FOREST AND • STREAM. 
143 
tears and powder smoke he saw the bird pitch down- 
ward into the bright oats stubble, where it lay beating 
feebly with its wings. "I killed it! I killed it!" he 
shouted, filled with the crowning joy of the moment. 
"I killed mine. Oh, say, I killed one right over there." 
Old Jip, who Avas as great a hunter as Nimrod, but 
who had neglected to cultivate that connection with the 
Lord reputed to the biblical personage, turned round 
on him with an expletive for emphasis: "Shut up that 
noise," said he, "yoit may some day accidentally kill an- 
other, and if you lose your voice over this one how will 
you holler then." 
The boy subsided. The remainder of the day he load- 
ed and fired very much after the manner of Mr. Tupman, 
but no more birds fell to his musket. Still, he didn't 
care much. In the back of the buggy lay the victim of 
his one successful shot, and he was satisfied. 
MOSCRIP. 
Marshalltown, la. 
Buck Ranch. 
Mr. Parker was ready at Tutwiler with the spring 
wagon when the south-bound train reached there, and 
we got off with guns and baggage. Two venturesome 
Dianas, Miss Breckinridge and Miss Dabncy, had come 
with me, upon the invitation of Captain Bradford, to 
share the generous hospitality of Buck Ranch and the 
glories of the chase. The Captain was already at the 
ranch, and Parker handed me a note from him, mainly 
about how bad the roads were. We found them so. 
The wagon would only hold baggage and guns, but 
fortunately there were saddle horses ready. After some 
tightening of girths for the bad roads, the mount was 
made, and we were soon well into the mysteries of that 
seven-mile road. It passed right by where the big rattle- 
snake was caught last spring, that dressed into such ex- 
cellent "veal chops," thence through McKee's place (the 
poor fellow is now dead) and over the bridge to Buck 
Ranch. 
Then there were greetings with Captain Bradford and 
Mrs. Parker, and admiring of the fine deer that the Cap- 
tain had brought in during the day, "just to encourage 
the newcomers." It hung in the big, open hallway, and 
later, when all was dark and one of the newcomers was 
passing that way who had forgotten about the deer, there 
was a collision. None of the others knew about this. 
Well, there were hot Scotches for the ladies to over- 
come the fatigue of the ride and different sorts of things 
for the gentlemen that would overcome any kind of a 
fatigue, then a short chat by the big wood fire and 
then — oh, that Buck Ranch supper! Mrs. Parker 
was surely responsible for that ! And the young ladies 
were presented with the big cake that Mrs. Bradford had 
sent them from New Orleans. 
Some mysterious things happened at that supper table, 
but it was to be expected, for Miss Mary and Miss Frances 
had come to have a good time. For instance, one cup of 
coffee got sweetened wrong somehow, and tasted more 
like mackerel gravy. Half of that coffee was sw^allowed 
with apparent unconcern, but only half. 
A pipe was resorted to as soon as supper was over, and 
for two days after that the pipe always seemed to have a 
mackerel flavor. All of this only one member. of the 
party knew about. 
Well, after supper there were some more things that 
Horatio hadn't heard about. A large graphophone was 
hrought to bear on the audience that began to gather from 
nobody knew where, and rendered a series of disserta- 
tibns by the authorities of the day, mostly by one Uncle 
Ezra about parrots, dogs, monkeys and "reflection soup " 
and a sermon by somebody about "Nicredemus." There 
followed music by bands and orchestras, and the Cap- 
tain's favorite banjo song, "Turkey in the Straw." Right 
where that versatile machine stood the Captain and I had 
made our bed of straw four j^ears ago, when Buck Ranch 
was in its infancy. Now there is every comfort for the 
hunter, and the change is noticeable, yet with only a 
straw bed on the floor one can be happy at Buck Ranch. 
Early next morning the sky was threatening, and it was 
doubtful if we w^ould get into camp that day, but in the 
middle of the forenoon it cleared up, and we were soon 
on the march again, out into the wilderness. A farm 
wagon had been exchanged for the smaller one, and was 
loaded with the camp outfit, and escorted by the party of 
five hunters (the two ladies. Captain Bradford. Parker 
and myself), together with Leonard, the Creole mulatto 
cook, and Tom, the woodchopper. 
The route lay along a blazed trail through light cane, 
then down a shallow slough for several miles into the 
heart of the Buck Ranch forests. Here the two tents 
were pitched and the camp set to rights generally, while 
Leonard did some things that we afterward found out 
about. His venison gumbo is a whole feast in itself. 
