Oct. 20, 1900.] 
that he was not inclined to do any more wandering, 
.w:"thr«>v eitrsfilves on the fresh earth io rest from pur 
exertions. ; . . "■. ' , 
Wc Were Tired. 
Tobacco now acted as a soother. Jack produced 
an ancient pipe, leisurely filled it, and after thf weed 
was in full blast, sauntered to the edge of the woods, in 
a meditative mood. An ominous silence reigned. Save 
for the murmuring of a brook, the woods were hushed. 
...It vvas the traditional calm before the storm. We were 
^.^Imost afraid to speak. Our six outstretched figures 
•were like so many clods. Finally the timid one mut- 
titred something in an undertone about wishing he 
were home. And now 
It Commenced to Sptinkle. ^ 
This suggested a return, but Jack, who had rejoined 
us, would not listen to it. "No," he said; "we'll work 
- along the woods on top of the gully, and then if nothing 
shows up, we'll go." Well, we stuck to our guide, lit 
the- lantern and commenced further explorations for the 
festive coon, penetrating deeper and deeper into the 
woods. But it was a vain quest. The hound did not 
change his tactics, and in a disgusted mood we halted 
m the midst of some small pines in a corner of a high 
rail fence. To add to our discomfiture 
The RaJn Now Came Down 
like a pent-up outpouring of the masses. Like sheep 
in a pen we .huddled under the flimsy roof the pine 
afforded, making the best of our miserable situation. 
Jack had found a hollow under a projecting log, and, 
snugly ensconced on a dry bed of leaves, was quite 
willing to brave out the stoi-m. 
Experience with a Grapevine. 
Dowling was restless; his nature was not to be 
curbed. He cast about for something to amuse the 
party. From the feeble light shed by our "beacon" he 
soon found it in a wild-grape vine swinging from a 
pine over a bank hard by. On the impulse of the 
moment he took a short run. grasped the vine and 
swung off. Alas for Willie! Grapevine and all were 
"consigned to the depths," and landed with many a re- 
peated crash into the bushes below. We rushed to the 
scene of seeming disaster to ascertain his injuries, when 
we heard his voice issue forth in that time honored 
Bowery refrain, "Oh. Uncle John, here I will remain." 
What a comical looking object he was when he finallv 
crept forth, on all fours, as it were! Not to mention 
his bedraggled appearance, one tail of his old frock 
coat had decided to keep company with the bushes and 
briers. Forgetting the downpour, we couldn't help but 
join old Jack, from his retreat, in boisterous merriment. 
Willie had longed to amuse. He did. 
Oar Nocturnal Devotions. 
We once more resorted to our shelter under the pine, 
where the rain now leaked through in little rivers! 
PhilosQphicallv, we turned to "Rain" in all its phases as 
a good topic for debate until Jack grew weary of it and 
suggested a song. Our nocturnal devotions were about 
to begin. It was a sad sound that assailed our ears 
when^the timid one started up "Nearer, My God, to 
Thee" in a quavering voice. This was too much' for 
Jack. He crept out of his retreat and started for the 
smger. but by this time the song had died awav and the 
•moaning tree tops took u.p the refrain in solemn 
grandeur. The basso now commenced to spout forth 
'Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep," but this capped 
the climax and a stampede began. A feeling to get out 
of the woods was uppermost. The open road, despite 
the rain, was at least preferable. "If we stay here 
we'll not only be rocked, but drowned." quotli 
Dowhng, and over the fence he went. Phillips 
■ followed with the gun. But, oh. what of the lantern 
bearer, the "timid one." he who was ever intent on 
.stumblmg, falHng and innocently getting himself into 
all kinds of trouble! Carefully reaching the top of the 
fence, he fell down on the other side. No, he wasn't 
■ hurt, hut the "beacon" had managed to get underneath 
him in his rapid descent. It must have been a sorr>' 
looking thing. W'e could only feel 
Our Light Had Failed, 
In times past I have often threaded my way on dark 
nights through the boyhood woods, where I was fa- 
miliar with every path, nook and corner, and rather en- 
joyed the- sights, sounds and sensations that such vigils 
brought. But the ways were even then beset with 
obstacles, "clear sailing" was not wholly mine. Here, in 
a strange piece of thick woods, intersected with ravines 
and gullies, our sensations, in consequence, were not of 
the pleasantest sort. We were indeed in a dilemma. 
