Nov. i8. 1899.] FOREST AND STREAM. 
later, and although I took a snap shot, they disappeared. 
We heard the dogs once, but no one saw a deer. 
■ The guides subsequently came up to me, when I told 
them to go around the little lake and try to put up an- 
other one to run it down to the other boys. I told Mac- 
Farlane that I would move over after them, wait till they 
started one, and if not would work down to the boats. I 
took a stand which i took to be near the upper end, but 
'east of the little lake. I sat down for twenty minutes, but 
hearing nothing of the dogs, I started down, keeping the 
little lake, as I thought, on the left. In this way, by 
bearing to the left, 1 would either strike the little lake or 
the brook of its outlet, which would lead me to the 
boats. I came across two small brooks that appeared to 
me to be running the wrong way, but as there was a swale 
with thick timber on my left, I thought these were feeders 
to the little lake. I kept on, always bearing to the left, 
until finally I came to the conclusion ; that I was off my 
course. I climbed a pretty steep ridge, and momentarily 
was gladdened with the sight of what I thought 
was Lac Chapleau, but on closer examination I 
found that it was a blue mist resting on the 
valley below, while no water at all was, in sight. 
I moved along another ten minutes. The woods began 
to appear strange to me, while ridge and valley com- 
menced to look very much one like another. I ascended 
another ridge, saying to myself that if I did not then 
come in sight of water I would give my woods call. 
No water appearing, I called, and called again. 
No reply could be heard. I then noticed what a 
strange, lonesome silence pervaded the whole woods. The 
woods were thick. I looked for a decent tree to climb, but 
could not readily find one. 
Then I fired a shot, and heard a reply way behind me. 
I thought to myself that some other of the party had 
. become lost, and as misery likes company, I concluded I 
would look him up, which I proceeded to do with all 
dispatch. 
After climbing a few more ridges I again called, and 
was answered. Finally getting a view of the lake, it ap- 
peared to me that the lake was in the wrong place, but I 
was satisfied to get back. 
After getting out on the lake I located a big pine that 
I had come to in my wanderings, and concluded that in- 
stead of having the little lake on my left in the first 
place, I was then past it. My continually steering to the 
left would soon have brought me out to Lac Barrier. 
The day was cloudy, I had no compass and got turned 
round. 
The next day we were going to put in the dogs near 
the Southeast Bay of Lac Chapleau, running toward Lac 
Noir, and another unnamed lake that empties into Lac 
Noir. 
We left three on runways near Lac Noir, the rest of 
us getting across quite a large brook on a log. The guide 
was leading; I was the last. After we had passed the 
brook a piece, the guide suddenly turned round, saying 
one should remain there. As I was the last one, 1 dropped 
out. I gathered some gum on a convenient spruce tree 
and then looked around to find a proper stand. I finally 
found a place about a hundred feet from the brook, 
, crouched down near a big log and awaited developments. 
I had been there about ten minutes, the guide still going 
on placing the rest of the party, when I hear a squirrel 
signal that something unusual was transpiring behind me. 
I looked around cautiously, and was considerably sur- 
prised to find a deer looking me up. He ran down by 
me, stopped within 30 or 40 feet, where I drew bead on 
him, and remembering that on short distance one is likely 
to overshoot,-! dretv fine behind the shoulder and fired. 
He immediately turned on his back tracks, ran about 50 
feet and stopped again, offering only a small neck or 
paunch shot. I accepted the neck and missed. He ri n 
another 50 feet, offering again practically the same shot. 
This time I tried the paunch as far forward as he would 
allow, but he ran another 50 feet or so on to the top of a 
hill under some spruce, offering only his rump. As the 
tail was down I could hardly get a bead; in fact, after 
getting on the buUseye, had to look over to be sure it 
was the deer and not a log. On the last run he had the 
tail down, so I knew he was hit ; in fact, I thought I had 
hit him all three times, but although I thought I had a 
fine bead on him. the fourth shot simply set him running 
again. After waiting ten minutes' I, like Truax, started to 
find where my. bullets had gone, but could not find them, 
although subsequently some of the boys found where one 
had gone through a 6-inch balsam. 
Finally I arrived where he last stood and heard him 
run again, but did not see him. Picking up his tracks 1 
soon found blood. Another 50 yards I found where he 
had been standing. There was a great splotch of blood 
showing frothy. I followed on by the blood until I came 
to a big log covered with moss, which point seemed to 
be the converging point of a number of runways, and there 
lost the trail, as there were several fresh tracks there. 
