B04 
grown, and as 3 passed a small thicket a deer rushed 
across my path within 4 feet of me, and so confused me 
that he ahnost ran over me, but he appeared so sud- 
denly and leaped so rapidly into the thick brush that i 
was' unable to unlimber in season, scarcely a second 
passing between his advent and disappearance. This deer 
had apparently been lying down when surprised. 
An amusing incident happened to a friend of mine m 
October last, who had hunted most persistently with- 
out success. He wore glasses, without which he could 
not well see. While passing through a thick ckimp ol 
tall bushes he was astounded by a terrific snort trom a 
large buck scarcely 5 feet in front of him, which facing 
him accompanied his unmusical ejaculation with suth- 
cient mouth watering as to becloud his glasses beyond 
use He was compelled to clean them, and when ready 
for action sought in vain for his insulting momentary 
associate, who had made good his retreat. My friend 
in relating his experience said, "I met a big buck to- 
day, but he spat in my face, and left. Confound him! 
I am going after him now, hot." 
A ladv friend at my camp a few years ago who had 
killed a deer concluded to go out after another, and did 
so, with a guide at a proper distance in the rear She 
had gone but a .short distance, but proceeding with slow 
pace and great care, when she was suddenly confronted 
from a clump of bushes very near by an enormous 
buck, wbich stepped out in a leisurely manner and 
stood for several seconds not 10 feet off, and there 
they stood gazing in astonishment at each other, then 
with a few graceful bounds the buck disappeared among 
the trees. Upon relating the incident upon her return 
she was asked, "But why did you not shoot him: , to 
which she replied, "I never thought of it. I wanted to 
see what he would do"— and she saw. 
Deer though often sought for most diligently, may be 
difficult to find, and yet may be stumbled upon at times 
quite rudely. A few vears ago a friend of mine from 
England went, out with me early in the morning on 
Oct, r, the first day of the open season, and being_ in 
advance of me, and not more than half an hour after 
starting, shot and killed two deer which came with a 
third running down upon him, thus completing his quota 
for the season. 
Among the three deer which we have shot on this 
tiip is a very large buck, weighing about 250 pounds, 
with magnificent antlers. This deer was jumped m an 
open growth a long distance ahead of us — I should say 
perhaps 200 yards — but was not too tar oft' to be hit from 
a hasty shot, although he did not at first show it, but 
on following after some flecks of blood were observed 
on the snow, showing that a wound had been inflicted, 
though if serious or not we could not tell, but which en- 
couraged the chase. If we had known how slight it was 
we probably should not have made this long chase of 
between four and five miles, for the bullet passed through 
the top of the buck's back, over and free from the back- 
bone. HoAvever, it must have cut some muscles in the 
back or we could not have overhauled him; still he could 
go faster than we could, but we overhauled him after 
going a mile and a half, when another shot was fired, 
which was fruitless, as we afterward discovered, but 
which seemed to speed the deer far ahead again, and 
he kept out of sight for another mile. When in sight 
again a following shot Avas given, which likewise failed 
to hit, but which seemed to hasten the deer on for at 
least two miles more, when we again came up with him, 
although he was nearly as far of¥ as Avhen firrst shot at. 
The last shot was a fortunate one, breaking his neck. 
We did not see him fall, but were hurrying on until 
we came where he had disappeared, when we found his 
body in the snow in his last expiring efforts. Finding 
we were some four miles from, camp, and night near, we 
hastily returned to camp, not reaching it until it was 
well in the dark. It required the efforts of two men for 
six or seven hours the following day to drag this large 
buck home, which particulars I mention to show the 
running of deer in the winter is sometimes attended 
with much effort. 
The deer now congregating in the cedar swamps are 
not yarding, but will during the month of February 
work back and yard on higher ground in the open 
black growth, where they will reman during March 
and April, for in February the buds begin to swell and 
from that time on asstime an increasing solidity. 
They move with the first appearance of the few warm 
days of February, when the snow, slightly thawing on 
top, freezes at night, making a crust, which increases as 
the season advances. The first crusts do not seriously 
impede their movements, if not hurried, so selecting a 
locality favorable for young growth they domicile. 
Throughout this locality for some distance in length and 
breadth, oftentimes a mile or two in extent, and some- 
times more, they pass about in budding, twigging and 
mossing. Repeated passages indent the surface and 
harden it so they can go without much difficulty, and 
as renewed snows and freezings occur an impact is 
communicated to that below, still more solidifying from 
continued occupancy. Over this surface the deer go 
easily, more rapidly than other animals can pursue, but 
if they are driven from it they will llounder helplessly 
more or less, according to the depth of the snow. 
