Aug. I, 1903.1 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
88 
Camp-Fire Stories from Canadian 
Woods* 
IX.— The Hosfcing Bee and the Bear Hunt. 
The Old Homestead was situated about five miles 
from the site of the present city of Belleville, upon the 
Inghlands running westerly nearly across the whole town- 
ship, the country gradually sloping to the South. To the 
south and east a view extending over farms dotted with 
woodlands with the blue waters of the Bay of Quinte 
and the high Prince Edward shore in the distance. To 
the southwest, in summer, rich pastures, glowing 
meadows, and fields of waving grain gladdened the view 
until the eye rested upon the hills of Northumberland 
away in the distant haze. 
On the north of the farm a strip of woodland crowned 
the highest point of the ridge, and here, reclining in the 
shade, one enjoyed a veritable panorama. Here one's 
view was enlarged until the eye rested upon Presq' Isle 
on Lake Ontario, some twenty miles away, overlooking 
one of the fairest portions of the country on the one side, 
on the other, to the north, over hill and valley until the 
horizon was lined with the Oak Hill range, a ridge of 
highland commencing on the Niagara frontier and run- 
ning around the north of Lake Ontario until lost in the 
Laurentian Mountains. 
As late as the early fifties large tracts of woodlands 
and swamp were a prominent feature in these frontier 
townships, and game was still verj^ plentiful. Clouds of 
wild pigeons settled down upon the stubble fields : black 
and gray squirrels with their plumy tails graced the wood- 
lands or scampered out of cornfields. Partridges were 
more than abundant; acorns, beechnuts and all kinds of 
"shack" were plentiful, and bruin was in evidence. Hares 
scurried from the pathways and roadsides whenever one 
passed through cedar thickets. Now and then a deer 
could be seen in the pasture lands feeding among the cat- 
tle or gracefully bounding away. Talk about hunting! 
The ordinary boy with an old Indian fowling piece 
secured more game during a single autumn than now 
falls to the lot of all the sports of the township. The 
boys always looked forward to the time when 
"The sumptuous days of autumn came, 
Tbe saddest of the year," 
for there were in prospect apple-cuts and husking bees, 
and a chance of shooting of mornings and evenings and 
on rainy days. 
As all farmers grew corn, the husking bee was quite 
an institution. The plan was that the boys and girls, and 
sometimes the older ones, would pair off and baskets of 
equal measure placed before each. The pair that filled the 
larger number of baskets during the evening received a 
prize. Great was the strife, and sometimes the rule was 
every red ear a kiss, although frequently the boy failed 
to secure it. At ten o'clock or so all adjourned to the 
spacious homestead for supper, then a violin was brought 
and a. dance finished up the evening. 
The bee was usually held in the barn or large drive 
hoitse. It happened, on one occasion on the old farm, 
while hands were busy within the building, a bear, though 
not an invited guest, was cnjo^'ing a little husking by 
himself out in the cornfield. A dog belonging to one of 
the parties somehow got advised of the presence of the 
bear in the field, and commenced growling, barking, and 
making himself otherwise disagreeable. Upon being let 
out, away he sped for the corn. The tield was some dis- 
tance from the farm buildings and adjoined a piece of 
woodland. The owner of the dog and a couple of the 
boys followed. The dog was famous for 'coons, and they 
anticipated some sport. The night was one of Egyptian 
darkness, but they were guided by the sound of the bark- 
ing into the piece of woods. They soon located the tree 
which the dog was guarding. Collecting brush and sticks 
a fire was kindled, and in the red glow of this instead 
of a 'coon a large beir was discovered perched in the 
crotch of a giant elm. Word went to the people of the 
bee, and messengers sent forth to procure a rifle. The 
old Indian fowling piece, though good with ball at short 
range, could not be relied upon to put a bear out of busi- 
nes.s, and rifles were scarce in those da3's. The whole 
■crowd flocked to the scene of the dog's exploit. Fires 
were kept up until the messengers should arrive with 
.rifles. / 
The bear became annoyed at the noise and confusion be- 
low, and made up his mind to come down. Now, when a 
bear makes up his mind to come down, in instances like 
"this one, he does come down very suddenly, and, without 
.a moment's warning, down came the bear in the midst of 
the unsuspecting crowd. With shrieks and yells the whole 
party tumbled pell mcU in every direction, and such a 
mingling of arms, legs, heads and heels was never before 
seen. The bear started off, passing through the frantic 
people, paying attention to none, bent only upon his own 
escape. The dog seemed to consider that he had a reputa- 
tion at stake, for no sooner did the bear start off than the 
dog commenced a rear attack. As often as the bear 
wheeled to face the dog. so often did the dog spring be- 
hind and nip the hind legs at every chance. The crowd, 
partially recovered from their first fright, shouted to en- 
courage the dog. The bear could not long stand the din 
as well as the dog's persistent attacks, and went up an- 
other tree. 