And then such gloom as enveloped us now! Could the 
traditional Egyptian darkness be worse? It encom- 
passed us like a shroud, twined its meshes around us, 
fairly bumped into us. Our matches had also received 
the "blue shivers" from our water soaked garments. 
A faint phosphorescent glow was all that lewarded our 
efforts for a light. 
Stumbling Through the Datkness. 
lileanwhile the rain came down harder than ever, but 
its volume mattered little to us now. Jack admonished 
us to keep close and follow him. We followed, but 
somehow it was first this and then that one who would 
'get separated. ■ Feeling my way along, a queer lonesome- 
hess Crept over me. I paused to Hsten, when I heard 
some one (Dowling- it proved to be) say, "Who is 
here?" Prompt came an answer, "I am (Phillips); let's 
gather in." So we three gathered. Where tlie others 
were ;was of no consequence now. (I met them the 
next day.) 'Way 'off in the woods we heard the familiar 
laugh of Jack, enjoying himself, no ddubt- Having lost 
pur guide we proceeded to dQ sorrte guiding ourselves. 
Yes, the way was rough. It seemed as though every 
fallen tree and log had congregated in our path to 
worry us. (I fell over three, at least.) Sudden contacts 
mth trees were no rarities; the rough surface of many 
a pine, maple, oak and hickory did some promiscuous 
scffptrig^ against nose and cheekj and receding yftt 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
branches wandered in uncertain lines across our faces 
with no gentle caressing touch. I didn't roll down a 
gully;, it was Dowling (I heard him enter his protest). 
But I did step into a depression and - 1 thought it was 
six feet deep. Thus our path Avas rnightily beset, until 
we entered what seemed like some kind of a clear road. 
At least there were no prostrate trees, logs, rough bark 
or receding branches. And a glimmer of light ahead! 
We had unwittingly stumbled on the road leading 
through the gully. The highway was just beyond. 
Out of the Coon's Domains. 
The mud of the open road felt good. Better speci- 
mens of "Weary Willies" never traveled in Coxey's 
army as we trudged along. The moon struggled 
through the clouds once or twice, and by its feeble light 
I consulted my watch. It was nearly 12 o'clock. The 
rain was still falling. The swishing of the water in 
-Dowling's shoes gave forth a painful sound. In the 
distance the liglits of the village glowed with a home- 
like warmth and spirit. T. M. S. 
Adirondack Deer. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The season for deer shooting in the Adirondack 
region is now well advanced and the crack of repeating 
rifles and reports of breechloading shotguns are heard 
at frequent intervals throughout the wilderness. The 
mountains, hills and valleys are patrolled by vigilant 
hunters, some of whom are experienced in this line, and 
others who are not, while lakes, ponds and marshes are 
posted with sentinels, who watch day and night for the 
coming of the timid deer. In those sections of the 
wilderness where lumbering operations have been car- 
ried on and roads cut through the woods the hunter 
finds it comparatively easy to make his way about, even 
though he does not pay especial attention to his bear- 
ings or the direction in which he is going. These 
roads are often several miles in length, and at intervals 
are crossed by others, so that a person can cover a good 
deal of ground in the course of a day and run little or 
no risk of becoming lost. In many places on these 
lumber roads there are long stretches where a view can 
be had for perhaps 50 rods or more up and down the 
line, and these afYord advantageous points to watch for 
deer, particularly if their runways and the road intersect, 
as is often the case. • In certain localities these roads 
are a good deal frequented by deer, and the hunter is 
more likeb' to obtain a shot by keeping to them than 
he would be to plunge into the pathless forest. Lumber- 
ing is being carried on so extensively that these roads 
can now be found in almost every part of the woods. 
Notwithstanding the great number of hunters that 
have been and are in the wilderness this fall, and all 
the shooting that has been done, comparatively few 
deer have been killed. The woods have been extremely 
dry nearly all the fall and consequently still-hunting has 
been practically out of the question. It has been de- 
lightful recreation walking about in the forest, but in spite 
of the utmost care which could be exercised the hunter 
could not move so noiselessly as to enable him to get 
close to a deer. The fallen leaves would be sure to 
rustle with every footfall, and dry twigs would crack with 
surprising frequency, so that the deer had early and 
timely warning of the hunter's approach, and when a 
shot has been fired it has usually been when the game 
was on the jump or run. Then, too, the foliage on the 
shrubbery in the woods is very dense and this has ren- 
dered it impossible to see far in any direction, excepting 
in occasional localities where bushes do not abound. 
