June 3, 1899.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
427 
suggested to protect orchards from their depredations. 
Rags dipped in melted sulphur and hung among the 
branches, netting placed over the trees and wires sus- 
pended around the trees, and even stretched close to- 
gether from poles and coA'ering the whole orchard have 
been tried, but apparently witJiout much success. The 
most practical method is to destroy the bats in their 
camps. A few years ago the Minister for Mines and 
Agriculture- for New South Wales supplied ammunition 
for this purpose, and after considerable expenditure of 
powder and shot about 100,000 foxes were destroyed at 
a cost of about 30 cents apiece. Wholesale destruction 
with dynamite was suggested and experiments with high 
explosives were made by the Department of Agricul- 
ture. Charges of roburite (i to 4lbs.) and gun cotton 
(2>41bs.), connected with wires so that they could be 
fired bj' an electric current, were placed in the branches 
of trees where the bats were accustomed to roost. The 
bats carefully avoided the trees in which explosn es were 
hung, and when the charges were fired none were killed, 
even among those roosting in neighboring trees."' 
Since nearly all the species of flying foxes are natives 
of the tropics, it is hardly likely that they cculd gain a 
foothold in the United States, except in the South, but 
there is a serious danger of their introduction into the 
Hawaiian Islands by means of vessels plying be'.ween 
Honolulu and the Orient, the South Sea Islands and 
Australia. 
Agr. Gazette, New South Wales. I.. 1S90, p. 105. 
0^^^^ ^nd 0un, 
In the Rockies.— III. 
(Contitiued from page 406.) 
Touchstone: "Ay, now I am in the forest of Arden: the more 
fool I; when I was at home, I was in a better place; but 
travelers must be content."— Much Ado about Nothing. 
We got an early start the next morning for the first 
time on that trip. Up the canons along the steep hill- 
sides, on game trails worn by the wild kine in their wan- 
derings from range to range, through countless centuries, 
up and over the mountain passes, and at last our little 
pack train wound its way out upon a high mountain 
meadow, park-like with its patches of pine and aspen, and 
Avith its carpet of green bunch grass set with glittering 
geins— blue bells, white immortelles, and the blood-red 
Indian pinks. Far below, with its sapphire surface half in 
sun, half in shadow, lay, like molten glass, a lake locked 
in the mountains. This was our Mecca. I was glad our 
journey was over, but I fear Dan. in his desire to get 
away from the beaten haunts, would have pushed on 
clear through to civiHzation on the other side had he been 
left to himself. 
• For the first time some of the packs divulged their con- 
tents, and could our various appliances for making camp 
life comfortable have been seen by the hunter who prides 
hmiself upon his ability to rough it, we would doubtless 
have been scorned as dudes. But it was not my first 
trip, and I had found out that the more comfortable a 
man is in camp the better hunting he can do out of it. 
The better he rests the better he can work. Not the 
least nuportant part of our outfit was a Racine portable 
canoe, which Dan and I put together while our men 
were unpacking and making camn. I got out mv fly rod. 
but Dan, doubtless mindful of his experience With the 
high-flying trout of the first day, declined to join me. 
The silvery surface was spangled over with trout ris- 
mg to the fly. Upon a rocky proniontorv stood a brood 
of young geese gazing curiously at the strange intruders. 
With much low-toned honking, in many keys, they pushed 
ofif upon the smooth surface, where thev seemed to feel 
safer. Rounding a rockv headland, that jutted out into 
the lake. I came upon a flock of ducks. The young birds 
sat fearless within 2oft. of me. But there was one old 
drake, upon whose head the verdure of many summers 
found a reflection of glossy green, who was wise in his 
day and generation. He promptly sprang into the air 
and labored upward with harsh, grating and insistent 
quackmg, while the youngsters followed with simultan- 
eous splash. It was their first acquaintance with their 
arch enemy, man. 
_ The lake is simply a canon which has been dammed up 
in some long past era by a volcanic upheaval, and is fed 
by the melting snows on the summits. The water is the 
clearest and coldest I ever saw, and it is absolutely alive 
with trout. In places the mountain w'all rises a sheer 
r.oooft. from the water's edge, and it is doubtless as deep 
Tymg together 400ft. of picket and pack ropes we were 
unable to fathom it a short distance off shore. It lies 
at an elevation of 8,000 or io,oooft., and so dry is the at- 
mosphere that the cold was simply invigorating: and 
rnany a night we sat around the samp-fire in our shirt 
sleeves while the water froze in the buckets. But at that 
elevation water boils at such a low temperature that 
after a week's boiling beans were hardly soft enough to 
feed to a horse. 
