286 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Maech 30, 1901. 
I The Cruise of the Tule Belle* 
I WAS sitting in my room reading one lowering even-'ng 
in November in the early '70's, when a Celestial visitant 
(China boy in English) knocked at my door with a 
note, which said, "Come and go sailing to-night." 
"Where is the Captain?" I asked. 
"Down factly." 
"All right; tell him I'll come," and the messenger faded 
away. I found the Captain at the "factory." and. three 
of us with a lot of nondescript plunder squeezed into a 
buggy and set out over our apology for a pavement for 
Long Bridge. There were neither moon nor stars in 
sight, and in those days the bridge was not lighted, and 
the chance that the horse would put his foot in a hole 
in the planking^bj^ no means unlikely ; but the cherub who 
looks after real sailors d'dn't desert us amateur ones, and 
we presently found ourselves in safety at our destination, 
where the schooner Peerless w^as to be dimly discerned 
pitching at a sea that already had some scend in it. The 
wind was in the southeast (our storm quarter) and every- 
thing looked decidedh' dubious. 
Why we were starting at this hour I have no idea, but it 
must have been about 10 P. M. when we reached the 
land'ng. and there was a good deal to do before we were 
under way. The purpose of the expedition was, I dis- 
covered, to tow a hunting ark or house-boat which the 
Captain had just built, about fifty miles up the bay and 
San Joaquin River, where she was to be left as a hunter's 
rendezvous for the winter. She was the first of her kind, 
and better adapted for what she was intended for than for 
what she had to go through. We had shipped one or 
two extra hands — in the darkness I couldn't tell how 
many — and about midnight got clear of the anchorage, and 
with the Tule Belle sousing along beh'nd us like a grand 
piano case, set out before a stiff S.E. gale. 
Now the Belle had been designed with a single eye to 
the comfort of her occupants, and her capabilities as a 
.sea-going craft had never been inquired into. As there 
was no rule prohibiting the shifting of ballast aboard arks 
at an}' time, that matter had been left to take care of 
itself, and the weight of the man at the helm had no per- 
ceptible effect upon the cooking range, parlor stove and a 
few other trifles stowed away forward of the center of 
buoyancy. She was, in sea parlance "mightily down by the 
head." 
Running before the wind along the city front we man- 
aged fairly well, but the sea was rising, and by the t'me 
we had crossed the channel and were abreast of Angel 
Island there came from out the darkness strenuous sounds 
which plainly told that the crew of the Tule Belle was not 
enjoying itself. 
We had in our company another yacht, the staunch and 
ever-faithful Lotus, commanded by The Anc'ent Mariner, 
and a hasty conference was held by the two commanders, 
who shouted their remarks to each other at the top of 
their lungs "in the teeth of the booming gale," and it was 
decided to run into Raccoon Straits and seek an anchor- 
age for the n'ght before disaster befell us. 
I had mj'self sought and found a refuge on- that side 
of the island in a somewhat similar case, so I tried to 
pilot our argosy into the cove I had in mind but as you 
are probably aware, on a dark stormy n'ght the shore, 
especially if a high one, looks much nearer than it really 
it. As a result, the nerve of the Captain failed him and 
he ordered the anchor let go long before, in my judgment, 
it should have been. Now the bottom of Raccoon Straits 
is composed of rocks solely — I don't think there i? any 
mud — and it slopes from the island toward deep water 
like the roof of a New England meeting house; added to 
this, the Captain never used a heavy anchor if he had 
a light one aboard. The result can be easily imagined: 
the Peerless waltzed for deep water, and her tall spars 
and top hamper catching the wind, carried her .slap aboard 
the Belle. You ought to have heard the glas> in her 
windows go, and you ought not to have heard her crew 
swear ! 
Meantime the Lotus luffing up to see how we were en- 
joying ourselves, split her jib from top to bottom, and 
squaring away faded into the darkness and we saw her no 
more on that cru-'se. 