In the afternoon the Captain took us regularly in hand. 
\ye were piloted up a narrow slough, between thick cane 
ridges, our horses splashing through water knee deep for 
about half a mile, when we turned through an opening 
in the xane and dismounted on dry ground. Leaving the 
horses, we walked some distance to where sign began to 
appear, and here the Captain stationed the ladies on 
favorable logs, just out of sight of each other, and he and 
I took diverging courses further on. Tow^ard nightfall a 
shot was heard in Miss Frances' direction, but I had all 
the treetops in my part of the woods full of turkeys and 
couldn't go. The sight on my rifle wouldn't come to a 
head up against the bright sky, from down in the dark 
woods, and after missing three I quit, as the others were 
all gone. When we came together for the return to 
camp, Miss Frances showed us where the big buck stood 
when she shot at him. but he had walked off while she 
tried to reload her single shot Maynard .38, and as it 
was too dark to look for blood on his trail no pursuit was 
attempted. Some turkeys had walked by the end of the 
log that Miss Mary sat on, but she composed herself and 
let them pass, because she wanted to kill a deer and was 
unwilling to take chances on frightening one by firing at 
srriall game. The Captain had seen some turkeys. 
Leonard was again ready for us when we reached camp. 
We didn't disappoint- him — but first came the hot 
Scotches (I was about to forget)— for hunters and hunt- 
resses had been walking in water ankle deep with light 
moccasins on, and it was a cold November evening. Those 
Puck Ranch woods were very wet— all of the best feeding 
grounds were in slashy open woods, and one h?id to be 
reconciled to wet feet, for the still-hunter cannot well use 
boots or heavy shoes. 
After supper we gathered round the log fire, backed 
against a big elm tree in front of the ladies' tent, and talked 
about what we would kill to-morrow. Miss Mary told a 
little story about some oysters (which didn't worry us 
much, as Leonard's gumbo "stock" was still holding out 
well), and Captain Bradford told of adventures during 
the time that the sixty-six notches grew on the long old 
Ballard and the twenty-six on the Maynard, and about 
four himdred others had grown on other gun stocks that 
were not here now. 
The wind was making a very soft kind of music in the 
elm tops, the moon shone through the branches from a 
very deep blue sky that a fleecy cloud scurried across 
now and then, and off in the diark woods some wolves 
were howling dolefully. All of this we soon took to 
dreamland with us — the dreamland of the hunters' camp. 
After daylight, coffee and gumbo or something, we 
went to the feeding grounds again, the Captain going to 
the southward while the two ladies and I went back for 
another trial where we were the previous evening. It 
may be mentioned here that not even the Dianas were 
exempt from the rule that no water should be applied to 
the face before the morning's hunt, as it was supposed 
to make the eyesight less strong and clear. If any sleep 
was left in theif eyes after a cup of Buck Ranch coffee, it 
was rubbed out with the dry knuckles. Oh, the super- 
fluities of civilization ! 
We went prett\' much the route of the previous even- 
ing, through thickets and openings, wet and dry places, 
and finally left the horses secured in the edge of the 
cane and took favorable looking stands in the open woods. 
But the morning passed away serenely and no deer that 
morning was any the wiser of our im'asion of his terri- 
tory. 
Then came a task — to pilot two ladies the dryest way 
out from the middle of a very wet slash. We w-alked 
twice the straight distance, trying to find a route with 
less than 6 inches of water on it, and finally found our- 
selves in the deepest water that the slash afforded, when 
my party "mutinied" and waited there for the horses to 
be brought. 
Back at camp there was something to show fo¥ the 
shot we had heard in the Captain's quarter of the*w^oods. 
When the ladies entered their tent they found a fair 
.specinaen of a fawn lying just within. That evening we all 
went with the Captain back to where the fawn was killed. 
He and Miss Mary took a stand together, while Miss 
Frances and I went a little further away from camp and 
selected a fallen top with plenty of sign all round it. 
In vain we waited for a buck. One ran by through a 
slash near by, but too far away to be seen. Finally I 
began work with the turkey caller, and soon had several 
turkeys approaching. By this time it was rapidly getting 
dark, and Miss Frances had to try a long and unfavor- 
able shot, which she missed. 
A shot had been heard frorn the other stand, and when 
we rejoined the others there was a big gobbler that Miss 
Mary had killed. 