I enjoyed rare sport that evening, and rambled along 
the lake shore until the dusk grew dense and my flies 
slumbered on the dark water unmolested, when I returned 
to camp with a plethoric creel and a large, able-bodied 
appetite. 
The lower slopes about the lake were clothed with a 
dense dark growth of spruce and balsam: higher up the 
aspens were kindled into flame by the first frosts, and 
higher still were the open parks, and mountain meadows 
of bunch grass upon which the declining sun lingered 
long and lovingly, and which could not fail to be pas- 
tured by the wild mountain kine. High above all, above 
the snow patches, jutted the gray rock peaks, too' barren 
and windswept for the snow to find lodgment. 
In the morning we started an hour before day. deter- 
mined to reach these parks before the sun. The first rays 
of that luminary is the signal for the game to lie down. 
By the light of the waning moon we zigzagged upward 
through the pine-clad steeps, utterly regardless of the 
noise we were making. More than once while pausing 
for breath, we heard the thud of hoofs along the moun- 
tain side, where some startled deer fled away through the 
night. _ All too soon the darkness began' to fade the 
moohlit patches on the ground began to lose their rigor- 
ousness of outline, and objects began to be dimly dis- 
cernible under the gloomy pines. It was broad day before 
we reached the park-like terraces, and the game had quit 
moving. Fresh tracks of deer dotted the ground. Higher 
up we found the great spreading hoof-marks of the elk. 
The grass was still rising from wdiere it had been crushed 
down by the feeding herd, but though we hunted hard we 
found nothing but tracks, and plenty of them. The game 
was lying down and our chances of finding it were re- 
duced to the minimum. About noon we gave up the 
search and descended to camp. After a hearty meal -I 
stretched out in the sun with my pipe in my mouth for 
a siesta. From beneath my shaded eyelids T saw, with 
some alarm, that Dan was actually busying himself about 
something, and in my drowsy condition it at last dawned 
upon me that he was preparing to leave us. When he 
stood at last with his blankets rolled up on his back, and 
his rifle in hand. I managed to arou.se myself from the 
lethargy in which I was steeped, and inquii-e with dif- 
ficulty: 
■'What's cr matter?" 
"Nothing's the matter," said D»n. "but it is just this 
way. We came out here for elk. There ain't but one 
way to get 'em. and that is to go up to 'em and stay all 
night, and then you can begin with them in the morning 
while they are moving. As long as this moon is full they 
run all night and lie down all day. It takes us just half 
a dajr to get out of this hole in the ground. Now, I've 
taken a room on the top floor to-night. Will you go?" 
I told him not that night, some other night, and wdien 
I awoke about an hour later I went down to the lake 
and enjoyed the finest fishing I ever had in my life. 
When night fell, and Chad, and Toad, and I sat beside 
the bright camp-fire, I felt sorry for Dan. For in the 
mountains the evening, and not the midnight, is the 
witching hour. When night comes up from out the cav- 
ernous cations, when all warmth is blotted out of the 
Western skies, and the last gleam of color fades, then a 
deadly cold creeps down from the ice-capped summits, 
and with the night comes some vague, mysterious pre- 
sentiment of that longer space of null and dark futurity. 
At the same hour, high on the mountain side, almost 
at timber .line. Dan unwrapped his blankets. The sun 
had sunk behind the Western range; night had already 
come to the canons below, and adown the steep and sav- 
age slope on which he stood the shadows glooiued. The 
noisy whiskey-jacks and magpies had vanished. Silent 
was the dark flow of the stream in the gorge far below, 
silent and without a scintillation in that thin atmosphere 
were the stars scarcely more aloof, and silently the spec- 
tral vapors peered out from behind the rocks, and drew 
back again, aghast at sight of a human being in those 
pre-emptions of solitude. Suddenb' the silence was bro- 
ken by a sound with a trailing refrain of echoes, so far. 
so faint, so fine, that distant peaks were voiced with 
fugue-like feignings, mellow-, flute-like notes that died 
away down the echo-making cation in mellow fragmen- 
tary bugling. It was the challenge of the bull elk. The 
antlered monarch of the mountain had fared forth upon 
his midnight maraud. 
As Dan knocked the ashes from his pipe, and arose 
from the log on wdiich he was resting, he saw- his shadow 
on the ground, and glancing over his shoulder beheld the 
full moon with its great disk resting on the mountain's 
mist}' rim. It was his left shoulder — good omen — and in 
answer to the challenge that came again wavering along 
the windless air. he muttered, "It's your night to howl 
old boy. but before another moon I'll have j'our head on 
a pack saddle." 
