286 
Forest and stream. 
t At-liL 14, igoO. 
©St old-time shooters of Chicago, and a man who spends 
each winter in the Indian Nations, where he was long en- 
gaged in the cattle business. Mr. Taylor says that the 
turkeys, not long ago nearly cleaned out over a wide 
strip of country there, seem now to be abundant again in 
some parts of that country, especially the Caddo, Kiowa 
and Comanche, and Choctaw reservations. He said he 
had no trouble in killing all he wanted last winter. The 
settlement of Oklahoma opened about 6,000,000 acres of 
land, but left about 13,000,000 acres untouched by settlers 
below there. The opened lands are now held by farmers 
who have many of them grown rich since the wild race 
tor land seven years ago. The game was largely killed 
off of that country the first year after it was opened, but 
some of it took refuge in the Indian lands not opened, 
where not everybody is allowed to hunt. In these close 
districts the turkeys and deer are still to be found. 
"I made one hunt in Arkansas a few years ago, in the 
thick woods country," said Mr. Taylor, "and I want to 
say to you that if you have to hunt turkeys in the deep 
woods you'd better buy 'em. In the Indian Nations in 
the old days it was common to see a thousand turkeys 
on one roost in a single night. They fed opt over the 
ridges and prairies, but every night every turkey would 
come into the creek bottoms to roost. They always roost 
over water, if it's only a little bit of a creek. One or two 
of us killed 32 turkeys out of 40 shots, in one roost. 
"We used to go down there and have great shooting. 
Fifteen years ago five of us went down there from Chi- 
cago; as I remember it was John and Bill Haskell and 
Jack Whiting and myself, maybe one other, that went in, 
and we were there on the South Fork of the Canadian for 
a couple of weeks or so. We killed 360 turkeys, and we 
brought 120 of them back to Chicago. It is hard to give 
a turkey away down there. No one wants them. An In- 
dian won't touch « turkey under any circumstances." 
E. Hough. 
SOO BoYCB Building, Chicago, 111. 
The Phantom Moose. 
About a hundred miles north of the St. Lawrence 
River, deep in the Laurentian forest, is a lake, called by 
the Indians Woulumkok, and by the white trappers 
Kowenkok. 
It is accessible only by canoe and trail. Its clear, cold 
waters are prolific in fish — the great Northern pike, with 
its perpendicular bars of gold; the muscalonge and the 
large gray trout. Black bears are often seen on its 
shores, and moose and caribou visit it. Surrounded on 
all sides by the illimitable woods, dense and tangled 
as when Champlain and his dusky allies threaded the in- 
tricate mazes of the Canadian wilderness, it is a typical 
forest lake — an "eye of the forest." 
That it has or "ought to have its own mysteries and 
legends will sufficiently appear by a;n incident now 
veraciously chronicled. 
I visited it last August, crossed it in a canoe and went 
beyond, northward, by trails to Lake Baude, Lake Duval 
and Sleigh Lake, camping for several days and nights. 
On the trail near Lake Woulumkok the huge track 
of an animal was plainly visible here and there, but I 
tdok no particular thought of it until a subsequent event 
brought it to mind. 
Later in the season, when the autumn winds were 
driving the first snow clouds over the lake, a hunter 
friend, whom I shall designate the Veteran, arrived with 
his guides at the southern shore and embarked. As he 
was sitting in his canoe wrapped in a heavy shooting coat 
and caressing his good rifle while the snow flakes whirled 
around his head, the leading guide, Aime, called in low 
tones, "Un orignal, un orignal !" 
The Veteran roused himself, and looking ahead, saw 
in the lake, moving through the water toward the shore, 
a monstrous pair of antlers, like the banches of a wide- 
spreading oak. 
Urged by Aime's nimble paddle, the canoe jumped 
ahead. The chase lasted for five minutes. It. seemed half 
an hour. Then the enormous bulk of the animal rose 
from the water, looming up at the side of a large rock 
on the edge of the beach. He stood between the canoe 
and the rock. The Veteran, cool as a Laurentian morn- 
ing, firm and steady of nerve and muscle, blazed away, 
broadside on, from the canoe. The monarch dipped his 
big antlers, as if with magnificent courtesy he acknowl- 
edged a salute, but the royal dignity of 'attitude only 
aroused the sportsman's ambition to secure such a rare 
prize, and he pumped the magazine of his rifle empty 
of its lightning bolts; yet, except for the courtly bow- 
ing of his head, the moose appeared undisturbed by the 
roar and din and the pelting of the balls. 