It is sometimes difficult for hunters, regardless of the 
law which forbids crusting or killing during the season 
after Dec. 15 to Oct. i, to drive the deer out of an occu- 
pied yard, for they will turn and keep on it, well aware of 
their disadvantages outside; but if they are driven out 
and the snow is 4 or 5 feet deep they are readily over- 
taken and may be killed with an axe blow on the head, to 
the saving of ammunition. In the old times, before the 
law was in regard. I remember spending a whole day 
with my guide in fruitless efforts to dislodge a herd of 
deer from their yard, but on the following day ejected 
thirteen in one body, which we had floundering in the 
snow about us, in less than half a mile from the outlet. 
Selecting one, I killed it Avith a knife thrust, which amply 
supplied us with venison for our camping-out journey 
through from these lakes to the Canadian line. The 
balance of twelve deer undoubted^ found their way 
back to their yard, for if left uncrowded after being 
driven out of their yard they will soon work their way 
back. 
Last winter was one of unusually deep snow, being 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
for some time on a level of 6 feet when all the deer were 
well yarded. My camp keeper, who remained during the 
winter, tells me he, in crossing a deer yard not far from 
camp, drove seven or eight deer out in the snow, which 
he had completely at his mercy, and that he notched 
several witli ear marks, but did not otherwise disturb 
them, and that upon visiting the yard the following 
day found by their tracks and furrows that they had all 
returned to it. 
Some articles I have read this year expressed an opin- 
ion that many deer perished last winter, owing to the 
deep snows and inclement weather, but I do not believe 
it. No remains of dead deer have been observed in the 
woods by any of the hunters out, that I have heard of. 
and T should have been likely to have heard of any if so 
Icund. The deer this year have been fat. The deer have 
a wonderful faculty of adapting themselves to climatic 
conditions, and I believe do not .suffer much from cold 
or piercing winds, as they in advance seek out sheltered 
localities, when the howling, below-zero gales pass harm- 
lessly over head, as those in the blizzard of Sunday 
night, Dec. 9, and all day on Monday down below zero, 
when the wind from the northwest had an apparent 
velocity of thirty to forty miles an hour. Yet this wind, 
although it thoroughly cleaned off the snow from all 
the trees about the lake, and from the high trees inland, 
completely failed in stripping the loose snow from the 
sheltered cedar feeding grounds. This blizzard, by the 
way, Avas about as extreme as any I have encountered, 
during Monday, the loth, blowmg guns for several 
hours, from 14 to 17 degrees below. We had no difficulty 
in keeping the main sitting room warm with its 8-foot 
fireplace, but in my Avriting room of 14 by 16 feet, with 
three double Avindows and a 5-foot fireplace, and the 
latter crammed Avith dry birch, the water froze all day 
in all parts of the room, CA-en if within 3 feet of the fire, if 
around the fireplace corner, aAvay from the glare, but it 
was quite comfortable, Avriting as I did the greater part 
of the day at a table placed 4 or 5 feet from the front of 
the fire, and it was a pleasant satisfaction to be so well 
housed in sight and hearing of the furious gale. The 
lake, fiA^e miles long in front, had frozen over, but the 
gale broke into it about three miles up from Us, and 
once getting a hold began ripping and smashing the 
ice with big Avaves, and Avalked steadily along with its 
ripping and whirling, Avhich we could not all the time 
see, owing to the scuds of snow, but finally ended its 
smashing up to within half a mile of us, where an older 
ice of some 3 or 4 inches in thicknesses was met. Along 
the edge of this barrier the broken ice. carried on by 
the gale, heaped up Avith an embankment of 4 or 5 feet 
high, as a monument of pleasant tempered defeat. Ta- 
king advantage of a fcAv still hours during the following 
night the lake skimmed its bosom over again, and once 
more bids defiance to the boisterous gale and garish sun, 
and Avill now hold secure its lovely retreats, its beauties 
which blush unseen, its teeming life from the protozoa 
in countless profusion, to the amorous trout habited in 
his garb of brilliant iridescence, who still disports him- 
self beloAv the ice to the admiration of his homlier mate. 
