere such that Inisiness kept us engaged up 
to the moment of startiiig, and all of the commissary 
work, suth as the buying supplies and getting them to- 
gether, devolved on olack Joe. the cook. We felt toler- 
ably easy about it. for we knew that with plenty of trout 
to eat we would fare very well for a few days, with but 
few accessories. Since that we have not taken any such 
chances on Joe, 
It was a rainj- season, and we resolved to have plenty 
of fishing worms for bait, in case the waters were too 
flush for fly-fishing, and we impressed the importance on 
Joe, but he made a failure at getting bait, owing to the 
laborious nature of the work. That handicappedais, for 
that was before I learned to look for fish worms under 
moss in the spruce woods. 
Before we started the party received an addition in an 
Englishman, whom we knew as Tommy. He was a first- 
rate fellow, who had been running with us a good deal, 
but who had not been invited, not knowing what kind of a 
camp mate he would make. But, he not knowing the 
ethics of camping parties such as ours, very genially an- 
nounced his intention of going along, which was very well 
received, for we all liked him. Otherwise his assurance 
would have not availed him. We know how to give what 
is vulgarly termed the frozen face. 
Tommy was a man acquainted with grief. It had come 
to him when he had invested a large sum in fancy farm- 
ing in Canada, and again when he tried tea planting in 
Ceylon. His experience in West Virginia as a druggist 
was equally unfortunate, for, becoming tired of hfe here, 
he presented his pharmacist the drug stoi'e as a token of 
esteem, and in place of salary due. and went to London 
for a while. Later, letters came from British Columbia 
that he was on his way to the Klondike, and then a long 
silence. A short time ago the word came that he was 
dead. He belonged to the "legion that never was listed" 
that Kipling writes of. Our experience with him leads us 
to believe that he could bear misfortunes, but could not 
avoid them. Ma\^ he rest in peace. He is one of the men 
I have been with when I fished. 
We wanted to make the Forks of Cranberry the first 
day, and we made a desperate effort to .start early; there- 
fore we got away by 10 o'clock. W^e were on horseback, 
each having packed all we could on our saddles and then 
climbing on top. The most of us were mounted on the 
slim, active horses of this mountain country. Joe's mare, 
who is twenty if she is a da\-. who is known all over the 
world as Kitty's Colt, was packed until you could just 
see her legs moving. Tommy was unfortunate in his 
horse. His pharmacist had a low, hea\-y built Perchcron, 
as fat as butter, and as awkward as an ox — the kind of a 
heavy, unwieldy animal that the Sunday school books 
know as Dobbin. Tonnny borrowed this horse from the 
Dock. The Dock, hearing us say we would start at day- 
light, came poking in on him about 10. expecting to find us 
gone, and was rightly punished for his duplicity. Tommy 
immediately countermanded his order of a horse from 
the livery, and rode away on the Pride of the Farm. 
Our way lay through an unbroken wilderness. Single 
file, the horses stepped along a marked trail, picking their 
path among huge boulders, over the roots of trees, forcing 
their way through dense undergrowth to avoid fallen 
trees. This kind of going is kept up for four hours. The 
riders, perched upon their packs, are at the mercy of their 
horses. Old Dobbin blundered his Avay with the balance, 
being strong and Avilling, but he shed his shoes, and Tom- 
my's baggage, which was * done up in huge shawl-strap 
arrangements, such as you have seen heavy, swell Eng- 
lishmen carrying, and which was strapped on behind his 
saddle, wore holes in poor Dobbin's hide, and made him 
switch his tail and flinch, indicating that he was very un- 
comfortable. No reticule equals a three-bushel bag for 
going into the woods horseback. We at last arrived at the 
South Fork, and traveling down its rocky bed for a 
while, arrived at otir camp about dark. The horses were 
given a half-gallon of corn, and having eaten, immediate- 
ly struck out for civilization in a way they well under- 
stood. Ten miles would bring them to a pasture on a 
mountain so high that flies do not abound, and there they 
reveled in blue grass fetlock deep, only as stable-kept 
horses can — except poor Dobbin. He stayed in the woods 
in the laurel bushes for a week, haunting our imagina- 
tions with his misery. 