As he started for the woods the Veteran and his guides 
leaped ashore and rushed after him, but Mercury-like 
wings seemed to spring from the feet of the beast, and he 
swept through space with incredible speed and ease. The 
hunters recollected afterward that as they pursued they 
heard no sound of crashing through the bush, no 
dashing or rattling of antlers against the tree trunks, but 
that with the silence of the falUng snow flakes the 
coveted game rushed on until he vanished behind the 
drapery of the low-hanging cloud. 
Diligent search was made for him, but without success. 
The solution of the mystery was to be learned where the 
waters of the lake met the shore. 
Perplexed in the extreme, the hunters returned to the 
rock on the beach, and found six scars on its granite 
face, showing conclusively that all the balls of the maga- 
zine had torn clean through the body of the beast. 
Then the Veteran knew that he shot at the Giant Phan- 
tom Moose of Lac Woulumkok. J. W. H. 
New York Preserve Trespass Law. 
PouGHKEEPSiE, N. Y. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
Under Section 236 of the Fish and Game Law just re- 
pealed, an individual owner or lessee of the premises 
upon which it was claimed a penalty had been incurred 
was authorized to bring an action for its recovery without 
giving security for costs, and any other individual could 
bring an action upon giving such security. 
Under the law just enacted this right has been entirely 
taken away from the owners or lessees of premises who 
are the ones primarily interested, but given to outsider's 
upon their giving security for costs, as will appear by 
reference to Section 188 of the law just enacted, which 
is in part follows: 
''ActioEi,'- l.)y Private Persons or Societies. — A private 
person except the owner or lessee of premises upon 
which a penalty is incurred, on giving security for costs 
to be approved by a judge of the court in which the action 
is brought and any society or corporation for the protec- 
tion of fish or game, may recover in his or its name any 
penalty imposed by this act, and shall be entitled in case 
of collection to one-half of the recovery; the balance shall 
be paid to the Commission." 
As I am the owner in part or wholly of a couple of 
lakes or ponds, I am interested in trjang to find out why 
a right of action to recover penalties should be denied to 
me while it is given to an outsider who has no interest in 
protecting my property'. J. S. V. C. 
A Bag of Turkeys* 
While I was engaged in having assessment work done 
on some mining lands in Newton county. Ark., in De- 
cember, 1899, I was informed by some boys who came to 
our camp that on the mountain north of us I could find 
a large drove of wild turkeys. Now if anything makes 
me feel happier than to see a bunch of these splendid 
birds feeding I do not know what it is. 
The mountains in that section are very rugged and 
heavily timbered, but the woods are rather open,_ the un- 
dergrowth being sparse and small. The timber is white, 
black and post oak, hickory, beech, walnut, cherry and a 
half-dozen other kinds, and such timber ! Walnut 6 feet 
in diameter, and white oak the same; in fact, nowhere 
in the South does such a wealth of timber exist. 
One bright afternoon, taking my shotgun, as good a 
one as any gun I have ever seen, I climbed the steep 
mountain for about one mile to where a beautiful spring 
bursts from the rocks. I stopped and was enjoying the 
solitude of the gloomy, grand old forest when I espied a 
yellowhammer on a small tree and shot him. This dis- 
turbed two gray squirrels that ran to the top of a large 
wild cherry tree, but two loads of No. 6 put them in my 
game bag. 
I then started north along a path, but had only gone a 
short distance when I walked out of the path to look down 
into a grove of post oaks, when I beheld a sight that put 
my heart to heaving like a trip hammer. Twenty-six 
as fine turkeys as I ever saw, not 200 yards distant, were 
feeding as though nothing could harm them, and paying 
no attention to the noise I had made killing the bird and 
squirrels. Armed only with a shotgun with some No. 
2 shot cartridges, I began the task of getting in reach of 
those turkeys. 
Down on my knees and hands I went, and after forty 
minutes of hard work I was within 75 yards of them. 
