610 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
[Dec. 27, 1902. 
Ways of the Night. 
W' "A little nonsense now and then 
T Is relished by the best of men." 
There are places where game abounds that are 
shoAvn on no sportsman's chart; there are ways and 
means for its capture not laid down in sportsmen's 
publications. 
One such case came under my observation and one such 
method was brought to my attention sonie years since 
when jacking deer was considered good form and had 
legal sanction. The place still exists, and as the method 
is somewhat novel and not likely, to materially aid in 
the extermination of deer, with or without legal sanc- 
tion, I may be pardoned for making it public now with 
attendant incidents and experiences. 
Deer Bog — that is the place — but you will look in vain 
for it on any map, or in the advertisement of any camp 
owner whose seductive words arc the net to catch the 
dollars of the tenderfoot and imwary sportsman. 
Deer Bog, deer bog— rather a fetching name, eh ? — and 
one likely to recall many stirring adventures of camp 
and trail. 
Well, here it was one night ih the rapidly lengthening 
years agone that two noble bucks paid the penalty of 
over-curiosit}^ or over-confidence, or both. 
The place? Oh, 3'es ! — but I crave to be excused if I 
am not more specific — it is up in Canada in the Megantic 
Country, off toward the Boundary Mountains. Jack 
Boyle lives up that way — ^Jack has made many tours 
of exploration and discovery, and the location of Deer 
Bog is one of his secrets that I do not feel at liberty 
to reveal. 
Jack is one of the many verifications of the old adage 
which says that ''valuable goods are done up in small 
parcels." He is well versed in woodcraft, willing, cheer- 
ful, companionable ; he can carry a good pack, is past- 
master of paddle and frying pan, and resourceful in emer- 
gencies. He is just the man with whom to share your 
camp blanket in the woods — and to him I refer the 
reader as the proper sign post to point the way more 
definitely to Deer Bog. 
With a party of friends and guides We had closed the 
trout season in a blaze of glory on the head waters of 
the Dead River in northwestern Maine, and early the 
next morning we set forth upon the long trail over the 
mountains to take advantage of the opening of the deer 
season in Canada, Sept. i. A soaking rain storm forced 
us to accept the shelter of a friendly lean-to beside the 
trail for several hours, and this with heavy packs and 
increased difficulties of travel delayed our arrival at the 
clubhouse on Spider Lake several hours beyond the time 
planned. Here we learned that another party had gone 
up Spider River where we had planned to go ; but Jack, 
to use an- expressive modern colloquialism, always has 
"something up his sleeve" for emergencies attd to please 
and bring success to his emploj'cr. 
To this seeming untoward yet fortunate circumstance 
is due m}' introduction to Deer Bog and the possession 
of two noble bucks weighing respectively 205 and 240 
pounds. 
Journeying from the clubhouse several miles by water 
and team we at length drew rein at the log cabin of au ' 
habitant near the edge of the woods. As he could speak 
no English, I was about to polish up my very limited 
knowledge of paiies-vous Frangais and start it going at 
him, when the verj' unusual sight of a winsome Canadian 
lass with auburn hair and hazel eyes appeared upon the 
scene and accosted us in English. I noticed that her 
cordiality was not that of a stranger, and that for Jack 
at least the place might be both dear and deer bog. 
But Jack is married now, and this, as the novelist 
woidd say, is aitother story. 
It was late in the afteritoon and we had yet a couple 
of miles to travel on foot through the woods— some of 
the distance over an old portage road and some through 
swamp and dense undergrowth. The horse having been 
cared for, and telling her our errand, we took our de- 
parture for the adventures of the night at the bog, ac- 
companied by her oft-repeated expression of good wishes 
for our success and safe return. 
A-rriving after a hurried walk, which induced profuse 
perspiration, at our destination in the rapidly deepening 
twilight, Jack sought his old dug-out canoe where it had 
been safely cached since the previous season, and drag- 
ging it over the yielding, mossy surface of the bog we 
launched it upon the water. A few yards back was what 
appeared to be a flag pole standing upright in the bog. 