When the other boys came up, although I had been 
searching diligently for nearly an hour, they joined me, 
Lefebvre finally picking up the trail beyond the log. That 
was followed within 50 yards of the lake m swampy 
ground and again lost. I stepped to the shore and took a 
look out, but could not see him. We had practically 
given up the search, so I hailed the boat, about 300 
yards away, to come after us. When it pulled up to the 
shore I stepped in, and glancing near the shore discovered 
my young buck within 10 feet of the boat. 
On examination we found that the first shot had taken 
effect behind the shoulder low down, piercing the liver. 
The third had passed through the paunch. The other two 
were misses. . . 
After lunch we were to try the point again where 
Truax and Beaulne got theirs. We spread out about 
as before, only I went across the valley to some ever- 
green timber, and there sat down for one hour, bol was 
on the ridge across the valley from me. I was dozing 
when I heard a shot from his direction, which momen- 
tarilv put me on the qui vive. but noticing a raven makmg 
quick tracks over Sol's head, saying "Quart! Quart! or 
"Pork' Pork!" I concluded he had been firing at it. 
Beaulne was just a little wavs from Sol when the shot was 
fired Sol says Beaulne was asleep, which Beaulne 
denies However, Beaulne saw Sol telling him that Meyer 
had fibred a shot, but he was sure Meyer did not get the 
deer as he now had buck fever, the proof being that when 
with Lefebvre he had chances at two deer that he missed. 
The day before he had fired at another at close range, but 
missed. He now felt satisfied that Meyer had the fever 
so strong that he could not shoot another. Sol said: 
"That raven was coming along over the trees; suddenly 
she stop ; she smell gunpowder or something, but I shoot 
on her, when she got away, saying 'Pork! Pork!'" 
In the meantime I thought I would go over my ridge, 
work down a bit on the still-hunt, then work back, and 
possibly drive a deer up. I started in very cautiously, 
probably taking fifteen minutes to cover a hundred yards, 
not making the slightest noise. 
I noticed a windfall ahead, scanned it over very care- 
fully, but could not see anything. I had not taken ten 
steps when I heard a crack. Looking quickly I saw the 
white flag going over the fallen tree to my left. From 
past experience I concluded that it was no use to follow 
a deer on her tracks, so made a detour. After going very 
slowly another hundred yards, where I could look down 
the valley, I thought I could see her standing about 250 
j^ards away. Not being sure, I went a little further, took 
another look, but thought even then possibly it was one of 
my companions sitting down near the big tree. Going 
still further where I had a bit better view, I saw her raise 
her flag. I knelt down, raised the sights two notches, took 
careful aim and fired. She jumped, ran in a bit of a 
circle rather toward me, then swung down over the 
ridge toward a swale. I was cool as far as any tremble 
was concerned, but my blood was tingling in my veins, my 
face burning, and I am sure was redder than it was the 
first time I kissed a girl, playing forfeits. Slowly, noise- 
lessly and almost breathlessly I made another detour, 
carefully scanning every object, but could not see her. 
Suddenly she whistled thre'' times quickly, paused an 
instant, then whistled once more. I could just distinguish 
a part oi her rump, showing a bit of white streak. She 
was, I estimated, about 125 yards, so lowering my sights 
to point blank, I took careful aim, and although I was 
tingling with excitement, my blood seemed burning in my 
veins, yet in drawing a fine bead the rifle was as steady as 
if I was shooting at a mark. On the report of the rifle 
she made a tremendous jump, ran over the ridge and dis- 
appeared. The guide was even then calling for me 
nearly half a mile away, but I paid no attention. Care- 
fully going down to where she had been standing when 
I fired, I found three chunks of white hair with flesh 
adhering, also a piece of flesh about an inch long and half 
an inch wide on a leaf, while all around showed con- 
siderable white hair. Carefully picking up the tracks, I 
followed, finding a little blood at each jump. During 
all this time the guide was calling. It took me about 
twenty minutes' careful tracking to arrive on top of a 
ridge, from which point I carefully scanned the dense 
swale below me, but could not discover anything. While 
standing there, scarcely breathing, I heard her whistle 
several times below me, but the bushes were so dense I 
could not make her out. Suddenly I saw her running. 