Spawning with some families is still on, and some are 
not through until the end of January. I am personally 
acquainted Avith a family, one of the most noted for high 
beauty and delicious flavor in the lake, strikingly superior 
to any other family I knoAv of, who never, so far as I 
am aware of, do their laying in till about the middle of 
December. They live about three miles from here, near 
the shore, where the Avater is not very deep, and I have 
been in the habit of visiting them year after year, but 
ceased ten years or so ago, since fishing is denied, but I 
have no doubt I should find them or their descendants 
there noAv at the old December outing, though there 
may be some coolness between us, not Avholly upon ac- 
count of the weather, but because I have been accused of 
removing some of their most promising members. I am 
reminded that the lake is just about the proper height 
to permit a good observation through the ice and water, 
with a good-sized hole through the ice, say 2 feet square, 
and with a fcAv blankets to lie upon, and one to cover 
the head and the hole, Avhere a good sight may be ob- 
tained. The bottom need not be over 2 or 3 feet 
from the ice, and is pebbly, with some grass growing. 
There are famous meets there of trout of from 2 to 4 
pounds. I knoAv of a number of playgrounds about in the 
lakes and ponds where the December outings occur, for 
trout A'arying in size, form, character and respectability, 
but none superior or even equal to the family first noted. 
I know of another spot Avhere trout of a lower degree 
congregate for their seasonable outing, where they 
assemble in large numbers and beneath the ice have their 
revelry. It is in front of an adjunctive camp I have on 
a pond some seven miles distant. These trout, though 
less stately and illuminated than the trout of the first 
place mentioned, are of a quality superior to those of 
milder climes, for trout of Northern Avaters are above 
those elsewhere, in flavor and game qualities. 
Some years ago, in December, Avhen fishing Avas per- 
missible, I skated up over the lake and then over an in- 
tervening pond Avith a friend of mine. Col. H. C. Nutt, 
then president of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, to 
take lunch and return. We reached our destination and 
fired up for our repast. The Colonel regretted the pass- 
ing of the fly-fishing season, of Avhich he was an ardent 
votary. I said. "Well, you shall have some if you want." 
He said that that A\'as not possible, as the waters were 
frozen over. I rejoined, "Nevertheless, you shall have 
some." He Avas incredulous, and offered to wager that 
he could not. "Very Avell," said I, "but I don't want to 
Avin your money on a sure thing, but I will wager you a 
big cigar or a box of cabman's thirds that I Avill take a 
trout Avith a fly right here from the boat platform in 
front, and put him in your hands within five minutes from 
the time I commence fishing." This offer was taken. 
I then had my man go in front Avith an axe and break 
up the ice, Avhich Avas betAveen 2 and 3 inches thick, over a 
space of 10 by 15 feet square. Then we put in a boat 
from an adjoining cover and we rocked it in a violent 
manner, driving the ice out of the broken place, some 
over the ice and some under. We then went in for lunch. 
Half an hour afterward I reached down a flv-rod, equipped 
from over the door and cast, the Colonel standing with 
his watch in his hand. On the first cast my trout struck, 
[Dec. 29, 1906, 
and in three minutes from the start I placed a third of a 
pound trout in the Colonel's hands. I let the Colonel go on 
then, and he caught with his plain fly from twenty-five to 
thirty trout in a short time. The water where Ave fished 
Avas not over 3 or 4 feet deep. The trout were of moderate 
size, the largest not being over half a pound. The spot 
I had long knoAvn as a favorite spaAvning ground for 
small trout, and perhaps over a hundred or perhaps more 
were left there. 
Intelligence of the Wild Things. 
EY HERMIT. 
The White-Footed Mouse. 
(Continued from ^age 105.) 
I DESIRE to emphasize what I have already stated as to 
the peculiar method employed by these mice when com- 
municating Avith each other. 
If any one has been fortunate enough to haA'^e heard 
a vocal sound uttered by a white-footed mouse, I shall 
greatly like to hear of the fact. A daily and nightly 
knoAvledge of these little mice for more than fifteen years 
has led me to believe that they are completely dumb. They 
talk with their toes just as deaf and dumb people talk 
with their fingers, only they are guided by the ear instead 
of the eye. Proof that they are talking together is 
found in the fact that they go on Avith the drumming when 
in full vicAV of each other. When calling to attract at- 
tention, thej'^ drum a long roll Avhich corresponds to the 
halloo of the telephone. The answer is the same ; after- 
ward the rolls are variously interrupted. Through the 
Avinter months the mice about my cabin look to me for 
food. By catering to their Avants I have ma.stered their 
calls for food and Avater. I keep a loaf of bread on the 
floor, and it is no unusual thing to sec a dozen mice 
eating and fighting around the food. Whenever I forget 
to supply the bread, the mice come out of their nests 
and drum the long roll, the call over their tele- 
phone, to attract my attention. If I am reading or Avrit- 
ing and do not heed the call, they continue the long roll, 
drumming on books, tiuAvare, papers and on the Avooden 
shelves. The moment I look up or speak, all hands drum 
the food call, a long followed by a short roll. 