The big anchor was now let go, which brought us up, 
but well out in rough water instead of in the shelter I 
had planned for, and we set about getting things a little 
to rights. The Captain noticing that the skiff, which had 
got between the two vessels, was half full of water, 
promptly jumped into her to bale her out.and ^she as 
promptly sank under him. I heard his cry for assistance, 
and found him w'th his arms over the bulwarks, trying 
vainly to raise himself. Although he stood in the skif¥, 
she afforded him no base to spring from, as she was 
awash, and evervbody was too busy to hear him, even if 
the infernal hubbub of the slatting and banging of sails 
and ropes and hulls had allowed anything else to be 
heard. 
The Captain was far from a featherweight, and I was 
no Hercules added to which was the fact his clothes 
fitted h'm "like the paper on the wall," and there wasn't 
so much as a wrinkle to lay hold of. I couldn't reach a 
leg, and I thought I had torn all my nails off in my en- 
deavors to make an impression on his rotundity, but at 
Hength the Peerless gave an extra big roll before the 
skifT could get down, and I got hold of a leg and he 
rolled himself over the bulwarks, pretty well blown, but 
none the worse for his adventure otherwise— he was 
drenched before he got into the skiff. 
We got things clear at last, turned the Title Belle end 
for end and lashed her tiller, converted the rudder into a 
cutwater, then we veered her astern with a good scope, 
had some coffee and a pine and turned in somewhere be- 
tween 2 and 3 in the morning. 
The storm blew over in the night, and the morning 
showed bright and clear, and breakfast nut us all in nretty 
■good humor, though the crew of the Belle was evidently 
not fiuite easy in its mind ; but when she proved to_ tow 
excellently stern first and the crew found itself relieved 
from the nece«sitv of even pretendine to steer it. smoked 
its pipe and dozed the day away in placid contentment. 
We traversed the length of San Pablo and Suisun bays 
without accident or incident, but when we got Into the 
San Joaquin River something happened — I can't remember 
whether the tide turned against us, or we ran aground, or 
what it was, but the Captain became firmly imbued with 
the idea that he ought to be back in the city. Now it hap- 
pened just at that time that it didn't make any particular 
difference to anybody whether I was back in the city or 
not — I had, if the truth were told, a good deal more time 
than money on my hands — but if he wanted to get back I 
had no objection to keeping him compa^}^ We filled a 
pumpkin-seed-shaped affair we carried for a d:'nghy with 
some things to eat and drink and smoke, and bidding 
good-by to the fleet, set out for the next landing, where 
we expected a steamer could be boarded. 
My first discovery was that the sail which had been 
made in the "trimming shop" of the factory was the 
most ingeniously mal-contrived affair I have ever .seen, 
was a good deal larger than it had any business to be, 
could only be reefed by cutting away the upper stops — 
Avhich I promptly did — and set like a nightcap. However, 
we started, and had got a mile or so on our way when 
it began to rain. It was no "snizzle-snozzle drizzle- 
drozzle, but a right down good pour," and we hastened to 
run the boat among some tules, dowse the sail and spread 
a rubber blanket over our heads and shoulders. Here we 
sat and laughed and smoked while the rain beat down on 
our rubber shelter, tmtil it got tired, and then we set out 
again. 
We reached the land'ng at last and boarded a schooner 
to make some inquiries, but by some curious freak of 
fortune — for it isn't the rule — we struck the most in- 
hospitable gang of Souwegian Yahoos that I have ever 
met in all my experience, and they almost put tj^pff. they 
were so anxious to get rid of us. They plain?)/ took us 
for a couple of shipwrecked greenhorns, who would ask 
to be carried home, but we got enough out of them to 
convince us that no steamer stopped at that landing, and 
the next was too far off to make seeking it advisable in 
that weather, and set out to return to the yacht. 
