Oct. 5, 1901.] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
271 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. ) 
Muscalluoge. 
Chicago, III., Sept. 28.— Mr. F. N. Wood, of the Chi • 
cago Tribune, this city, has recently returned from a two 
weeks' fishing trip in Wisconsin. He went to Sta*- Lake, 
but. contrary to earlier advices, found no fisliing tlierc 
at all. He therefore went further into the woods, and 
located at High Lake. Mr. Wood is a sort of a lone 
fisherman, and he more especially cares for black bass. 
Everybody told him he could not get any black bass in 
High Lake, because none had ever been .seen there. 
Wise enough to doubt the guides, he determined to prove 
the matter for himself. The question of bait was all that 
troubled him. There were no frogs, and he did not care 
for .spoon hooks, No other kind of bait was at hand. 
What to do lie could not at first tell; but one morning 
he saw a series of ripples 'on the surface of the water, 
and. going out to investigate, found the disturbance was 
made by a school of shiners. The rcvvard of his philoso- 
j)hy was apparent. A tiny Hy hook, a piece of fish on 
the same, a careful following along of the school, and, 
presto! he had more than forty .splendid bass baits in his 
pail. Then he began to fish for bass in the lake which 
had no bass in it. Rowing along, slowly, with a nice, fat 
shiner Ave'I down in the water, he at last got a strike, 
and landed ?. fine, small-mouth bass. At once he dropped 
over his anchor, and, to make the story short, he pulled 
into camp with twenty-nine splendid small-mouth bass. 
The guides seemed to think it was unprofessional conduct 
of him to catch bass in a lake where there weren't any. 
Mr. Wood sometimes had trouble in catching his 
shiners when the water was too rough to see them when 
they were schooling. One day he started out when the 
waves were running higli, and he only had one or two 
big shiners, with which he be.gan to cast along the edges 
of the brushes. All at once he saw a great rush and 
splash, and felt something heavy st\-ike his bait. One 
may imagine it was difticult for him to row his own boat 
and .get his muscallunge out into deep water, but some 
way he did. and had a beautiful fight of it. The muscal- 
lunge weighed 17 pounds. The .guides thought it was 
unprofessional for him to catch it alone. 
At Nixon Lake, about twelve miles from Star Lake, a 
Mr. Lewis and friend, from Chicago,' were having very 
.good luck with the muscallunge at the time Mr. Wood 
was in. When they came out from the railroad they had 
eight fish weighing from 12 to 16 pounds. 
They reported that on Pickerel Lake one muscallunge 
had been killed which weighed .35 pounds. On Johnson's 
Lake another party had 12 muscallunge, 13, 16, 18 
pounds, etc. Mr. Wood said that when he first went in 
the wind was from the east and the fishing poor. Then 
it came around half a .gale from the southwest, and every- 
body had muscalkmge. 
Frogs and Big-Mootts. 
Friend English, of V., L. & A., said he had sold 25 
dozen bait frogs at lo o'clock this morning. Among 
other frog buvers who started to-day for the Fox Lake 
chain were Messrs. F. K. Reilly, C. S. Lawrence and 
several friends, besides Messrs. Miner, Clements, Han- 
son, Seipes. Winfield. Babcock. and Rice. These gentle- 
men like to take a fall out of the big-mouths every week, 
and they say the bass are still risin.g. Last week the 
wind was very hi.gh and spoiled the fishing. 
E. Hough. 
Haktfokd Building. Chicago, 111. 
additional fihe of $10 per fish. But we will wait and see 
what is the outcome of one of the most open-faced viola- 
tions of our laws. 
Staten Island Netters Hauled In. 
Pkince's Bay, Staten Island, Sept. 30.— Editor Forest 
and Stream : The Richmond County Fish and Game Pro- 
tective Association is responsible for this article. Last 
Friday morning at about 2 A. M. Mr. Gable Gill and C. V. 
Tobin. assisted by Mr. Edgar Hicks, made an arrest of 
five Italians fishing off the "Sods" at the Great Kills. 
These Italians had been watched, and when the time came 
they were taken in with their nets and sloop without much 
troirble. The start was made at the Excelsior Hotel ;at 
Gifltords. but thinking that the long distance could be 
accomplished more easily, the game protectors, Messrs. 
Hicks, Gill and Tobin, went to a man of the name of 
Sandbeg and asked him to take them out in his gasoline 
launch. Mr. Sandbeg being a special protector of the 
oyster grounds, in the vicinity of the Great Kills, and also 
a deputy sheriff of Richmond county, the game wardens 
thought' that in him they would have an accessory to their 
good work; but he absolutely refused to give them aid. 