The call for water is two .short rolls. The danger call 
is two long rolls drummed rapidly and vigorously. The 
young mice learn to drum when nearly full grown, but 
understand and answer the drumming of the mother 
mouse Avhen quite young. I have had proqf of this more 
times than I can remember. 
An old mouse, a pet of long standing, on cool nights 
takes her family to the roof of the cabin. The roof is 
Avarm and makes an ideal play ground for the little ones. 
Here they race and romp until daylight, when the mother 
mouse puts them to bed for the day. Soon after I hear 
the mice on the roof, early in the evening; the old mouse 
comes doAA'n to see if food and water are on hand. If 
she finds things all right she takes a drink and then calls 
her family down. As near as I can make it out, she 
drums three rolls, a long roll between two short rolls. 
Any how. the young mice under.stand and scamper down 
and drink and eat, after a harum-scarum fashion. The 
old mouse drums to me if there is no Avater in the dish. 
The young mice must hear this drumming, but pay no 
attention to it, Avhich proves that they understand the 
different calls. The old mouse drums on the tin Avash 
dish, and her claws make a sound that rings out loud and 
clear. She drums first the long roll to attract my atten- 
tion, and then drums the Avater call. If food is wanted 
she drums the food call after attracting attention. 
The white-footed mouse has a deadly enemy in the 
weasel family, the stoat, or ermine, which pursues its 
defenseless victims every month in the year. I seldom 
see a small weasel, but the stoat is common in this Adcinity. 
While the stoat is rearing its young the life of the white- 
footed mouse is made miserable. By day and by night 
its bloodthirsty foe is on the trail. It is no unusual thing 
to see a stoat running along the wall back of the cabin 
Avith a mouse in its mouth. It carries its victim by the 
middle, and always reminds me of the picture of a tiger 
carrying off a Hottentot. Some of the old mice are quick 
Avitted and full of resource, and escape danger, otherwise 
the species Avould soon he exterminated. There is an 
auger hole in one of the logs inside the cabin that affords 
a mouse a safe retreat. Several times I have seen a stoat 
thrust its paw into the hole, only to jerk it out in hot 
haste. A drop of blood on the log Avould shoAV that the 
mouse had defended itself Avith its sharp teeth. 
There are three mice about my cabin that for years haA'e 
managed to escape the stoats. Time after time I have 
saved the lives of the.se mice. The three are pets, and 
intelligent enough to knoAV that I Avill protect them from 
their fierce and relentless foe. In the night time, if hard 
pressed, they dive into my bed, Avhile by day they sound 
the danger call, knowing full Avell that I will Gome to the 
rescue and drive aAvay their enemy. 
To a stranger these mice look as much alike as peas 
in a pod, but for me they possess indiAridualities as marked 
and distinct as could be found in three human beings. 
One of the three, the mouse that uses the roof for a play 
ground, always nests under a stone Avail just back of the 
cabin. No. 2 nests in the cabin summer and winter. When 
the Aveather is warm she makes a nest on a high shelf, but 
in cold Aveather her nest is on the floor under a pile of 
ncAvspapers. No. 3 nests Avhere I nest. When I sleep in 
the cabin, the nest of this mouse is ahvays there. When I 
sleep in the open air under a roof to keep off the rain, the 
mouse folloAVS m.e, nesting under ncAVSpapers or in a box 
which I supply. If she has a family Avhen I move, it does 
not prevent her from following me. She makes ready a 
nest and then takes her family to the ncAv quarters. 
For keen intelligence mouse No. 2 takes the lead. All 
through the summer months she makes a nest on a high 
shelf in the cabin. When there is a fire in the stove the 
heat becomes oppressive in the top of the cabin, and the 
young mice Avould perish if it were not for the intelli- 
gence of the old mouse. 
When I fill the stove with wood the old mouse under- 
