462 
I 
Adirondack Lake Trout. 
Last summer my friend Plarry C. and I spent our 
fortnight's vacation at one of the largest lakes in the 
Adirondacks. It was the middle of July when we started, 
and our friends had repeatedly told us that we should 
not have enough of the lake trout fishing for which we 
were going to make the trip worth while, but 
necessity caused us to hold obstinately to our plans, since 
I could get my vacation at no other time. 
We arrived at the camp where we had previously ar- 
ranged to stay, at about sbc o'clock in the evening, dusty, 
perspiring, and above all hungry, having traveled all 
that sweltering day with but a few mouthfuls of dinner 
at noon. Amply "comforted we w^ere, however, by the 
excellent supper which the wife of the guide set before 
us. So much so indeed, that trying a white-miller oft 
the point that very evening, several black bass averagmg 
a half pound or more fell victims to our prowess. At 
about 10 P. M., finding ourselves sufl-iciently tired and 
sleepy to retire, we were forthwith given the option of 
sleeping in one of the cabins or in the open camp. An 
inspection of the open camp quickly decided us in its 
favor, and we spent such a night of sweet and restful 
slumbers as the odor of balsam boughs will ever bring 
back to us. 
Next morning, after breakfast, we started out with 
the guide to receive some preliminary instructions as to 
the best fisbing grounds, and also to become acquainted 
with the dangerous rocks, in order to avoid them. On 
this trip we did some deep water trolling, which, by the 
way, is a science in itself, and took for our catch four 
lakers weighing from two and a half to three pounds 
each. This, of course, encouraged us in the afternoon to 
try our luck on our own hook. Hardly a strike did we get, , 
however, although we kept faithfully at it, rowing over 
the most approved grounds — and we're not altogether 
novices at trolling either. That night the guide cast 
some aspersions on our skill, saying that he would go 
out with us next morning and show us how again. He 
kept his promise as to the going out, but failed dismally 
in showing us how to catch fish; for the morning was 
but a repetition of the afternoon before. 
This sort of thing rather disgusted us for the time, and 
we turned our attention to brook trout and black bass 
with varying success. But lakers were the game we 
were after, and our minds soon reverted to the anticipa- 
tion of struggles with big fish, while our rods followed 
in quick succession. 
We were now entering upon our second week, and 
must begin to catch something or go home with droop- 
ing feathers. Accordingly, Monday morning we set out 
for bait, catching nearly one hundred very pretty shiners, 
and in the afternoon rigged our gangs and started troll- 
ing again. Eight fish, none over two and a half pounds, 
was our catch, which inspired us with new zeal. Tuesday 
we caught seven, and Wednesdaj^ fished until our bait 
gave out in the middle of the afternoon, taking just three. 
We were using light steel rods and one hundred yards of 
stout silk line; for with any other rig trolling is not the 
least sport, and with this the three-pounders gave us a 
fairly good fight. But we had not aken any "wallopers," 
and had almost despaired of getting one. 
Next day, nevertheless, we obtained another supply of 
bait, and as it was not quite dinner time when we re- 
turned to camp, we thought it would be well to try a 
half hour's run. I had the oars and Harry was using 
his rod in a rather listless manner, as though the las1 
thing in the world he expected was to catch a "big one.'' 
We had been out about ten minutes, when, as I was 
gazing around at the beautiful scenery and almost for- 
getting to keep the boat in motion, 1 was suddenly 
brought to my senses by an exclamation from Harry, 
followed by a violent rocking of the tipsv craft, which 
nearly capsized it. He certainly had a strike, and from 
the way the line was cutting the water with that vicious 
swish, he had evidently hooked a fighter. At the first 
strike over half the line Avent whirring out, and twenty- 
five yards more had to be given,before the fish could be 
safely brought to a stop. The little steel rod bent like 
a whip, but Harry knew how to handle it. and had great 
confidence in his line. Back and forth the line whizzed 
while Harry kept reeling it in foot bv foot. At last the 
big fellow was brought to the surface not twenty yards 
away, and we could see that if he could be landed we 
need not complain as to the size of our catch. 