Ours was an ordinary hunter's camp, and when we 
came to it we found that A^ery little of the bark roof 
reniained. The Tugs had been there and had occupied 
the camp, and in a spirit of waste had used the roof for 
their fires. One side of the camp was whole. We set 
about making a fire for supper, and Tommy, so glad to 
get there off the terrible trail, Avas so happy and cheerful 
and gay, it was a joy to see him. He set to work to 
gather the little twigs and bark Ij'ing around. Right in 
front of the camp lay a large, rotten spruce. Avith its nu- 
merous branches sticking out in every direction. _ He 
fell among them, and after a severe tussle fell heavily to 
the ground and strained the muscles of his legs. Then for 
days he could only hobble around the camp-fire. 
In a party of men some look at the clouds and others 
do not. In this case the weather prophets also looked at 
the shelter. The result was that two of us laid down early 
and went sound to sleep, regardless. By so doing those 
two secured the right to the dry corner for the outing by 
pre-emption. The others spread pieces of oilcloth over the 
faftcrs wA got as good pl^c§§ a§ possible. Towm 
was the last to lie down, and he had the extreme end in 
the open part of the camp. That night a cold rain fell. I 
had a comparatively dry place, but I woke some time in 
the night dreaming that a hole was being drilled in my 
head. I was lying under a drip, and a little stream of 
water was falling on my temple. I moved a few inches. 
The fire of the camp gave a faint light, 1 was very 
drowsy, and I remember watching the breath of oilcloth 
under which Tommy Avas lying. It was bellying Avith the 
water it was holding in its folds. I grcAv interested in it 
in a sleepy sort of way. The water accumulated quickly, 
and the weight presently moved the cloth and poured sev- 
eral gallons Avater in the face of the man sleeping the deep 
sleep of exhaustion underneath. There Avas an upheaA'al 
of blankets and things, and Tommy came forth with fire 
in his eye for the trick that had been played him. All 
the camp feigned sleep. Tommy tried to arrange his 
shelter again, but Avas unable to make a watertight ar- 
rangement of it. He kept fussing about the "cesspool," 
in Avhich he tried to sleep, and finally came and stood 
at our feet, trying to sleep standing up. 
The fishing was tolerably good next day, and that even- 
ing there were 142 trout in the little pool. We fed with- 
out stint that evening at supper, and at breakfast the next 
morning. These were the last full meals Ave had for 
days. A cold rain set in that night, and when we 
woke next morning we found Tommy looking pale and 
haggard. He had slept in the "cesspool." The little 
river was roaring and the boulders Avere rolling in the 
current. One fork was muddy, but the other, in spite of 
the flood, was perfectly clear. There Avas to be no fishing 
that day. The next day I went out, and after hours of 
fishing had nine, trout. Hunger was making itself felt. 
We had plenty of bread and maple syrup and butter, but 
the bacon the uiihappy Joe had selected Avas the fattest, 
saltiest pork ever packed in the tmsdrupulous West. 
The gorge rose at this food in a day or tAvo. Being 
confined to such diet for a feAv days makes one under- 
stand Avhy our poor soldiers were not able to eat enough 
to keep Avell in camp. We had some "poison," but it 
had to be divided among the sur\avors in an equitable 
manner, and Avhen Tommy begged for a "soupcon" it had 
to he denied him. "Soupcoon" became the byAvord of 
that camp. 
All the time fishing was out of the ciuestion. .A.s soon 
as the stream Avould run doAvn, a- fresh rain would put it 
up again. There Avas game in the woods, but we Avere un- 
lucky. There Avere tAvo guns, a .32cal. rifle and a double- 
barreled shotgun. We could not find the game when we 
.went to hunt for it, not even a ground hog. One day 
when I Avas roaming around looking for exercise, with- 
out a gun, I saAV two doves, as I thought, of a kind that 
I had never .seen before. It Avas my first sight of the Avild 
pigeon. I have seen them since then in the mountains, and 
it is the belief that a limited number of these birds rest in 
our mountains. 
One day Mr. M. Avent doAvn the riA^er on a hopeless 
fish. About a half-mile beloAv camp he sat doAvn on a 
ledge of rocks Avhere a cool spring filters doAvn and 
fills a holloAV in the rock. As he sat there, thinking, no 
doubt, how well some of the poison Avould go with that 
Avater Avith a man who had been soaked in a leaky camp 
and had been Avading deep fords in the riA^er, he saw a 
deer in the water beloAV him. It came up the stream until 
it Avas in a stone's throw of the place he sat. Presently a 
fine black and tan hound came to the river, and he tied 
it Avith a piece of string and brought it into camp. Neces- 
sity knoAVs no )aw, and the next day the tAvo guns Avere 
put in the hands of the best shots, and the hound Avas 
sent to the woods. Hardly a quarter of an hour had 
passed until a deer Avas jumped, and it led the hound on 
a far cry to some unknown region, and Ave haA'e never 
seen the hound since. 