When we got so far away that nothing they could throw 
could reach us, we uncovered the basket and lunched 
sttmptuou.sly in their sight, not forgetting to toast them 
politely with every drink we took. Then waving them a 
parting salute appropriate to the occasion, we hoisted our 
ridiculous sail and sped away. It came on to rain aga'n 
before we got back, and fearing the boats might set off 
without us, we kept on, arriving in time, but drenched. A 
good fire in the galley helped matters some, but as we 
stood there divested of our outer garments and drying 
those we had on in installments, a brilliant idea occurred 
to me, which I lost no time in putting into execution. 
Jumping into the small boat I boarded the Belle — we were 
under way again — and with the least possible lose of time 
had a roaring fire in the stove in the saloon. This was 
not a very large apartment, and I soon had a fine glow 
on the temperature, and pulling a rocking chair before 
the genial blaze, got a magazine, and occasionally glancing 
at the passing landscape, which was a little monotonous 
just here whiled away the afternoon, got dry and en- 
joyed myself hugely. I remember that I decided that if 
i ever got rich I would have a boat which should be en- 
tirely cab'n, staterooms and galley (this last at the ex- 
treme stern) with a slave of a tug to drag me around. I 
haven't ljuilt that craft yet. Several times the Captain 
liailcd me to come aboard for various purposes, but I 
only shook my outstretched fingers at him and answered 
that he had better join me and be comfortable. 
About dinner time, however, I surrendered and rejoined 
him aboard the Peerless, and we spent the evening 
amicably together, turning in rather early to make up 
the lost sleep of the night before. We got the Belle 
safely to her dest' nation next day and returned in the 
Peerless without any more shipwrecks, and I believe the 
Belle is somewhere up in those sloughs yet, though I 
think she long since =ank from her high estate to the 
position of storehouse for hunting boots and .such truck. 
The genial Captain (who was Podgers) passed away a 
few months ago. and the bones of the handsome Peerless 
were long since laid on a reef on the coast of Australia; 
the Ancient Mariner has gone, and the Lotus, or her 
bones, is somewhere in the South Seas too. 
*** 
A curious story is told of a fox that was bemg hunted 
the other day by the Fitzwilliam hounds. He was found 
at Wadworth Wood and gave a good run to a withy 
bed, from which he was again driven, and on this he made 
for a railway, "lay down in the permaneui way and re- 
fused to budge." Whether he was acquainted with the 
local time table or whether he heard a train approach- 
ing, the chronicler of the incident does not sta.e; but he 
infers that the fox knew it would be dangerous to the 
hounds to venture on the line. The calculations of the 
sagacious animal were right enough, as they very often 
are. A train was approaching, the hun sman saw that 
the hounds were likely to be cut to pieces if they ventured 
on the line, and he whipped them off accordingly— with 
some d^fficultv, it is said, for the hounds were less ex- 
perienced in the matter of express trains than the fox. 
Keenness in pursuit of his prey and obedience to the 
huntsman are the two chief features of a fox hound, and 
the two must have clashed considerably in the Fitzwilliam 
pack when they actually saw their fox before them and 
were not allowed to have him. "The fo-^ maintained his 
position till the express got wi,hin a short distance, and 
then quietly made off." Every one will congratulate him 
on his escape. — London Standard. 
The Duke of La Tremouille has a shooting preserve in 
the forest of Rambouillet, and to protect it against 
poachers has studded it with man-traps of his own in- 
vention. The other day the game keepers heard the elec- 
tric alarm jingle, and rushing to the designated poacher 
trap found the Duke, who in roaming about his estate 
had stepped into one of his own snares and found him- 
self in the twinkling of an eye dumped into a deep narrow 
pic, out of which he could not climb. 
A curious cause of death has recently been recorded in 
India. A na ive who was fishing in a stream caught a 
flat, eel-like fish, about 15 to 16 inches in length. Being 
desirous of killing it, he put it into his mouth in order to 
bite off its head. The fish slipped through the man's 
fingers into his mouth and conveyed itself partly down 
his gullet. The situation now was bad for the fish, but 
still 'worse for the man, for owing to the sharp fins on the 
back of the fish it was not possible to withdraw it. The 
man died in great agony within an hour. 