Selecting two big gobblers that were close together and in 
line. I gave them both barrels, and maybe there wasn't a 
racket on that hillside. One of them began to flop and 
whirl around like a chicken with its head cut off, and the 
other flew about 200 yards at right angles with the re- 
mainder of the drove that had gone over a high bluff into 
a ravine about one-fourth of a mile from where they 
rose. He came to the ground, staggered a few steps, rose 
and when he had gone perhaps 100 yards he let go and 
came tumbling down dead. I ran to the first one, and 
hanging him up in a small tree, followed the other, and 
did the same with him. 
Just then I heard some dogs on the opposite side of 
the mountain begin to bark and a boy to encourage them. 
I knew this would turn the other turkeys back, so I hur- 
ried across a small draw and around to the north of 
where they came to the ground and climbed on some 
large rocks, where I had a good Adew of the mountain 
side. In a minute or two I saw two hens coming for 
me on a dead run, and waited until they were within 40 
yards. I gave one of them the left hand barrel, and as 
the other rose I knocked her a clean summersault. 
I now had four as fine turkeys as I ever saw, and not 
caring to hunt any more that day, I hung the two hens 
over my back and carried them to the gobblers, and when 
I finally got them all together I tied their heads together. 
By resting frequently I reached camp about sun- 
down, where I was received as a hero by Harry, my 
seven-year-old boy, who loves hunting and hunting stories 
as well as I do. We feasted like kings for a few days, and 
when these turkeys began to grow beautifully less 
under the attention which they received from the family 
and the five men who were working in the zinc mines for 
me, I took the same gun and went to the same moun- 
tain; but that is another story, and if the readers of 
Forest and Stream want to hear it I'll tell it another 
time. J. E. Lonbon. 
As to Hogg Island Brant. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In a very recent issue of your valuable paper a short 
article appeared entitled "Attacked by Brant on Hogg 
Island." It described a night flight of brant about the 
lighthouse, where the keeper and his friend procured 
guns and in sheer self-defense, I presume, killed 268 
of the poor, blinded birds, who were on their annual 
trip to Canada — a place of safety for birds in the spring. 
Do you not think that it would be an act of humanity 
and presentation toward brant and other birds who may 
be journeying northward in future springs to their breed- 
ing ground, to ask the Government to have placards 
posted about that island giving its name? M. 
DuNNviLLE, Ont., April 2, 
Good Signs in Ohio. 
MansfielBj O., April 5. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
While it has been a very stormy, snowy March in this 
middle northern section of the State, we have not had 
any of the deep snows with hard crusts that are reported 
from other part^ of the country. I was out with my 
shotgun the other afternoon, when, as I approached a 
bushy pond, where I hoped to hear and see a stray 
flock of mallards rise from the middle of the bushes, a 
bevy of about twelve quail whirred up from all around 
me and scattered in an adjoining woods. ' Also saw a fox, 
squirrel and a rabbit in my walk of not over three miles 
from town. Pretty good signs even if "one swallow 
doesn't make a summer," that the quail and other game 
wintered in good shape around here at least. H, S, 
Spring in New England. 
Boston, April 7. — Mr. L. Dana Chapman, Secretary 
and Treasurer of the Megantic Club, is just out of the 
woods from a flying trip to the club's preserve. It took 
two days each way to make the trip, including a couple 
of night rides to and from Portland to Boston. By rail 
the matter was easy as far as Rangeley and Dead River, 
but the rest of the way had to be done by teams, and 
the last five miles on foot. He found his camp keepers 
and guides all right, and engaged in hauling in supplies, 
the last part of the distance on hand sleds. The snow 
was from 5 to 7 feet deep, thawing a little in the middle 
of the day, but freezing to a very strong crust each night. 
He believes that this crust would have borne teams in 
good shape in the morning, but late in the day they would 
have been utterly lost in the snow. He took a number 
of photographs of snow scenes. One of the camps is en- 
tirely buried in snow, only the chimney being visible. 
Another camp is out of the snow only as to the roof. As 
to the game in that region, the guides say that the deer 
are all right, a great many having yarded not far from 
the different camps. As to partridges there is a good deal 
of doubt. The deep snows, followed by crusts, may have 
been decidedly disastrous. The guides have seen but 
little of them since the winter set in. . 
What is termed The Boys' Party, of the Monomoy 
Brant Club, has just returned from its week's shooting at 
the club's preserve. There were six or eight members 
and invided guests in this party, including Henry F. 