That afternoon, Avhen Ave held our poAV-Avow under 
the dry corner of our wretched habitation, one of the 
circle said: "We've ahvays blamed the Tugs for killing 
people's sheep in the Avoods ; suppose a_ sheep c^me along 
this camp to-day, what would we do to it?" 
"Not a thing!" said one feelingly. 
"I'd tell that sheep to get aAvay if it could," said an- 
other. 
"We Avould do like that old Tug preacher that struck 
the judge's camp on Cherry," said another. "One fall 
when a lot of them Avere camped up there an old Tug 
came into camp and asked if he might stay. The next 
"day was Sunday, and some of them took their guns for a 
scout through . the Avoods. The Tug said he Avas a 
preacher, and that he did not hunt on the Sabbath, and 
commenced to read the Bible. He Avas left to keep camp, 
and when the men got back he had a fine deer hanging 
up. He said: T seed that buck go hopping by over 
yander, and it popped into my head that "Where the 
Avord of the Lord Avas not preached, there was no Sab- 
bath," and I let him have it.' " 
"I guess we Avould compromise with our Gonscieuce and 
may be wc would pay for the sheep afterward. What do 
you say. Tommy?" 
"I would like to have a soupcon," replied the English- 
man, who was bearing his trials Avith true British pluck, 
but was taking interest in but one thing. 
■ We got enough of that camp. Sleeping in Avater under 
wet blankets ; eating soggy biscuits and maple syrup ; la- 
menting our fate that we Avere spending valuable time and 
not getting any fish ; teasing Tommy and reviling the old 
frying pan that served up the rancid bacon.' Finally Joe 
was sent for the horses, and that day he Avas gone our 
misery culminated. Every man for himself Avas the 
rule, and with visions of good things to eat we set about 
to find our dinner. Two went hunting. M. came in soon 
with a little red squirrel, fairy-diddles they are called 
here. He deliberately sat down and cooked and ate it be- 
fore our eyes. I was rave-nous. Having failed in hunt- 
ing. I was fortunate enough to see a flock of cherry birds 
—they are about as big as robins — and I killed two. I 
hung them on a string and cooked them, and with them 
as a relish I ate lots of bread, and never had a better meal 
in my life. I remarked politely to the unfed: "I am 
sorry you are not hungry. I would so like you to_ try 
some of the pheasant." S. and B. caught two fish apiece, 
and they prepared and ate them in the same starving, self- 
ish and solitary manner. Tommy aJlone was left. His 
'"p- had recoA^ered. and he had failed both in hunting and 
fishing. He concluded to tackle the baeon. Cutting off 
&otiie slices, he hel4 them oyer g roaripg fire. The w.^?.t- 
took fire and burned up. He tried it again, and the same 
thing happened. He dashed some water in the frying pan 
and ate the charred remnants unwisely and became very 
sick. 
That evening I tried fishing, and found a place where 
the fish Avere biting, and caught sixteen fine trout before 
my bait gave out. That gave us a good supper. 
The horses were there, all in good condition, except old 
Dobbin. He came in looking like the ghost of his former 
self. Three shoes were gone, and he could only hobble 
painfully along. His back was in frightful condition. 
There was but one thing for Tommy to do, and that was 
to walk out. The rain was pouring down when we " 
started. In the procession I was riding next to Dobbin. 
In a bog wc Avere wading through, I distinctly saw him 
reach out a front leg like a racer, and planting his foot 
on Tommy's hip, bear him down into the mud, where he 
lay helpless for a moment or two, I will always believe 
that the horse did it on purpose. Anyway, Tommy rode 
him home. That cold rain fell steadily all day. My horse 
strained a tendon when I was eight miles from home. The 
gang rode on and left me. each too miserable to cai-e what 
became of any one else. I was within a half-mile of a 
house then, and the farmer gave me a good dinner and 
promised to take care of my horse, AA'hich I prized highly. 