Jack was somewhat puzzled and troubled about this, and 
in answer to my questioning said he thought that some- 
one must have discovered this out-of-the-way and favor- 
ite place of his and had been camping here, and that the 
pole was probably erected for a flag staff. 
We soon had two noble bucks, the limit allowed by 
law, "biled the kettle," improvised a shelter for the night, 
and slept the sleep of the tired and successful sportsman. 
With earliest dawn, we started out for the team atid 
assistance to bring out the game. Arriving at the cabin 
the daughter was surprised and delighted when told of 
our success, which, to appear gallant, we attributed very 
largely to her good wishes for our success the previous 
evening. 
The parents were incredulous, at first, but again being 
positively assured that we "got two bull deeres," and 
that the head of the household must lend a helping 
hand to get them out, he discharged a Maxim rapid-fire 
gun loaded with interrogatories at me, which the 
daughter as rapidly interpreted. 
"My fader he wants to know if you gat dose deeres by 
fire?" 
"By fire? Oh ! yes, we jacked them," I replied when the 
meanitig of her question dawned upon me. 
This, being told to him, seemed to increase his sur- 
prise and led to animated and prolonged conversation 
between all the members of the household. 
The interpreter resttmed her task with : 
"My fader he says you are big hunter for sure. He 
go on same place some tarn, den some more tam, den niore 
tam agin, and he hang hint light on pole and stay all nighl 
and no deeres come. No, no^ — for sure." 
"Did he have only one lantern, and did he whistle 
any?" I inquired. 
"We haf only oiie lantern, but I don't kt^ow 'bout 
whistle him. I will ask my fader 'bout dat" 
Then for a time the English abdicated and French had 
the floor. 
"My fader say him no whistle. He say you know 'bout 
all dose things for get deeres, and will you tell him all 
'bout fire way lak one big fire?" 
"Well, you tell your father he must get another lantern 
and put up another pole opposite the one now there, and 
fasten a lantern high up on each pole. He must then get 
in his canoe and take his place midway between them, and 
whistle a jig or other lively dancing tune occasionally. 
You know deer are lively and jovial and have a good ear 
for music. Then when the deer come running down the 
mountain side and plunge into the water looking for the 
nnisic, he can get a good shot. By having a latitern on 
cither side he can see both ways, which will double his 
chances for getting his game." 
This information elevated me in the estimation of all 
to a higher level as a mighty hunter, and elicited generous 
words of admiration, praise, and thanks. 
Just then Jack announced that he had the teant m readi- 
ness, and as our fire-hunting friend was to accompany 
him, I took my leave and pointed the toes of my mocca- 
siits toward Spider Lake, where Jack overtook me with 
the two bucks soon after I reached its shore. We 
loaded the deer in our canoe and a paddle of a few 
miles laitded us at the clubhouse, where we were show- 
ered with heartiest congratulations and praise. 
I have never heard whether or not our fire-hunting 
frieitd was successful in getting "deeres" by my improved 
method of jacking, and I have not deemed it judicious 
to tnake personal application to ascertain. 
Geo, McAlrer. 
WOKCBSTBR, Mass. 
The Wolf Concert Cure. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
There is, or was, away back in 1882, a silver mine 
just back of Cooks Peak, in Grant county, New 
Mexico; it is ten miles from the nearest railroad sta- 
tion, and what little ore there was shipped from this 
mine (it ■ \yas only low grade ore, and a limited 
amount i.f it was sent up to Sante Fe to be used a;; 
llux in the smelter there) was hauled by wagon from 
the mine to Porter station oit the Santa Fe road. 
A friend of mine named Wilsoit had the contract to 
haul it, and he drove one of his teams himself, tie 
had two fine horses in this team, but one of them 
was, I think, the most stubborn animal I have ever 
seen. A mule is credited with being stubborn, i 
could generally coax or vsdiip an armj' mule into doint, 
anything I wanted done. I could do nothing with this 
horse. I had tried coaxing him time and again, and 
had seen Wilson half kill him whipping him; I had 
to interfere to stop him; still the horse would noi 
move an inch. 
An Arizona camel that I once tried to educate, but 
made a failure of it, came about the nearest to this 
horse for stubbornness of a.ny animal I have ever 
seen, one being about as stubborn as the other. 