Colburn, of Newton; A. H. Wright, of Abbington; Hon. 
R. G. Gray, of Walpole; E. Frank Lewis, of Lawrence; 
Joseph Dorr, Benjamin Dorr, Edward Bigelow and two 
or three others, of Boston. The party had about the 
worst of tides for shooting at that point, since the shoot- 
ing from the boxes has to be done at low itide, but they 
succeeded in getting thirty-one brant and three geese. 
One party had been down before this, but had indifferent 
success. The third partj' — six in number — is there at thi,s 
writing. Mr. E. Frank Lewis made a number of pictures 
with his camera, and they promise to be very interesting 
when finished, especially one that should take in a flock 
of about thirty brant. Harry Reed, usually with this 
party, was hindered by business, though expecting to go 
up to the last moment. Special. 
The Massachusetts Game Bill. 
■ Worcester, Mass., April 7. — Editor Forest and Stream : 
Referring to your correspondent. Special, in your issue of 
April 7, in regard to the Massachusetts game legislation 
being in a bad way, we will have to dift'er with him. Our 
bill, which he calls the Bennet bill, is really House Bill 
No. 549. This bill prohibits the sale of partridges and 
woodcock for three years, with a slight change in the 
opening of the season on all game birds till Oct. 10, and 
this went before the Legislature on a favorable report 
from the Legislative Committee on Fish and Game — 9 to 2 
in favor of the bill — instead of having leave to withdraw, 
as stated by Special. 
Not at all. We do not think we are in a bad way; we 
think that the people are beginning to see the right and 
justice in preserving the partridge, and that to stop its 
sale is the only way to do it. A. B. F. Kinney, 
President Massachusetts Central Committee for the Bet- 
ter, Protection of Game. 
"Tli*t remind* me." 
That Old Story. 
East Waeeham, Mass., March 17. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: In your issue of to-day is a query from W. W. 
Hastings, who AArishes to know about the story of "The 
Two Highlanders." It was written by James Hogg, 
ofttimes called the "Ettrick Shepherd," and can be found 
in Hillard's Second Class Reader of 1856. 
The scene is laid on the banks of the Albany River, 
which falls into Hudson Bay. The characters are two 
brothers Macdonald, and the adventure resulted from 
their finding a cavern containing a litter of pigs nearly 
half-grown. Mack, the smaller man, undertook to crawl 
in and dirk the shoats, while Donald stood guard at the 
entrance. Simultaneously with the first squeals from the 
pigs an old boar made his appearance, "roaring and 
grinding his tusks, while the fire of rage -gleamed from his 
eyes. Donald said not a word for fear of alarming 
Mack; besides, the boar was so hard upon him ere he 
was aware, he scarcely had time for anything, so settling 
himself firm and cocking his' gun, he took his aim, but 
that the shot might prove the more certain death, he 
suffered the boar to come within a few paces of him be- 
fore he ventured to fire. He at last drew the fatal 
trigger, expecting to blow out his eyes, brains and all." 
The gun failed to go, and the boar raised the siege in a 
hurry, Donald avoiding the charge and fleeing precipitate- 
ly. The animal pursued him but a short way and re- 
turned to the burrow; fortunately, it had to drag it- 
self into the mouth of the den, where its hind feet were 
powerless. At this juncture Donald seized its tail and 
held back for all he was worth while the boar pulled, and 
shoved with all his might when it tried to back out. 
"Mack, who was all unconscious of what was going 
on above ground, wondered in what may he came to be in- 
volved in utter darkness in a moment. He waited a 
little while, thinking Donald was playing a trick upon 
him, but the darkness continuing, he at length bawled 
out, 'Donald, man, Donald; what is it that stops the 
light?' " 
Donald was too breathless to reply at first, and Mack 
repeated his question. "Donald's famous laconic answer 
has often been heard of. 'Donald, man, Donald; I say, 
what is it that stops the light,' cried Mack. 'If the tail 
breaks, you'll find what it is,' said Donald." 
Donald finally got a chance to use his dirk with effect 
and put an end to the suspense and darkness. 
Of course this hunt residted in much meat. The story 
tells that they had previously killed a wild turkey, which 
would seem a very northern range for that bird. 