Better than a century of sleep in beds, sweeter than 
Sybaritic slumber on couch of crumpled rose leaves, is it 
to lie out alone on the mountain top, with the world for 
a bed, and the heavens for a blanket, and slceo the sleep 
that only comes to the climber in that high, thin atmos- 
phere. 
An hour before da}' Dan awoke, and concentrating all 
his powers in the sense of hearin.ar. strove to locate the 
bull who had been so vociferous the preceding evening; 
but that Avorthy. evidently recognizing the great general 
principle that there AA'as a time for all things, remained 
mute. 
With the first streak of daylight, Dan betook himself 
to the nearest snoAvfield. As the snoAv thaAvs during the 
daj' and freezes at night, it is easy to tell when any tracks 
have been made, and its surface denoted that a large bull 
had Aasited it since sunset. The spoor led quartering 
doAvn the mountain side to timber line, and then in and 
out among the scattered clumps of pine and aspens, from 
which Dan judged that it had been but recentl}^ laid, and 
that the animal Avas returning from his nocturnal rambles 
to his daih- retreat. He seemed to be moving steadily 
and leisurely in the same general direction. A stern chase 
is proA'erbially a long one. HaA'ing the direction the bull 
Avas traveling. Dan determined to intercept him, and 
keep above timber line, where the ground was less broken 
by lateral raA-ines, and AA'here he could command a larger 
vieAA^ He had abandoned the trail, and cast along the 
mountain side for nearly a mile. Avhen he heard a noise 
before and below him, and for the first time sighted the 
game. It Avas but a glimpse as he moved through the 
pines, but it showed a right royal head high above the 
stunted aspens as the mountain monarch moved leisurely 
along, recking little of the foe on his trail. Dan threw 
his rifle forward, and in the excitement of his surprise 
would have fired had the elk passed, although it was fully 
400yds. For an instant he stood to calm himself, and 
then ran swiftly along the mountain side for a short space. 
In the pause he heard a faint sound of snapping twigs". 
ForAA'ard for looyds. more, and A'et again he spurted and 
stopped. The belt of pines beloAV him broke about looyds. 
aAvay, leaving an open space into Avhich the elk would 
emerge if he continued on his waJ^ The moments passed, 
and Dan stood straining for sfght or sound of the quarry. 
Suddenly, at the upper edge of the copse, and facing him. 
the big bull strode into view and stopped. For an instant 
he stood at gaze, his great ears trimmed forAvard. his full 
nostrils titillating, and for that instant Dan's heart stood 
still. But only for an instant: the next he fired, as the 
bull Avheeled. and he Avent down broadside: but as the 
lever clicked back in place the huge bulk heaved Upward 
and stood once more erect, the .shoulder a fair shot. As the 
rifle cracked again the elk wilted, and went doAvn, ncA'er 
to rise again. 
Francis J. Hag.\n. 
[to be contintjed.] 
Our Annual Hunt. 
The Colonel for several months had been recounting 
the many pleasures of our annual fall outings, and we had 
jointly anticipated Avhat Ave would do "next October" ; 
also, Ave had mapped out time after time — whenever we 
itiet — the territory Ave Avere to cover, the kind of hotel 
accommodation we might expect, the kind of team we 
desired, and not last nor least, Ave made considerable 
speculation in behalf of our wiA^es, Avho accompany us 
to the country on these trips. Of all the previous trips 
there lives . CA cr fresh in memory fond recollections of 
the many happy days Ave have spent together in the fields ; 
and those jolly lunches our good wives served to us from 
the hampers stOAved in our capacious country Avagon. 
Avhich Ave ever well provided for double the number of 
our little party with liberal provision for the dogs. What 
feast more enjoyable? When, Avith robes spread upon 
the ground under some shady tree the group assembled, 
the central figure Avas the big hamper; the party often 
numbering seven or eight, sitting or lounging around, and 
the dogs forming the outer and possibly the most expec- 
tant circle. The beauties of landscape, the scenery, the 
bright autumnal setting sun at eventide as seen by us when 
rattling over the high hills, and those little snatches of 
song on our homeward drive, each contributed until the 
close of day to those truly magnificent pleasures, to be 
folloAved Avith a good substantial supper and a night of 
rest. It is perfectly safe to conjecture that after a day 
of outing in October air Avith plenty of hill climbing and 
brush beating, we had just the appetite at night for both 
food and rest. 