She appeared to be quite strong, and as she disappeared 
I fired a parting shot and retraced my steps to the boat. I 
came to the conclusion that I had hit her on the down- 
ward shot just at the end of the tail, the bullet cutting 
off the small pieces of it, or white hair just under the 
flank, taking the piece of flesh and making only a flesh 
wound. I think I underestimated the distance — drew too 
fine. Had I raised my sights one notch I am satisfied 
she would have been my meat. I came to the conclusion, 
however, that while shooting deer before the dogs, or in 
the water, or ordinary still-hunting might be classed as 
sport, none of them held a candle to deer stalking, and 
hope next season to be able to trj' it again. 
This gave to date seven deer for the party of eleven. 
On the morrow we started for home, intending to hunt 
Cote a Beaulne and Laperle on the way out. It was a 
five-mile walk to Cote a Beaulne. At Lac Desert we 
picked up Lefebvre, Sol, Al, Meyer and Burns, who had 
iDeen at a wedding and dance the night before. They 
had danced in a little log hut until 2 in the morning, then 
walked a mile over the mountain to Lefebvre's barn, where 
they had slept in the hay. They claimed they had had a 
great time. Meyer had a split hp which Sol claimed he 
received when trying to kiss the bride, but Meyer says that 
when dancing Sol acted like a jumping jack, that during 
one of the dances when the fun was fast and furious, Sol 
bobbed up serenely in an unexpected quarter, his head 
striking Meyer fairly on the mouth, thus splitting his lip. 
Be that as it may, they claimed the rest of us had missed 
a lot of fun. 
Striking in behind Beaulne's barn, we spread ourselves 
over the runways, I going the furthest, being near Lac 
Desert. After waiting nearlj' an hour we heard the dogs 
coming rapidly along. I heard two or three shots ; shortly 
after heard them talking, some one asking for a knife. I 
went doAvn and found that MacFarlane had at last got his 
deer, making a nice standing shot, hitting her just above 
the brisket, face toward him, and dropping her in her 
tracks. While congratulating him, we heard the dogs 
again, instantly spreading ourselves, but no one got a 
shot, although Sol said he once had a deer covered, but 
did not pull soon enough. 
Leaving Al and Burns to look after the deer, the rest 
of us started on our tramp to" Labelle. It was raining 
hard. The roads were heavy, walking being a real hard- 
ship. When we arrived at Laperle there was not enough 
grit left in any of us to stop and hunt there, so we 
plodded on, 1 
Beaulne and Papa has gone ahead with a two-wheeled 
rig and most of the baggage, while another rig with the 
lunch and some of the deer had also gone. The lunch 
was' to have been left at Dr. Brisson's; but when we ar- 
rived there, wet, weary and forlorn, there was no lunch, 
as this party asked them if the "chasseurs" had passed. 
Supposing Beaulne and Papa were meant, they said 
"Yes," so the lunch had been taken on to Labelle. How- 
ever, we had some bread and milk there, and as I had a 
blister the size of a postage stamp on one of my heels, T 
arranged for a rig to take three of us in. 
The others started to finish the sixteen-mile walk, but 
happily when Beaulne learned that the lunch had come 
right through he sent a large team to meet us, in v\fhich 
we all embarked, sending back the small rig to pick up 
Al and Burns. 
We all arrived at Nantel's Hotel about 6 P. M.j very 
tired, very wet, and most of us very hungry. 
4O0 
Early the next morning we took the train for home. 
Meyer gave his doe to Lefebvre and I gave my young 
buck to Burns, so that nine out of our party of eleven 
each had a deer. 
At home venison was distributed among our friends, 
some of whom were sarcastic enough to ask if we had 
bought it. Others kindly thanked us, at the same time 
saying it was the sweetest venison they had ever eaten. 
On the whole, although we had a nUmber of rainy, dis- 
agreeable days, we*were thoroughly satisfied with the 
trip, which no doubt will be long remembered by us all. 
A Montreal daily paper had published a report that a 
party of four — three English and one French — had been 
drowned up North on the Red River. Some lover of sen- 
sationalism coupled our names with this report, the result 
being that the day previous to our arrival people were 
lamenting our early demise, while other unpityingly said 
that it served us right for being so foolish as to go 
hunting. 
No accident befell any of our party, but we all came 
back much healthier than we left. One and all, I have 
no doubt, will be glad to repeat the experience next year. 
J. Bruce Payne. 
Another Pet Deer. 