But horror of horrors! I had no sooner caught a 
g hmpse of his shining length than with a desperate 
plunge the great laker shot out ot sight— free. Harry 
was just about to make a verv disparaging remark con- 
cerning the strength of that line, when as he took it 
in he found the gang still attached and everything in the 
best possible condition. We knew, of course that the 
strong old veteran had torn loose, and only hoped that 
he had not lacerated himself so badlv as to cause death 
Baiting up again I pulled along, consoling Harry as 
best I could, and pointing out to him that it was not 
his fault that the fish had escaped, I had not dipped 
my oars a dozen times, however, before Harrv called 
my^attention to a large trout, which vyas floating on the 
surface, ^apparently dead.. Rowing up to it, I put out 
my - hand to take it from the water and examine it for 
I had just a .suspicion that it might be the very one which 
had torn away from us. and now dead had risen to the 
surface.. Bu his lordship was not dead. I had no more 
than touched his upturned belly than witli a splash and 
a gleam of silver and brown he had darted beneath the 
surface and out of sight. HariT says I was so startled 
S nfvTn'; K^'lf^ thehoat. but I deny the accusation 
.''^Imo.st immediately the fish came 
up on the opposite side but as soon as we approached 
to within a yard or two he would dash out of sight only 
49 come, up again a few boat lengths awav, ready it 
f5£emed, to repeat the manonver ' : " 
2Ve could see^that one side of his head was badlv torn 
atid knew that he was the fish that we had been fi^th^S" 
At last despairing of grasping him with mv hands - anci 
the gaff provmg just as useless. I unshioped- an oara d 
3t ?^Pted to whagk him on the hend with H5. «dg«! ' But 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
the unwieldy weapon was hard to manage, and I missed 
him altogether in my attempt to strike him where the 
edible flesh would not be injured. Off he darted, and I 
lost a great deal of time, to say nothing of my patience, 
in reshipping the oar and following him. This time I 
took better aim, and managed to strike him quite 
soundlv, but not hard enough to kill or stun hun. Harry 
thought that he could improve on my attempts, so ac- 
cordingly I passed the oar up to him, and he paddled 
against me until we were within reaching distance of 
our eiusive victim. Harry made a vicious dab, but failed 
to hit the mark by about a foot, which gave me the 
opportunity to retaliate for the raillery to which he had 
subjected me when the fish had made oft' so suddenly. 
We lost no time now by shipping the oar, and as soon 
as the trout came up we were within close range. His 
second trial redeemed Flarry's reputation, for the edge 
of the blade landed squarely upon the big fellow's head 
with force enough to have felled a man, and instantly 
put an end to the poor fighter's struggles. 
Upon examining him we found that the barbs had 
caught him on the outside of the jaw, but pulling out 
here, one of the smaller gangs had struck the eye, nearly 
tearing it from its sockets, at the same time injuring him 
so badly that he would have died in another half hour 
at the least. When we arrived at camp we weighed the 
fish, which tipped the scales at seven pounds three 
ounces. During the afternoon and the next day we 
caught nine more, one of them weighing four pounds. 
These together with the big fellow we took out with us 
next morning, and Harry, without much trouble, per- 
.suaded me to partake of him at the Sunday dinner. 
EdW'Vrd Spaxii^ding. 
[Dec is, igod. 
A Hard Fight. 
The Indian stories told by the fireside in our child- 
hood are crystallizing into the permanent facts of history. 
Dr. Robinson, Emerson Bennett and the writers of the 
Beadle dime-novel school generally have given the noble 
red man a rest of late, and the better pens of Francis 
Parkman and John Fiske have put or are putting 
the early annals of our country into enduring literature. 
x\mong the thousand and one stories of early life on 
the border, there were few that illustrate more thor- 
oughly the hardihood and courage of the pioneer than 
the account of Adam Poe's hard fight with the Indian 
chief Bigfoot. It is an old story, but it is worth re- 
telling. The scene of the adA'enture w^as on the left bank 
of the Ohio, near Yellow Creek, in West Virginia. It 
was in the month of Juli% 1782, that a band of seven 
Wyandot warriors crossed the river and made an incur- 
sion over the border into Pennsjdvania. Here they took 
prisoner an elderly man named Jackson, and then re- 
treated rapidly to the Ohio. The next morning they, 
were pursued by a party of white men and overtaken 
where they had encamped, on the bank of the river. 
There were then five Indians in the party — two of them 
having separated from the rest. The pursuers instantly 
opened fire on them, and four of them were killed. 
Jackson was rescued. One of the white men was killed, 
and the only survivor of the savages escaped with a 
wound in his hand. 