His only excuse was that he was afraid that the culprits 
would do him damage — cut his sloop loose or something 
like that. But how a man can give such an excuse \yhen 
he is hired to protect oyster grounds owned by private 
individuals without State aid I cannot understand. Per- 
haps that is why so many oysters fail to mature ready for 
market. 
Game Pi'otectors Gill and Tobin, assisted by Mr. Ed- 
gar Hicks, the State fish and oyster protector, rowed out 
from the mouth of tlie Kills to the Sods and caught the 
five Italians in the act of hauling their net. They were 
taken in easily at the mouth of an open-faced arrangement 
I that one of the "army of invasion" had in his hand. The 
culprits were brought ashore, searched and handed over ■ 
to the proper authorities. Then the people who made 
tiie arrest went back and took up the net and confiscated 
the sloop Shark (a very appropriat\" name for a craft 
engaged in such a vocation ) and brought them to anchor 
in the kills. In the net were found about 600 fish, such as 
we all like- — wcakfisl) from three inches long to four 
pounds in weight, striped ba.'^s froiu four iiiches to five and 
six pounds in weight, fluke, flounders, crabs and lots of 
kingfish about three or four inches long — in fact, the net 
contained everything that could be m^entioned that comes 
nut of the salt water in this vicinity. The net was one of 
the best that could be made, and will he taken to court 
for evidence. I shall try and give the outcome of the 
arrest later on. I hope the League of Salt- Water Fisher- 
men will open their eyes and break up anything that they 
oaii lind out contrary to law. 
It can readily be seen that these Italians have a grave 
itrospect before them. If the law is enforced as it should 
h<^, eaph o^p should 1j« lined $25 for the penalty ftn^'^ii 
New Engfland Fishingf. 
The smelt fishermen are having great sport in many 
directions off Boston harbor. Mr. S. Henry Emery made 
a trip to Quincy the other day with the result of eight 
dozen smelt. Though a great trout fisherman, he says 
that smelt fishing is good. A clerk at the Boston Fish 
Bureau makes frequent trips down off Boston Light. 
He says that he fills his fish basket every trip. Hun- 
dreds are down there, he says, though all are not good 
catchers of smelt. Some of them have whisky bottles 
at hand, and the taking of smelt is secondary. A good 
fisherman, who is temperate, and is favored by wind and 
tide, is su'e of good success. The fail smelt off Boston 
harbor, ai I along the coast, are large and fi^ne, and the 
catching of them is growing in popularity. The amount 
of protection they receive in the close season seems to 
liave added to their numbers; at least, the fishing has 
been improving of late years. 
Still the reports of big trout and salmon, caught in. 
jMaine, continue to come in. But it is worthy of note that 
the big fish have not been as numerous this year as last, 
while none of the eight, nine and ten-pound monsters of 
former seasons have been taken. But the number of fish 
taken is certainly most remarkable, and real lovers of 
the futiu^e of the trout and salmon may well rejoice that 
tiic close season is on at last. One may feel certain that 
the fishing cannot hold out, at the Rangeleys and Moose- 
head especially, under the destruction of so many fish, 
unless tremendous restocking is resorted to. 
Spfxial. 
he Mmnet 
A Simple Matter of Vengeance. 
Twice each year — once in the spring and once in the 
fall — old Dan Doggett. the veteran hunter, makes the 
voyage down the river from his solitary cabin on the lake 
shore, to the nearest settlement, where his miscellaneous 
stock of skins may be disposed of and supplies for his 
few and simple wants may be obtained. The trip involves 
a journey of nearly a hundred miles, and usually occu- 
pies four or five days. 
It was upon one of these periodical excursions that the 
initial circumstance occurred, which led to the following 
adventure. 
It was upon one of these periodical excursions that the 
were swelling and a tender green was beginning to temper 
the somberer hue of the. pines. The ice had disappeared 
from lake and stream, when, one evening, Dan signified 
his intention of starting next morning for the settlement. 
Taking a cargo of skins in the small boat which he 
had, at some previous time, obtained for the very purpose 
to which it was now being devoted, he set out early next 
morning on his solitary journey, leaving me behind to 
experience for a few days the solitary life which he had 
led for many years. 
After bidding him good-by and wishing him a pleasant 
and profitable journey, I stood upon the narrow platform 
of rock which served us for a boat landing and \yatched 
him till the measured strokes of his oars had carried him 
across the lake and into the outlet, whence he waved me a 
final adieu as he disappeared behind the rising banks of 
the stream. 