At present the leaves on the bushes are mainly of a 
bright yellow color, and they interfere very materially 
with the work of the hunter. The leaves on the large 
deciduous trees are falling rapidly, but those on the 
shrubbery are the last to drop. 
To be sure, there have been quite a number of deer 
killed in the Adirondacks this fall, but for the most part 
their capture has been largely due to luck, not perhaps 
wholly luck in the shooting, but in the opportunity 
therefor. Good examples of this were seen on the first 
day or two of the open season this year. Early on the' 
morning of Sept. 1 a guide saw a big buck feeding in 
the cornfield near the Bald Mountain House, on Third 
Lake, Fulton Chain, and shot him without any trouble. 
Late in the afternoon of. the next day a party of four or 
five hunters, who were stopping in a cottage on Fourth 
Lake, started out with, the intention of spending the 
night on a small pond, or ponds, watching for deer by 
moonlight. They had gone only a short distance from 
the cottage, however, when they started up three deer, 
and their guide shot a handsome buck, which fell dead 
in the highway. It has already been intimated that in 
proportion to the number of shots fired the number of 
deer killed thus far has been small, and this fact is, no 
doubt, to a certain extent, due to the snap shots and 
long range firing which has been necessary. One 
hunter who watched on a lake shore four or five even- 
ings and saw deer every night but one, sometimes two 
or three deer together, admits having fired eight shots 
at one animal without injuring it, and shooting at sev- 
eral others, which he failed to hit. Some hunting parties, 
who have returned from the Adirondacks after scouring 
the locality they visited thoroughly for three or four 
weeks,, did not get a single deer. They say the signs 
of deer are scarce, and give if as their opinion that the 
animals are not there any more, but have probably been 
killed off. It is believed, however, by those who are 
most familiar with the _ condition of things, that there 
are a great niany deer in the woods, and that this fact 
will be evidenced by the number of animals' killed later 
in the season. 
.The hunter who sticks to the ■ lumber roads vifhere 
they can be found, not only stands a better chance of 
getting a good shot at a deer than he does when prowl- 
ing around among the fallen tree-tops, where he can 
see only a few rods in any directiPn, but he lessens the 
risk of being shot himself by mistake through the 
carelessness Of some Other person. This is a point 
which has a good deal of weight with many, as 
accidental shootings have been so numerous in the 
wilderness during the past few years that experienced 
htmters and guides ar^ becoming very fautious theiif 
807 
movements. It has been repeatedly demonstrated to 
the sorrow of many hearts -and homes that there are 
excitable, careless or thoughtless amateurs who are 
liable to blaze, away at any suspicious looking- dark 
object which they espy in the woods without pausing 
'to see w^hether it is a man or a deer, or who unhesita- 
tingly fire when they see a bush move and hear the 
biiSh crack. Under ordinary circumstances these inex- 
perienced fellows might not be able to hit the side of a 
barn 20 rods distant,' but nevertheless their shots_ se^rn 
deadly accurate when aimed at a fellow mortal in the 
woods, and no one cares to make a. target of himseU 
for them to experiment on. 
Last year there were a score or more of shooting 
casualties in the Adirondack region, a number of which 
were fatal. Thus far there has been only one shooting 
fatality this season, so far as can be learned, but that 
occurred last week. Howard Sitterly, aged 20 years, 
whose home was in Euclid, N. Y., while walking along 
a deer runway near Otter Lake, was mistaken for a deer 
and shot and killed. It is said fliat the man whp. acci- 
dentally shot him has lived in the woods nearly all his 
life. Ordinarily fatalities of this nature are occasioned 
by amateurs, as hunters of long experience usually make 
a point of seeing clearly what they are shooting att . 
In view of the lamentable shooting accidents which 
have occurred in the past, every deer hunter should do 
all in his power to lessen the risk to himself and others. 