Two brothers, Adam and Andrew Poe, were with the 
company of white men. They were both redoubtable 
backwoodsmen; but Adam Poe was especially distin- 
guished for his stature, strength and courage. The two 
f)rothers had separated from their companions shortly 
before the onfall of the white men, and had set oft' up 
the river on an adventure of their own. While Andrew 
Poe made a slight detour through the woods, Adam pro- 
ceeded along the margin of the river bank, keeping a 
vigilant lookout for the enemy. Peering over the verge 
of the bank he at length descried two empty canoes 
drawn up to the edge of the water, and hearing a low 
murmur as of men in quiet conversation, he looked over 
and beheld two Indians on the sandy beach just below 
him. One was a man of inferior size; but anj' deficiency 
of that kind in the one was amply conpensated for in 
the other. Poe at once recognized him as a notorious 
warrior called Bigfoot, an Indian of gigantic frame and 
of well known prowess. They were standing with their 
guns cocked, looking in the direction where they had 
left their companions. Poe took aim at the larger In- 
dian, but his gun missed fire. The click of the gun-flint 
was heard, and they instantly wheeled around. Adam 
Poe had no time either to reload his piece or to retreat 
from the place; so summing all his resolution, he sprang 
over the bank, alighting with both feet upon Bigfoot 
with an impact that brought him to the ground; at the 
same time throwing his arm around the smaller Indian 
they all came to the earth together. Bigfoot was for a 
moment partially stunned; but Poe's efforts to hold them 
both down were such as to make it impossible for him to 
use his knife. The gigantic savage quickly recovered 
himself, and without attempting to rise he wound his 
anns around Poe and held him in an embrace like that 
of an anaconda. 
Poe was now compelled to relax his hold of the smaller 
Indian, who instantly sprang to his feet. Bigfoot then 
ordered him to take the tomahawk, which lay on the 
sand a few feet distant, and kill Poe while he held him 
fast. The Indian hastened to do this; but as he ap- 
proached Poe, the latter gave him a kick which knocked 
the tomahawk out of his hand and sent him back into 
the water. But he quickly regained his feet, and again 
approaching, but more cautiously, he was able to give 
Poe a severe wound upon his left wrist, though it was 
not sufficient to disable him. Poe now. by a sudden 
efifort, tore himself free from the grasp of Bigfoot. and 
seizing the rifle which the Indian had not attempted to 
use for fear of injuring his companion, he shot the 
smaller _sayage through the body. 
At this instant Bigfoot arose, "and seizing Poe he cast 
him up ten feet into the air as if he had been a child Poe 
lell upon his back at the edge of the water; but before his 
antagonist could take any advantage of this he was again 
UDon his feet. They were now so hotly engaged in 
w^iat had become a fist fight, that neither of th^m was 
able to oraw his knife. Poe was the better pueilist of 
tne two. but the Indian closed in upon him and bv his 
"-""ei-'or strength hurled him to the ground. 
Ihen the ■struggle ,^.gain pn upon the sand, find 
in a few minutes they had rolled into the water. The 
effect of all this was beginning to tell upon the savage, 
Who had doubtless been severely hurt by Poe's first 
attack upon him, and Adam seizing him by the scalp- 
lock pulled the Indian's head under water, and held it 
there until he believed from his manner that he was 
drowned; but ttpon relaxing his hold his enemy, who 
had been only possuming, regained his feet and in 
turn attempted to drown his adversary. In the course 
of these struggles they were carried out by the current 
beyond their depth, and they were both compelled to 
relax their hold and swim for life. 
There still lay one loaded rifle upon the sand, and 
they both struck out for the shore to seize it. The In- 
dian was the stronger swimmer, and reached the shore 
first. Adam now saw that his only chance was to swim 
out into the river, where he hoped that by ducking he 
might elude the Indian's fire. At this moment Andrew 
Poe appeared upon the bank; but seeing Adam out in 
the river he mistook him for the savage, and firing, 
Avounded him severelj' in the shoulder. Adam then called 
out to liim to shooi the Indian on the shore. But 
Andrew's gun was now empty. As it happened, Bigfoot 
in his haste had picked up the gun with w^hich Adam 
had shot the smaller Indian, a few minutes before, so 
that the two men were on a par in that respect. It w-as 
now a question as to which would be in readiness to 
fire first. Bigfoot poured in his powder, but drawing 
his ramrod too hurriedly it flew from his hand into the 
river. He ran after it, but the few seconds he thus lost 
were iu Adam's favor, and just as Bigfoot- raised his 
gun to fire, the bullet from Andrew's gun passed through 
the Indian's breast, and he fell at the edge of the river.' 