I carried a mail on this road, going over it twice 
a daj^ riding a mule, and generally each evening I 
would find Wilson and his team at a dead stop a 
mile or two from the railroad. This horse had quit 
here for the day. Then Wilson would unhitch them; 
then mounting this one or his other horse, would 
leave the wagon here and ride home. The horse 
would go now, but he would not drag that wagon 
another inch to-day. To-morrow he would help haul 
it down, then back to the mine; then down here again, 
to stop here as before. This was the regular pro- 
gramme; and Wilson was nearlj' tired of it, he told 
mc. 
I came down the road that evening and found the 
team here at a dead stop as usual. It had been here 
an hour now, and was still a mile and a half from 
the railroad; it would stay here if this horse had to 
haul it. I was a full hour ahead of train time, and 
concluded to try an experiment on the horse, if Wil- 
son would let me. 
"If you let me have this horse to-night, Wilson, I 
think I can cure him." 
"Go ahead; cure or kill him, I don't care much 
Avhich. I am sick of him." 
We took his mate out of the wagon; then I got 
two rope lariats out of the wagon, and tying one on 
each side of his head, carried the ends of them clear 
across the road, one on each side of it; then drove the 
iron picket pins in hard, leaving the horse only a few 
inches to itiove his head in either waj^; and next we 
chained- both hind wheels; that was hardly necessary, 
though, for the wagon had about two tons of ore on 
it, and the horse would hardly drag it far if his head 
were not tied if he did make up his mind to move. 
Next I unhooked his outside trace chain, tying it up 
out of his way. Then we both mounted and left him. 
"I am afraid that the wolves will finish him," Wil^ 
son told nie; "but I will risk it." 
"They won't go. near him as long as he is not crip- 
pled. I depend on those wolves to cure him. They 
will keep him in a cold sweat all night. That is why I 
left him there. I don't think you will ever have to 
leave him there, or anj'^where else, after this." 
These were the little prairie wolves; there were 
plenty of them here. 
It was long after dark when I rode back here again 
on my way home. The horse heard me coming, and 
began to whinny;- he was getting lonesome. These 
little wolves had already found him, and were giving 
him a free concert when I came up. I stopped a 
motnent, and the horse began to dance; he would pull 
that wagon down home now, I had no doubt, if I 
wanted him to do it. 
"You stay here," I told him; "we don't need you to- 
night; when we do we know where to find you." 
I came back with niy morning mail just after sun- 
rise next morning; the horse stood just as I had left 
him, and looked at me as if to sa.y, "What kind of A 
deal do you call this, anyhow? Have you never heard 
of the Humane Society?" 
Wilson came up now^ and taking the ropes off, 
hitched, his other horse in; then mounted the seat, and 
the team started off. The horse needed no whipping 
to-day; he seemed to think that he could not get to 
that railroad soon enough. He wanted water and his. 
supper and breakfast. He got them, then dragged 
the wagon up to the mine and back again, not offering 
to stop anywhere he was not told to stop, and getting 
in soon after 3 o'clock. He hauled six loads a week 
for the ne.x-t month, then only quit because Wilson 
did, his contract being filled. 
The next time I saw him, months after this, he was 
still going. I began to pet him, and asked, "How 
often does he go on a strike now?" 
"Never. He has never offered to stop since the night 
you tied him out. I believe he remembers it as well 
as we do." 
"Yes, and what is nujre, that horse understands 
every word we are saying now; I can tell by his eye 
that he does. Well," I said, standing in front of the 
horse and speaking slowly while I passed my hand 
down his face, "if he begins to stop again just ' send 
for me, I'll fix him. You don't want any more wolf 
concerts, do you?" Cabia Blanco. 
Ashbei^s Goat. 
We had been traveling up the St. Mary's River above 
the lakes and had jtist come out from the thick timber 
of the mountain side into the little marshy flat, where 
we sometimes camp. It was the middle of the afternoort. 
AVe had been traveling long and fast and the animals 
were all hungry. A halt was made here, and while each 
horse began to -feed as rapidly as- it could, most of the 
men slipped from their saddles, and ran back to tighten 
lip the packs. A little further along on the trail were 
several boggy places, through which the horses must 
llounder with difficultjr, and we did not wish to have t!ie 
packs come off in a place where a saddle blanket would 
mire down. 