"It was a hard shot to make," said the Captain, "but I 
placed my arm for her to rest the gun on, and when they 
all had their heads down in the leaves and grass, she got 
the gun in position and fired. I thought she had missed 
and told her so. for I could see no dead bird from where 
I was. Later on. when I went over to look anyhow, there 
it lay, where it had fallen so dead that it didn't flutter." 
Miss Mary was shooting a .32-40 Marlin. The honors 
of the day w'ere hers. After the. turkey had been ex- 
amined and admired, she told us that it had caused her 
to lose the buck that we had heard running. 
"I had been watching the turkeys fer a chance to 
shoot." she said, "when I happened to look behind me, and 
there stood that great big buck looking at me with a 
very amused expression. Before I could turn to a position 
to shoot from, off he ran, looking back at me tri- 
umphantly." 
There wete orily three horses for the four hunters, and 
when the slough waa reached, just within sight of the 
camp-fires, the pedestrian ,wibij Id wait at the wat-er's edge, 
blinking at the:inyitinj| fire across the wafer, until a horse 
could be led back adpQSs for him. Then there u-as chang- 
ing of wet shoes and then supper. That evening Parker 
came out from the .lodge and spent the night. 
"Leonard, this eup of coffee has wefn out. Give me an- 
other." ^;aid the Captain, and when the other was worn 
also, we again gathered round the fire and had more 
stories. > 
Saturday we hunted unsuccessfully, and Sunday we 
took a long ride to Cyndy's Band. This is a negro re- 
ligious sect of the locality, the following of an old woman 
named Cyndy, who teaches a verj' commendable code of 
morals, but a ritual tliat is several steps back toward 
African savagery — bell^^inging, pan-beating, dancing, etc. 
Returning to Mrs. Parker's, we dined and then rode 
out to the camp' before night. 
When the hunters left camp next morning for the south 
side of Beaver Run, a light rain was falling. It grew 
heavier as the morning a.dvanced, and all were well 
drenched when camp was ftgain reached. The Captain 
had killed a turkey. 
To-day dinner was served Winder cover, and afterward 
there was gun cleaning, napping and chatting under ihe 
canvas on which the rain dropS^ pattered the music that 
artists don't pla}^ In the late ait.ernoon the Captain said 
we must all go to the house, as iit might rain for several 
days, so the camp was left in tJfc care of Leonard and 
Tom, and that night found us agahi enjoying one of Mrs. 
Parker's suppers, carefully watchi^ our coffee cups the 
while. , 
There was the graphophone again tjiat night, with the 
speeches and "Fra Diavolo" and "Carrn^n," then "Turkey 
in the Straw" and some lively dance mu^iq, to which some 
lancers and Highland flings were stepped' off at a lively 
rate. > . '^.^ 
In the morning it was wet arid e'verybodjfe., slept late. 
Then there were canoe rides on the bayou, titer in the 
day an excursion was made into Beaver Run^ from the 
north side. One of the ladies found a hollow log that 
purported to have a wildcat inside, and was surprised 
that no volunteer arose to go in after it. Any man that 
could crawl ought to do that ! 
Another evening around the great open fireplace and its 
big wood fire at the lodge ! The graphophone played and 
the young ladies danced again. No care enters Buck 
Lodge. 
Wednesday only Captain Bradford and myself went for 
the morning's hunt. On the homeward march I sud- 
denly found myself in the presence of four of the enemy, 
but was not quick enough for them. During the morning 
I had wandered, unexpectedly, very near the camp, and 
made a stalk into it. Tom was importuning Leonard for 
a toddy, and the latter, having 'spied me, was replying, 
"What you talk 'bout, Tom? You know I don' boder de 
Cap'n's liquor !" Then Tom saw me and grinned guiltily. 
Camp was moved that afternoon to nearer the best hunt- 
ing grounds, the Captain and myself occupying it that 
night and the ladies remaining at the lodge till next day. 
While hunting Thursday morning, Captain Bradford got 
one shot and I got two, but no meat was brought in. In 
the afternoon the whole party was out in the same locality. 
A shot was heard, then Parker called. This meant a 
wounded deer, and I started to him. Nearing the stand 
where Miss Mary was, I saw that she was aiming, and 
stopped just in time. A large buck was almost immedi- 
ately in front of me, and walking broadside to her. All 
was in plain view from where I stood — she coolly steady- 
ing the .32-40 in position, with an elbow rested on her 
knee, as she sat on the log and waited for him to come 
into clearer view, while he, apparently suspecting some- 
thing, was walking along stealthily, nearly toward where 
I stood. Thinking she had forgotten to bleat at him, I 
did so. and he stopped. (I was afterward taken to task. 