The man who kills his friend or guide, or perhaps an 
utter stranger, while hunting in the woods must neces- 
sarily undergo a severe punishment from the agony of 
mind which follows the act, and time will fail to wholly 
obliterate the sad memory; bvit notwithstanding this 
fact it would seem that there ought to be a penalty, at- 
tached by law to carelessness when a hunter shoots a 
fellow being in mistake for a deer. Up in the woods of 
Lewis county, last week, a party of young and ambitious 
sportsmen shot a valuable Jersey cow, having mistaken 
it for a deer, and they had to settle with the owner for 
their carelessness, but when a human being is the 
victim the law provides no penalty. It seems to be a 
difficult matter, in fact, to frame an act which will ex- 
actly meet all requirements, and even with the most 
stringent laws accidents would still be liable to occur. 
In order, therefore, to reduce the danger to the mini- 
mum all hunters shoxild exercise as much caution as 
possible. It is a wise and important rule never to shoot 
at an object unless you can see the full outline and color 
sufficiently to enable you to swear to its identity. 
Another extremely important precaution is in the matter 
of costume. The hunter should never wear a brown or 
gray coat when in the wilderness during the shooting 
jcason, as when wearing either of these colors he may 
easily be mistaken for a deer by some not very careful 
sportsman. The writer has known of more than one 
instance where experienced hunters have leveled their 
rifles at objects which they supposed to be deer, but 
which subsequently proved to be men in brown clothes, 
and only for the rule which these hunters had made for 
themselves, never to shoot at . anything unless they could 
tell positively what it was, the long list of casualties 
from accidental shooting would probably have been in- 
creased Black clothing should also be avoided as far 
as possible, as the person wearing it runs the risk of 
being mistaken for a bear. Probably green, white or 
red. coats, jackets or shirts are the best things for woods 
wear during the shooting season, and it is well to avoid 
brown or gray even in hat, vest or trousers. Many ex- 
perienced woodsmen wear no coat when hunting, and 
their shirts are of some very light or bright color, so 
that they cannot easily be mistaken for a wild animal. 
There was one instance last year, on the Fulton Chain, 
where a young man shot and killed his brother, who 
wore a red sweater, mistaking him for a deer, but 
hunters will find that due care exercised in the matter 
of clothing will go far toward preventing accidents. 
Then if everyone will follow the rule never to shoot 
until the game is positively identified, few, if any, of 
these sad mistakes will occur. 
W. E. WOLGOTT. 
UricA, N. Y., Oct. 12. 
New Hampsliire's Game. 
The season of 1900 opened on Sept. 15. The usual 
prediction of birds being plenty has failed to be verified, 
as it has been doing more and more each year. On the 
morning of the opening I shot five grouse within a mile 
of my house. I found them scarce and but two small 
broods. Young birds as well as old were very wild and 
hard to find a second time. I have been out a few times 
since, and made out to get a few birds by working hard; 
but what a contrast to years past! In times past I could 
start ten birds easier than one now, and we have miles 
of good ground. 
There are several young fellows in this neighborhood 
who are would-be market-shooters. They sell every 
bird they can get. The price offered by our market 
men is considered high; yet, as one of my neighbors said 
(who has hunted day after day in every cover in this 
vicinity), "I can't kill enough birds so far to pay for the 
shoes I wear out." 
The account of the "Granite State's Neglect" in 
Forest and Stream of Oct. 6 is well written. The 
truth, however, of how the lumber of the White Moun- 
tain region is being destroyed has not half been told. I 
will see that the above article of Forest anb; Stream 
i? reprinted in some of our local papers. 
New Hampshire will realize the necessity, of better 
game and lumber protection when there is little of 
either to protect. G. M.- Stark. 
DlTKBAETON, N. H», Oct." 10. ; 
CsLitiet Pig:eon Shot. 
New York, Oct. ii.— A carrier pigeon, having- the in- 
closed ring upon his leg, was shot by mistake at Meadow 
Island. Jones' Inlet, south of Freeport, Long Island, Sun- 
day, Oct. 7. at about 3 P. M. The rin^ reads NHL Q494. 
I send you the mfprmation, thinking that perhaps you may 
be able to notify the owner, who probaWy will be glad 
tP kncfw what has becotpe of his Hnd. ^as. E. Itoju 
See the list of good things im Wopderofi m Mr «4k fcl^ 