Ashbel, however, who was an odd man — ^two men are 
needed to pack a horse — and who beside knew nothing 
about packing, sat on his horse, and with his glasses 
studied the stupendous cliffs of Citadel Mountain just 
across the river, which rise a couple of thousand feet 
almost sheer. Presently he exclaimed in an excited 
tone, "I see a bear." 
"Grizzly or black?" said an older man who was near 
him, supposing that Ashbel had taken a stump for a bear, 
and disposed to make fun of the boy. But Ashbel was 
too busy to reply. 
"By Jove, there's another," he said. "And there's an- 
other. There are three of them." 
His good faith was so evident that the older men 
looked as he was looking, and after a moment each of 
them saw one or more of the bears, which were working 
about on the ledges and along the sides of a watercourse- 
running down the cliff, which was half precipice and half' 
ravine. 
The discovery of three bears was of course morc or 
less exciting. Ashbel was the only one of the party who 
had formally started out to hunt. The other members of 
the party professed to be mere mountain climbers, yet 
one of them in his day had been a hunter, and had often 
been as much excited at the presence of game as anyone 
is likely to he. Still, the bears Avere a long way off; half 
a mile horizontally and nearly as much vertically. The 
v.hole outfit was in plain sight and they might take the 
alarm at any moment. It seemed tiseless to attempt to 
approach them, though it was obvious that Ashbel wanted 
to. Now was the time when Jack Monroe came for- 
ward with his usual cheerful optimism and declared 
that of course the bears could be killed. 
He said, "We can crawl through the brush up to within 
three or four hundred yards of them, and they have a 
half a mile to run before they can get out of sight. It'll 
be queer if we can't get one of them before they dis- 
appear." 
Ashbel needed no persuasion and the older man but 
little. Directions were given to let the horses feed for 
half an hour, by which time, according to Jack, at least 
-one bear would have furnished a hide for Ashbel to 
take home. The three hunters crossed the river on horse- 
back, and riding as close as possible to the foot of the 
talus of great rocks which lay beneath the cliff, began a 
long crawl through the tangled alders. For most of the 
distance the bears were in sight, or, at least, could have 
been seen by anyone who wished to look for them, but 
the hunters were all occupied in keeping out of sight 
themselves, and did not look at the bear.s again until they 
had reached an open spot below the cliff, which it -was 
impossible to cross unseen. They stopped here perforce, 
and viewed the animals. 
'Fhe mother was nearest to them; twi- cubs — ^yearlings 
apparently^were higher up, and all werr HSy searching 
for food. A few moments later, however, the old bear 
saw or smelt something that made her uneasj^, and after 
looking across the valley at the horses, she started to 
scramble tip the cliffs. The hunters must shoot now or 
not at all. The distance was estimated about 700 yards 
and bullets soon began to kick up the dust about the 
fleeing bears. One from Ashbel's rifle seemed to pass 
through one of the cubs, but the three kept on, and in 
a brief moment of time disappeared, evidently having 
reached a wide ledge along which they could gallop, un- 
seen by the hunters at the foot of the cliff'. 
Returning toward the river they endeavored to learn 
from their companions on the other side what had become 
of the bears, but the distance was too great, and even 
the cheerful Jack became disgusted. Hearing his own 
shouts so distinctly, he imagined that those on the other 
side of the river must also hear them, and since he could 
not distinguish the words of the answering cry he de- 
clared indigTiantly that "those fellows seem to have their 
mouths full of mush." 
When the horses had been mounted, the river crossed 
and camp reached agaiti, it was getting late. Jack's 
twenty minutes had stretched out to nearly two hours, and 
it was" decided to camp here. \Vhile the beasts Avere being 
unloaded, there was much speculation as to whether the 
.bears had or had not been hit. Jack and one or two 
others thou.L,dit they must have been, and finally Jack 
expressed a wish to chmb up to where the game had been 
and to follow the trail. He asked Ashbel if he wished to go, 
and found that he did. The two at once started, btJt it 