I walked home. We Avill draAV a veil over the scene Avhen 
Tommy returned Dobbin, the pride of the farm. 
When we all met again, we found that we Avere still 
friends, though in the hardships hard words had passed. 
It is not hard to be a neighbor unto a man Avhen you are 
Avarm, dry and Avell fed. Getting lost in the woods and 
being hungry, wet and cold tries men's souls. 
Our poor friend, generous to a fault, and a fine speci- 
men of the typical John Bull, and Avho thought nothing 
of going to the uttermost ends of the earth, ahvays on the 
out trail, "breaking the way for the rest," has gone to 
his rcAvard. May he find the long trail free from the dis- 
comforts he expei'ienced in this life ! 
Andrew Price. 
Marlinton, \V. Va. 
Fish Pirates and Fire-Bugs. 
Syracuse, N. Y., Jan. ig— Editor Forest and Stream: 
Inclosed is a report from Sodus Point, printed in the 
Herald of this morning: 
"Sodus, Jan. 18. — The law-abiding people of Sodus 
Point are being stirred up on account of the depreda- 
tions of fish pirates, who seek to revenge themselves upon 
people A\rho have lent aid to the officers of the law. 
"One day last week Game Protector George Carver, 
of Lyons, went to' Sodus Bay to seize any nets which' 
might be there. As Avas his custom, he stopped over 
jiight with William Bennett, a boat builder, Avho has 
several boats to let. He had not been on the scene 
of operations long before he captured a large net belong- 
ing to local fishermen. He burned the net according 
to law and left for Lyons. 
"About 2 o'clock Sunday morning it was discovered 
that Mr. Bennett's cottage, which he built last season, 
was in flames. All efforts to extinguish them were in 
vain, and the building Avas burned to the ground in a 
short time. The loss Avas a heavy one to Mr. Bennett, 
as the btiilding Avas valued at at least $1,000, Avith but 
$600 insurance. The contents of the building \vere all 
lost, including tAventy-scA^en roAvboats, three sailboats, 
tAvo naphtha launches, and a $60 net. 
"Mr. Carver is in the habit of leaving his horse at Mr. 
Bennett's when making his raids on the illegal fishermen, 
and their hatred of Bennett has arisen from the fact that 
he Avas assisting the game protector to discover the 
Avhereabouts of the nets. About a year ago letters were 
sent to Mr. Bennett by unknoAvn persons, threatening 
him Avith violence if he harbored Carver again. On ac- 
count of the publicity Mr. Carver makes it a point never 
to stop at a hotel, and as Mr. Bennett ran a sort of livery 
stable in connection Avith his boat house, he naturally 
made that his headquarters. 
"Mr. Bennett paid no attention to the threatening com- 
munications, and before long two of his boats Avere 
stolen and destroyed. A reward Avas offered for the re- 
turn of the boats or for information which wotild lead 
to the discovery of any one connected with the affair, 
but not a trace could be found of either boat or the 
thieves. 
"Shortly after this Mr. Carver came to the bay and 
another man kept his horse while he made his sally. 
This man was also threatened. Mr. Carver's tools were 
all destroyed, the tail was cut off his horse, his harness 
was cut into strips and his Avagon smashed into pieces. 
He Avas threatened Avith death, but being a brave man 
made none the less effort to stop the illegal fishing. 
"Last Aveek the illegal fishermen shoAA^ed consum- 
mate nerve bv re-capturing a net which the game protec- 
tor had seized. Mr. Carver Avent on the ice near Resort, 
at the head of the bay, and found a valuable net in the 
Avater under the ice. He chopped a hole in the ice, 
secured the net, took it to shore with him for the purpose 
of burning it. 
"He left the net lying on the shore while he went 
for some kindling Avood, with which to start a fire to 
burn the net, and while he was thus occupied the fish- 
erman Avho oAvned the net came skating up the bay and 
took it aAvay with him. On Mr. Carver's return the 
net Avas missing. Having no skates, he could not make 
chase." 
This shows Avhat kind of men the game protector has 
to deal with; and still we allow licensed nets, and haA'^e 
the State stock the waters for their benefit. The Com- 
missioners should offer a large enough reward for the 
conviction of these incendiaries, so that we may get 
them. There is too much of this Avork done by the fish 
pirates. Angler. 
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door Sports. Their illustrated descriptive catalogue 
will be sent free on reauest. 
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