Fixtttres* 
July 14-23. — San Francisco, Cal.— National Schuetzenbund o4 
North America's annual tournament in Shell Mound Park. Off- 
hand, 200yds. 
Aug. 6-7.— Taftsville, Conn.— South New England Schuetzen- 
bund's annua] festival and prize shoot. 
Zettlcf Rifle Clttb Totfrnament. 
The rifle tournament given by the Zettler Rifle Club ended on 
March 16, after seven days of keen and interesting competition. 
Ihe range is 7-5ft. long as against 90ft. in the Garden, a dif- 
ference of 15ft. All the winners in the tournament used Peter.s 
.22 short, and no less than six men broke the indoor 75ft. record. 
A large number of the contestants in tlie revolver and pistol 
matches also used this ammunition. 
One-hundred shot gallery match for the championship of 1901, 
entrance $5; 100 shots, to be fired in 10 scores of 10 shots at any 
time during the tournament; the regular 25 (^4in.) ring target, 
In case of a tie for the championship the highest 10-shot score 
of the contestants shall decide; all other ties divide. The winners 
were as follows: 
F C Ross, Brooklyn, Z R C, Stevens— 
243 247 245 243 245 242 244 248 248 246—2451 
L P Ittel, Allegheny, Pa., Iroquois R C, Stevens-Pope— 
247 245 243 247 246 244 245 244 246 244—2451 
H M Spencer, Dunniore, Pa., Electric City R C, Stevens— 
246 243 243 242 241 244 241 243 246 249—2439 
C Zettler, Jr. New York, Z R C, Ballard— 
244 243 244 247 244 244 241 244 247 240—2438 
L P Hansen, Jersey .City, Z R C, Stevens— 
244 241 240 246 245 245 242 248 241 242—2434 
Dr W G Hudson, New York, Manhattan, R & R A— 
242 245 243 243 240 242 242 246 244 244—2431 
M Dorrler, Greenville, N J, Z R C, Ballaid— 
244 240 244 245 245 243 242 241 244 243—2431 
E S Pillard, New Britain, Conn., Z R C, Ballard-Pope— 
244 236 241 241 247 245 247 241 245 243—2430 
T R Geisel, Springfield, Mass, Springfield R & R A, Winchester— 
243 241 240 235 248 242 245 246 245 243—2428 
L C Buss, New York, Manhattan R & R A, Ballard— 
241 245 244 240 236 242 239 247 247 246—2428 
P J O'Hare, Jersey City, Cottage R C, Ballard, Winchester— 
238 214 241 247 238 242 241 246 242 248—2428 
Gottlob Worn, Brooklyn, Williamsburg S S, Ballard — 
244 241 240 244 245 242 240 245 243 243—2427 
W A Tewes, Jersey City, Cottage R C, Ballard— 
240 245 245 246 246 236 240 244 239 245—2426 
A Kronsberg, New York, Z R C, Ballard-Winchester— 
245 245 246 240 240 242 238 244 239 243—2422 
J T Humphrey, Boston, Mass., Massachusetts R A, Stevens — 
244 242 241 235 243 243 243 242 241 242—2417 
Special target for the Gus Zimmerman trophy; re-entry match, 
3 shots on a 4in, bullseye" with rings; entries 25 cents; best 3 
shots on one bullseye to count. In case of a tie the second best 
score 01 each man shall count, etc.: L. P. Ittel, 75, 75, 74, won the 
trophy; other good scores were made by A. Kronsberg 74, H D 
Miller 74. E. S. Pillard 73, M. Dorrler 72, R. Busse 71, W. Koch 
70, Col. Keller 68, S. Buzzini 68, L. Maurer 67. 