During the five days that intervened between the time 
of Dan's departure and his return, I learned that follow- 
in gthe life of a hunter and living the life of a hermit arc 
not by any means one and the same thing. I passed the 
time in looking after the few traps that at that late_ season 
were still out, in short exciirsions into the forest in pur- 
suit of such game as came in my way, and in fishing in the 
lake. 
In this latter pastime I used Dan's canoe — a dugout 
affair of the Indian type (and may God confound the 
genius that invented it) that could cut as many capers as 
a Texas pony, and execute more deviltry of its own voli- 
tion than any other inanimate thing in the whole world. 
The skill that can successfully maneuver such a craft 
always excites my admiration; and one of the most 
essential elements of its successful acquirement is that 
the novice hold in utter contempt the absolutely certain 
prospect of being spilled into the water. However, in the 
hands of an expert, that sort. of canoe affords a light, 
speedy and even safe means of conveyance. As may be 
rightly surmised from the foregoing observations, my soli- 
tary fishing excursions usually terminated in my getting a 
wet jacket. 
As the evening of the fifth day of Dan's absence drew 
near, I began to look out rather eagerly for his expected 
return. Night fell before he came, however, and the full 
moon rose up into the cloudless heavens, flooding the 
landscape with her subdued brightness, and lighting the 
rippling surface of the lake with a lambent flame. I had 
almost become reconciled to the prospect of spending 
another solitary night, when the welcome sound of the 
old hunter's loud "Whoo-hoo-o-o !" disturbed the silence 
and lingered in rcA^erberating echoes among the hills. I 
looked out across the lake, to see his oars flashing in the 
moonlight and his boat splitting up the reflected moon 
beams into ten thousand fiery splinters as it glided rapidly 
over the surface of the water toward his humble home. 
From the little landing I hailed him with a shout of wel- 
come at, he '..tai cd the .shore. 
"•Hello, Kid! How is everything?" 
''All rigui." I shouted back; "but I'm glad to see you 
home again." 
"Git lone.son;e ?" 
"Yes, a little." " 
"Don't like livin' by j-erse'f. eh.?" 
"No. I'd rather ha-v e company." 
"So 'u'd I; and seein' as how ye hev been talkin' about 
goin' back to see yer folks, and thinkiiv as how ye'd be n 
np and leayin' Old Dan one of these fine days. I thought 
as how I'd jist fetch some un back with me to bear me 
comp'ny when ye're gone. We kin make room in the 
shatity hv another parc^iiePj can't we, Kid?" ' ^ 
"Why, yes, I suppose so," I answered, in what 1 now 
know was far from being a cordial tone. Dan observed 
it, too, for he said, as he stood up in his boat as it slowly 
approached the landing: ; 
"Look 'e hyar. Kid! Don't ye git the idee that Old 
Dan wants ye to go. Not a bit of it ! We hev sheered 
each other's comp'ny fer nigh onto two years, and helped 
each other out of many a tight scrape. Ye hev been a 
square man and a good friend to me, and I hope I hev not 
been lackin' toward yerse'f. It'll be a mighty onwejcome 
day. the dav ye go away, and as long as ye hev a mind to 
stay." said he. stepping out upon the landing and taking 
my hand in his honest grasp, "yer as welcome to sheer 
Old Dan's cabin as ye'd be anywhere on earth. Ye're the 
first pardner I've hed fer twenty year, and the only one 
I'd hate to do without. I didn't mean I'd got another 
one to roust ye out, and when ye see who it is I've fetched 
to bear us comp'ny, ye'll hev a kinder welcome fer him 
than 3'e jist now spoke." 
I never felt more humbled in my life than when I met 
this mild and well-descrved rebuke, and heard these 
earnest words of friendship, every syllable of which had 
the ring of deep sincerity. 
"1 beg your pardon, Dan. Indeed I do! Whoever ts 
Dan Doggett's friend is mine, and if any welcome I 
may oft'er can add to the generous hospitality he is sure 
to meet beneath vour roof, he shall have it, with all my 
heart." " ... ... 
"I knowed it. Kid : I knowed it ! I was Jist a-jokin ye 
a little — ^jist fer fun." 