Andrew Poe now hastened to rescue his almost ex- 
hausted brother from the water; but Adam called out to 
him to scalp the big Indian, who, though mortally 
wounded, was, with the resolution characteristic of his 
race, struggling to reach the deep water. But Andrew 
persisted in saving his brother first, and by the time he 
had accomplished that duty the wounded savage had 
succeeded in reaching the current, which rapidly bore 
him away and thus cheated his enemy of the coveted 
trophy. 
Such is the story, in "brTef; of Adam Poe and Bigfoot 
as we find it mainly in McClung's "Sketches of Western 
Adventure." T. J. Chapman. 
An Experience in Maine. 
I AM in receipt frani &ti .old friend of his 'brief account 
of a recent hunting trip in northern Maine. In former 
years he was a very pleasant campmate of mine in the 
Adirondacks, which gives to me an added interest in his 
letter. The number of sportsmen camping in the Maine 
woods is increasing every season, spite of the expen- 
sive restrictions imposed upon non-residents by the 
Legislature, and my friend's recital of his experiences may 
quite likely interest many of your readers. We will let 
him tell it in his own words. He was accompanied by his 
son, Russ, and his nephew, Whit. They rendezvoused 
at Mt. Kinee Hotel, on Moosehead Lake, reached by the 
Bangor & Aroostook Railroad to Greenville, at the foot of 
the lake. 
My son Russ and myself started Tuesday morning, 
Oct. 9, with Tommy Grivier and Willie Butler as guides. 
A cold rain made very nasty weather. We lunched at 
Smith's Plah'way House and slept at Chesuncook House, 
head of the lake of that name. Wednesday was so dis- 
agreeable that we halted at a nice log camp on Block 
Pond until Thursday morning. W^e saw three cow moose 
on our way in — two near Lobster Lake outlet and one at 
Rocky Rips. The rain continued all day Thursday. We 
had to tramp three miles around the Plorseshoe Rapids 
and Falls, while the guides poled the canoes with their 
heavy loads up to Crucongomoc Dam, where we waited 
for them, lighting a camp-fire for coffee and lunch, which 
tasted good, although eaten in the rain. We saw plenty of 
deer around the Horseshoe, but did not get a shot. CVVe 
reached Daggett Pond rather late Thursday and camped 
in a nice log house with tight roof of shingles and tarred, 
paper and floor of logs trimmed smooth with adze. Here 
we unloaded stores and sleeping bags and made a camp- 
fire, while the guides cut fresh boughs for beds. This 
water is dubbed a pond on the map, but it is a lovely 
lake surrounded by high hardwood ridges, and at its out- 
let has a wide fringe of marsh and bog, affording splen- 
did feeding grounds for deer and moose. It is surrounded 
by Round Pond, Upper Pond and Shallow Lake, all 
within two_ or three hours' tramp. The last named pre- 
sents especially fine hunting grounds. We put up a tent 
there the last week of our stay and took in two canoes. 
We got two magnificent bucks there — Russ one and Whit 
one. 
On the whole, we had a specially pleasant outing in 
spite of very unfavorable weather. We had an abun- 
dance of fat young deer meat for camp use. The last 
winter was severe on young deer in the Maine woods. Six 
feet of snow prevented them from getting the usual supply 
of feed, and many died from starvation. The survivors, 
however, appeared to be big and fat, and there are plenty 
of them. I started ten in a Sunday morning stroll over" 
the ridge to inspect Little Wadle'gh Pond and Bog. 
Female moose are numerous, and I presume the bulls 
are sufficiently plentiful to afford good hunting. I saw 
five fine cows, each of which could have been shot with 
ease if the law allowed. Wc brought home the saddles- 
and loins of three splendid bucks. I am having the skins 
tanned and two heads mounted. I shall time it next fall 
if I am alive and well to be in the woods during the full 
moon of nights, and will bring home a moose head or— — . 
I ought to have one now but for some awfully hard luck'. 
Wednesday, Oct. 17, Russ, myself and guides started in' 
two canoes for Crucongomoc Dam to bring in Whit, who 
was to meet us there with his guide and canoe, to spend 
the last two weeks with us. "We stopped on the way to 
bring in a deer shot before breakfast that morning, and 
while the guides were bringing it to the lake shore Russ 
managed to tip over his canoe and secure a thorough 
ducking, compelling him to return to camp to dry and 
chaiige clothing. Barring this accident, I am quite cori- ' 
fident that we would now have a fine moose head and 
hide, for on our way to the dam we paddled onto a 
.splendid bull and two rows' standing, on th^ bank; of \hp 