So the first of October found us on the way. From 
the stage avc alighted in front of the village hotel, in 
presence of a full assembly of tOAvnspeople, for it was 
"town meeting day." There Avere present our old-time 
friends to Avelcome us; and after much handshaking we 
Avere engaged receiving "tips" on game, accompanied Avitli 
invitations "to call around, and take time to stop at the 
house," and in most cases something Avas said about not 
having any ncAv cider, but "guessed they could provide 
some of the old stock." Rain kept us in all that day. 
After a good night of rest Ave were early awake, anxious 
to behold the bright shining of a beautiful day; but it 
being wet again, Ave concluded to put in but a half-day 
to start Avith. At noon the team Avas brought out and 
our little party Avas soon rolling oft' for the fields, with 
faithful Dan and the guns stoAved carefully aAvay, bent 
on testing some of the tips of the previous day, and look- 
ing over several of our faA^orite snots vvhere Ave had often 
brought to bag a fair number o£ birds. 
This, the first time out, served to get the kinks out of 
our limbs, or to put more in, and to give Dan a good run, 
Avhich he much needed.- It also settled the point that the 
birds would be found on the edges of the swales and on 
high ground, OAving to the great amount of water in the 
SAvamps, which Avere full to overfloAving. It further 
proved for the ladies' benefit that a feAv more frosts were 
required to open the nuts. The leaves were quite green, 
and very thick everywhere Ave Avent, and of an unsual 
size, probably oAving to a wet season; but a heavy frost 
at night and a bright day folloAving gave us another full 
day of real enjoyment, and Ave brought to bag several 
birds. But on the folloAving day there came a heavy rain, 
and for two Aveeks the time was about equally divided be- 
tween the fields and indoors. But every day in the field 
showed that the Av^oodcock Avere coming in more and 
more, and that a fair bag could be had Avith only usual 
perseverance. The leaves which at first troubled us were 
daily groAving thinner, and the frost had been kind to 
the ladies in opening the chestnut burrs, coloring the 
maples, and bleaching the grasses. While our bags of 
game Avere not big to boast over, we had birds enough 
for several game dinners, Avith broils and stews enough 
for dur oAvn little party, and enough for friends, whom 
Ave several times invited to dine with us. 
Woodcock Ave could get every day along the alder 
SAA'ales, and scA^eral partridges fell before our guns, Avith 
an occasional gray squirrel and a fcAV quail. Rabbits, which 
on former hunts had troubled the dogs much, A\^ere en- 
tirely absent, not one being seen during tAVO Aveeks. Quail 
Avere very scarce; Ave raised only three bevies, and ot 
these only one seemed at all like those of former years 
either in point of numbers or size of birds. 
One bevA' Ave heard of, and had been invited to hunt, Ave 
found after a long and careful search, and only made four 
or five shots at them, as they Avere undersized. Another 
bevy the ladies passed on the road Avhile out driving. 
Avhich they located, and reported to be the ''real old 
stock." After a good lunch Ave commenced the hunt "for 
them, and after going over many acres of cover, some 
of Avhich Avas a veritable jungle, Ave found them. They 
were fully groAvn Connecticut quail, and Avhen they rose 
the Colonel brought doAvn one Avith each barrel. Avhile 1 
scored a clean miss, being in a bad position to shoot, but 
able to mark doAvn eight or nine as they dove into a 
thicket of briars and brush of acres in extent. The 
Colonel viewed the fallen Avith much pride, pronouncing 
them real old-timers, genuine beauties, while Ave hastened 
to those marked down. From these Ave succeeded in get- 
ting five singles, one of Avhich Ave failed to find. 
Another bevy of a full dozen I ran into Avhile crossing a 
stubble to join the Colonel, who Avas running Dan over a 
bush pasture. As they Avent up I had shot one before 
discovering that they were too small to count, not being 
much larger than robins. After marking them doAvn 
and regretting that they Avere not up to my standard of 
size. I turned my back on the last beA'y of the hunt and 
joined the Colonel, Avhom I acquainted Avith the exact 
condition of affairs, and Avho acquiesced in the opinion 
that another season would be a profit both to the birds 
and ourseh'es, should fortune permit our meeting on that 
occasion. 
Upon reaching the hotel and Avhile talking over this 
day's hunt, a very responsible native of the village 
gave us a true statement "that he caught AA^ith his hands a 
full-groAvn partridge in his horse stable that afternoon 
Avhile feeding his horse." The stable adjoins his house 
in the center of the A'illage. 
The last day remaining Ave proposed to make a grand 
"round up" ; accordingly, the landlord, Avith two mutual 
friends, and a first-class Gorden setter — Glen — Avere to be 
of the party; and all Avere on hand early in the morn- 