She was going to bleat when the right time came, and I 
had stopped him behind a tree.) 
After an instant he started on. took several steps and 
stopped again, when she fired, and a puff of the skin on 
the far side of him, which I could distinctly see, showed 
where the bullet came out about the middle of his side. 
He tucked his tail and gave a jump forward, then wheeled 
and ran across my front. We had both fired several 
times, when, as he was about to disappear, I got in a 
bullet somewhere near the shoulder which brought him 
down broadside. 
The worst is to be told. As I ran toward that per- 
forated deer, calling to Miss Mary in a tone too loud for 
discretion, that he was hers, up he climbed and floundered 
off, and I — had an empty gun ! 
_ Off he went, his strength growing to meet his neces- 
sities. The Captain had heard the noise and come with 
Jack, who gave chase, but soon returned, and could not 
be persuaded to take the trail again. It was now night 
and we went to camp with heavy tread. Next morning 
the trail was taken up and plenty of blood found until it 
entered a slash, where Ave lost it, and with it that magnifi- 
cent set of antlers. 
One more score for Miss Mary. A 'possum was looking 
down through a fork high up in a tall tree, and she put a 
bullet in his head. 
It was with a regret that we saw the graphophone put 
away after the last tune that night, and a touch of sad- 
ness was in the handshaking with Mr. and Mrs. Parker 
and with Captain Bradford as we rode on to the long 
bridge which reaches between Buck Ranch and the other 
world beyond Cassidy Bayou. 
Ten days later the Captain, who had tarried longer, 
wrote that he and Parker had killed nine niore deer, the 
season just having opened when we left, and that it took 
seventeen shots to down one that was wounded — and it 
was he that had once said to a fellow sportsman, "Was all 
that shooting at one deer?" Tripod. 
Mississippi. 
The Dogf-Ribbed Woman. 
Editor Forest mid Stream: 
The other day my little daughter, Helen, age six years, 
was shown a little picture book which had once been a 
great favorite with her, but which had been in some way 
mislaid and not seen by her for a year. The sight of the 
long forgotten book and of the dear old pictures caused 
in the little girl emotions of the liveliest satisfaction. 
She hugged the little treasure to her heart and almost 
wept fo'r joy to be actually possessed of it again. 
We all know something of this feeling of pathetic 
pleasure in the rediscovery of something once dear and 
for a long time lost, or in hearing a story not thought 
of for years, but which, if one wliich once the imagina- 
tion had clothed with pleasant interest, opens up vistas 
of the past, enabling us to relive for the moment the 
fresh life of childhood. 
Such a surprise and experience was given me by Mr. 
C. P. Williams by his quotation in your last issue from 
that old story, Hearne's "Journey from Prince of Wales 
Fort in Hudson's Bay to the Northern Ocean." 
I am much indebted to Mr. Williams for quoting the 
story and giving us the exact title and source of it. The 
pathetic story of that dog-ribbed Indian woman and her 
wonderful resourcefulness while alone for months in that 
wintry wilderness of the far North has a wonderful 
Crusoe qtialitj- to it. and was very familiar to me in my 
boyhood. I would give a good deal to know in what 
book or magazine I read it. But that I read it often and 
pondered on it much I know. I seem to associate the 
name of Mark Morrow with the story, and as its nar- 
rator. Can any one tell me who or what Mark Morrow 
was, or in what other publication than Hearne's "Journey" 
the story is given? In my story I am confident that the 
marauding Indians who Idlled the hermit woman's child 
were called "Athapascows" instead of "Athapuscows," as 
Mr. Williams has the name. 
I heartily second Mr. Williams' suggestion for a re- 
print of Hearne's journal, and shall be glad to enroll 
myself as a subscriber, C. H. Ames, 
The police of Springfield, Mass.. have been called on 
several times recently to take charge of a dog that 
causes trouble by his frequent visits to W. D. Kinsman's 
store to see the cash system operate. The animal seems 
to be fascinated by the carriers, and chases them when- 
ever they are started. He rushes about, running against 
people and knocking over goods in his mad race after the 
carriers. He was recently given away to a firm doing 
business outside the center of the city, but managed to 
escape, and Monday went back to the store and the fas- 
cinating carriers at the first opportunity. ^ 