Some things have been written lately about deer in 
general and pet deer in particular. All beasts of the field 
have been tamed of mankind, but none, in my opinion, 
offers a more interesting study than the deer. For a 
century it has been the noblest game obtainable over a 
great part of tlie United States, and with its related 
species over the whole world. Its habits and great re- 
productive powers, aided in some degree by laws, have 
prevented its extermination. 
The poet has written of the beauteous eye of the 
gazelle. The form and movement of the deer has been 
a synonym of grace in all generations of writers. I once' 
reared a young doe, and I heartily accord with all that 
has been written concerning the beauty of the deer and 
the real affection with which it regards those in whom 
it places its confidence. I do not even now believe I 
would find it in my heart to shoot a female deer, even 
for food; and I am quite sure I would find no pleasure 
in it. 
In the m.attcr of preserving and increasing the number 
of deer in our forests there is a fatal dereliction regard- 
ing the slaughter of does and fawns indiscriminately and 
on everv occasion. It is a matter of which our game 
laws take no note, in most States, and perhaps in all. I 
believe that therein — with proper enforcement of the 
present laws, or even without other law — lies the secret 
of the preservation of the deer. Of course the necessity 
of this has long been recognized on the other side of 
the Atlantic, but it may be it will only be recognized here 
when, like them_, only the wealthy and aristocratic may 
engage in hinting at all. 
Personally I am opposed to hounding, as being de- 
structive of the quiet in which deer thrive, to say noth- 
ing of the number killed aside from still-hunting; but I 
am free to admit that many business and professional 
men of city and country would never see a deer under 
present conditions unless the hounds brought it in. They 
have not many days to go hunting, and the elderly, portly 
gentlemen who have amassed sufficient wealth to go hunt- 
ing can never compete with the lean and tireless moun- 
taineer in a hill-climbing, still-hunting expedition. 
Still, hounding might be endured under restrictions, if 
there was le.ss pot-hunting of young does and fawns. 
Suj;ely the lite of such a beautiful creature is more than 
meat. It would be refreshing to hear of a single instance 
of mercy being shown, and the guilty man would 
probably feel a delicacy in confessing to such weakness. 
My elder brother and I picked up a fawn in the woods 
v/hile on a berrying expedition in strawberry time. She 
grew and thrived, never being subjected to injurious 
handling — she always objected to being touched by any 
one but myself — and was as large and perfectly developed 
as a deer in its natural state. This is unusual in do- 
mesticated deer, and was often the subject for comment 
among old hunters who had seen deer, wild and tame. 
She jumped fences for amusement, and rather enjoyed 
a short run before the hounds, which she easily dis- 
tanced for a mile or two, and would make straight for 
home as a house of refuge. The house dog was her 
friend and protector, and the two would lie near together 
for hours. 
I remember with what delight I discovered she would 
follow my trail. It was the first time she had leaped 
the yard fence. I had gone to look at m.y line of traps 
and returned to find her gone. She had followed my 
trail into the woods. Returning, I found her tracks in a 
soft place. After that she was never confined, and I fre- 
quently tested her trailing powers. From some elevated 
point I would watch her galloping on the trail head to 
the ground for a few steps, then running on a hot scent, 
following every winding of my path, made perhaps an 
hour before. 
When she came to Avhere I was she would express sat- 
isfaction in the meeting by standing near to be caressed 
and' then selecting a place near by with great care to lie 
down, unless 1 moved on, when she would follow at heel 
as faithfully as a dog. 
No animal of so light a frame can compare with the 
deer for strength and poise. They are built for speed, 
like the racing yachts, and there is no question that in 
speeding like an arrow through woods they surpass all 
their kind. 
My first photographic attempt was a picture of this 
deer as she lay on the shady side of the house on a warm 
day in early spring, all four legs sprawled out in a way 
that in any animal but a deer would be ungraceful, but 
a position I thought was particularly fetching. I have a 
faded print of that picture yet — it was never clear cut — 
but the dim outline serves to fix in mind a happy com- 
panionship. 
The eccentricities of pet deer are found to be annoj^- 
ing to al! but the one person who stands between the 
pet and the outraged neighbor who would deal sum- 
mary vengeance for the wreck of kitchen garden or 
flower bed". Out of fondness for the creature, he soothes 
his friend and repairs the damage if possible; but the 
deer can never be taught to respect property rights. 