Ring target; target of 3 shots 35 cents, three for $1; re-entries 
unlimited; the best 3 targets to count for the first five prizes; 
tlie best 2 targets to count for the next five best prizes; one target 
for the rest; the 25 (%in.) ring target; all ties divide. No fewer 
than 38 men took part: 
Best 3 targets: 
H M Pope .75 73 74—224 C Zettler, Jr 75 74 74—223 
W A Tewcs 75 75 71-224 T R Geisel 75 74 73—222 
L P Ittel "lb 74 74—223 
Best 2 targets: 
L P Hansen .74 74—148 G Schlicht 74 73—147 
L Flach 74 74—148 G Worn 74 73—147 
E S Pillard 74 73—147 F C Ross 74 73—147 
M Dorrler 74 73—1-47 
Best sinffle targets: 
W A Hicks 74 T Rebhan , 73 
R Goldwaite.... 74 P Kossek 73 
1 T Humphrey 73 R Busse , 73 
' <" "^'iss 73 H M Spencer 73 
F Kost ..13 P Muth ...,".,.,....78 
Premiums for the best 5 targets: 
L P Ittel 75 74 74 74 74—371 $4 50 
H M Pope 75 75 74 74 73—371 4 50 
W A Tewes 75 75 74 73 73—370 3 GO 
Bullseye target; bullseye of 3 shots, 35 cents for each bullseye, 
three for $1; re-entries unlimited; the best shot by measurement 
to count for prizes, etc.; all ties divide. The number of entries 
reached nearly fifty: 
Degs. Degs. 
L P Hansen I6V2 $25 00 C Bayer 21 $4 00 
R Busse ...18 17 50 R Oute 21 4 00 
M Dorrler IS 17 50 Gus Zimmerman 21% 3 00 
Geo Zimmerman 18% 10 00 H D Miller 22 1 60 
L P Ittel ISVa- 8 00 G D Weigman 22 160 
L C Buss 20 6 50 T Schmitl ....22 1 t.O 
J Kaufman 20 6 50 H M Pope 22 1 60 
A Kronsberg 2OV2 5 00 H Mahlenbrock 22 1 60 
T H Keller, Sr 20% 5 00 
Premiums for most bullseyes: 
Keller 204 $5 00 Miller 183 ?3 00 
Zimmerman 189 4 00 , 
Notice. 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., and 
not to any individual connected with the paper. 
Leading dealers in sportsmen's supplies have advertised in our 
columns continuously for a quarter-century. 
If you want your shoot to be announced here send a 
notice like the following: 
Fixtwes, 
April 1.— Cleveland, O.— April shoot of the Cleveland Gun Club 
Company. 
April 9-12.— Baltimore, Md.— Seventh annual spring luurnament 
of the Baltimore Shooting Association; two days targets, $100 
per day added; two days live birds, ?500 guaranteed. J. 14- 
Hawkins, Sec'y- t-, 
April 10.— St. Louis, Mo.— Contest for Dupont trophy at Dupont 
Park. „. . . 
April 12-13.— Newark, N. J.— Forester Gun Club's tournament. 
J. J. Fleming, Sec'y. 
April 16-18.— Leavenworth, Kan.— Annual tournament of the 
Kansas Sportsmen's Association. W. H. Koehler, Sec'y. 
April 18.— Newell, la.— Newell Gun Club's target shoot. Henry 
G. flail, Sec'y. . , , . ^ 
April 23-25.— Spirit Lake, la.— Klein-Barmeister's third annual 
target tournament; $50 added each day. - 
April 26-28.— Chicago.— Annual spring tournament of the Crescent 
Gun Club. John S. Boa, Mgr. 
]y[ay 7.9.— Peru, Ind.— Fifth annual amateur tournament of the 
Peru Gun Club;' two days at targets for amateurs; one day at 
live birds. Chas. Bruck. Sec'y. ^, , „ „ 
May 7-10.— Tournament of the New Jersey State Sportsmen * 
Association. C. W. Feigenspan, Sec'y. 
May 7-10 — Lincoln. NcB.— Twenty-fifth annual tournament of the 
Nebraska State Sportsmen's Association, under the autpioe» of the 
Lincoln Gun Club. W. D. Bain, S«e'y. ^ ^ 