"Where is your friend?" I asked, for I was unable to 
discover a passenger amidst the piled-up bundles in the 
boat. . - , , . , 
"He's right hyar. Kid," said he, stepping back into the 
boat and feeling among the packages. "Hyar. come out 
hyar! I want to interduce ye to the Kid. He's got a 
welcome fer ye as big as his own heart, and that's bigger'n 
ye are yerse'f," and he dragged something over the side 
of the boat at the end of a string. 
"A dog, by all that's holy!" I exclaimed, when I dis- 
covered what it was. 
"Pup," said Dan, who laughed immoderately at my 
■ astonishment, "Jist a leetle, yaller-speckled dorg_ purp 
with a stump tail : and ye were jealous of him. Kid, ye 
were, by granny !" 
"What on earth did you want with a dog?" I asked, dis- 
regarding his inordinate merriment. 
"Well, Kid, seein' as how I didn't want him, I can't 
sav as how I did." 
"How came you to get him if you didn't want him?" I 
inquired, completely mystified. 
"I 1 resided him." ■ 
"What?" 
"Yes. re.skied him. That's it: and had to fetch him 
along to keep him reskied ; but let's git inside. The pup's 
a-shiverin'. fer we hev rid considerable to-day, and he 
didn't hev much chance to exercise. Come along. Stump," 
said he, pulling the dog after him. "Ye needn't be 
skeered, fer they won't nobody hurt ye now, so come 
along."* 
When he had dragged his charge through the doorway 
the firelight revealed the wretchedest specimen of the 
genus canis that I had ever seen. A fox terrier, with 
the regulation stump tail, and a starved body covered 
with scratches and scars, cowered in abject terror upon 
the floor, in a dumb and helpless plea for mercy. I looked 
first at the pup and then at Dan, wondering how he came 
by such a dog as that. I knew he had not stolen it. and I 
was morallv certain that he had not bought it. His ex- 
planation tliat he had "rescued him" was no explanation 
at all. 
"Ye see. Kid. it's this-a-way," said Dan, reverting to the 
very question that perplexed me, "when I was down there 
to the settlement I see a gang of pesky critters as_ hed a 
bar'l turned down on its side with a fox tied in it, and 
they was a-kickin' the pup in on the varmint and a-holdin' 
him by a rope around his neck, so's he couldn't defend his- 
se'f ner git away. It riled me to see a dumb brute treated 
that-a-way, so I just tuck him myse'f and hyar he is, and 
if he don't git over that pitiful, pleadin' way of his,_ it'll 
be because he hes been used too mean to ever fergit it or 
to hev confidence in human critters any more, and not 
because he hes anything to fear from us." 
He never related any of the particulars attending the 
transfer of property, but I have a lively imagination of 
what occurred when he "tuck" Stump from his cruel 
ninstcrs. 
Dan's predictions were verified. Kindness completely 
transformed the little fellow from a pitiful, timid, cower- 
ing creature into an admirable conglomeration of fnend- 
liiiess pugnacity, spunk and fun. As Dan described him j 
"list a valler-spotted handful o' grit, with a stump tail. ' 
His self-importance was wonderful to see. He accom- 
panied the old hunter everywhere, whether on the lake or 
in the woods, and seemed to think that whatever we did 
was done for his especial benefit. We both, and Dan espe- 
cially grew very fond of him. The old hunter enjoyed 
tlie dog's cunning tricks, and watched his amusing capers 
with rare delight. j ^, 
At every prospect of an encounter, Stump assumed the 
fox terrier's characteristic attitud-e of resistance, with 
legs well braced and wide apart, feet turned well out, head 
well up to guard against surprise, and his stump tail sug- 
gesting an abbreviated exclamation point to intensify his 
strong emotion. He was always ready to attack any foe, 
however dangerous, and his indomitable courage finally 
proved his ruin. . 
The winter following Stump's advent into the comforts 
of the hunter's cabin was very severe, and accompanied 
hv an unusual amount of snow, even for that latitude. 
The wild beasts, driven by hunger, became unusually bold, 
prowling sometimes to the very door of our cabin m 
search of food. 1 j 
One very cold night Dan was awakened by the dog., 
which jumped upon the bed. licked his sleeping masters- 
face and immediately jumped down agam. Dan roused 
me with a vigorous shake. ' 
"Look at the pup. Kid ! Look at the pup ! If the var- 
mint outside gits in hyar they'll be a fight as shore as 
"There stood Stump in the middle of the floor._ in his 
i-ustomary attitude of defiance', the bristles on his back 
reminding one of a sort of' animated scrubbing brush, his 
^r^-ffu in a' snarl thj^^ m^ h^? ey?s 