The neighborhood had been scoured for a rifle, but only 
one messenger succeeded in obtaining one. and this, alas! 
was loaded with the last ball cartridge. The rifle was en- 
trusted to the hands of the oldest and most experienced 
hunter. With bated breath the anxious crowd aw^aited, 
but the hunter did not disappoint their expectations; at 
the crack of the gun down came the bear, the bullet hav- 
ing entered his brain. 
The scene of exultation which followed equaled an In- 
dian orgy around the torture fire of a victim. The bear 
was taken home on a sled and the consensus of opinion 
was that he would weigh about 500 pounds. 
In this neighborhood many bear hunts had taken place, 
both before and since, but this one afforded the most 
comment and the most striking story of them all. 
* * * * * :|; 
In settled localities the 'coon, the skunk, and the fox. it 
seems, become more plentiful than in the natural wilddi 
'Coons usually lurk in the shade of towering elms which 
surround almost every pond, and, in the hollow limbs and 
trunks of which they make their home. A good 'coon 
hunt will afford exciting sport to the average boy. The 
writer has very good reasons to remember his last 'coon 
hunt, which is, perhaps, worth relating. The 'coon, when 
disturbed in a cornfield, usually returns on the next and 
following evenings about an hour later than the ones on 
which they have been disturbed. The plan was to visit 
the various cornfields and after the hunt was over make 
a log heap and roast green corn by the burning logs. 
After hours of hard tramping and considerable excitement 
and with fair success, no banquet was more relished than 
the feed of corn roasted by the glowing log fire which 
rounded up almost every 'coon hunt. On this special 
occa.sion the 'coons had been often disturbed, so a late 
start was made for the neighboring cornfields. The tac- 
tics of the hunt were to cautiously place ourselves outside 
and surrounding the corn while one went in with the dog. 
On this occasion we reserved the field on the old farm to 
be the last one visited. We arrived at the place at about 
the darkest hour before dawn and stationed ourselves so 
as to intercept the 'coons on coming out. One of the 
party went in with the dog whose uneasiness to get away 
denoted the presence of game. After the dog had beaten 
the field for some time we heard a tussle mingled with 
deep growls. Four or five of us rushed in, each striving 
to get there first. We all made good time and arrived 
about together on the scene. To our amazement and dis- 
gust, instead of 'coons, the dog had tackled an old skunk 
and her half-grown litter of young ones, and we were 
right in the midst of them. With a whoop and a spring 
we scattered. I tripped in a pumpkin vine and landed 
down hill many feet away on my head and shoulders. I 
do not know how the other boys got out, but when we 
got together the five of us were in a sorry plight, and 
had to endure the chaffing of the rest of the party. We 
silently stole away to our respective homes and waited in 
an outbuilding until daylight and some member of the 
family should bring a change of clothes. 
The poor old dog— -a famous 'coon hunter — driven from 
the house, felt that his reputation was entirely gone, 
and for a month or more went about crestfallen, and was 
so disgusted that' when spoken to would scarcely wag his 
tail. 
This was my last 'coon hunt. E. B. Fraleck. 
Notes on Reptiles. 
Some years ago, while crossing the Blue Ridge, Va., 
by Ashby's Gap, in company with a relative of the famous 
leader of the Black Horse Cavalry, I had a singular ex- 
perience in testing the hunting skill of our common black- 
snake. We had just reached the foot of rather a steep 
ascent, where the road passed up between two high banks, 
when a toad slipped through the fence; on the summit of 
one of them, and in its hurry rolled down into the road- 
way. My companion suddenly caught hold on the reins 
of my steed and checking its advance, said: "Hold on! 
There's a blacksnake after that fellow." But a few 
seconds passed before the reptile's head was thrust be- 
tween the lower fence rails, and on detecting our pres- 
ence, it was immediately withdrawn. My friend dis- 
mounted, and passing the bridle reins to myself, started in 
pursuit of the toad, which he soon captured and carried 
some ten or twelve paces, when it was given its freedom. 
It started up the road in great haste, while my friend re- 
turned and proposed that we .should retrace our steps a 
short distance. We did so; dismounted, secreted our- 
selves and kept a sharp lookout for the toad's pursuer. 
We had but a short time to wait, before the reptile again 
appeared, and after carefully reconnoitering its surround- 
ings, apparently concluded that all danger had passed, and 
slowly crawled down the slope, following the toad's trail 
until it arrived at the spot where it had been picked up 
and carried for a short distance. After trailing about for 
a short time, it began to circle about and act precisely as 
a dog will do, when it loses a trail. It increased the di- 
ameter of its circles imtil it reached the spot Avhere the 
toad had been liberated, when it started off on the direct 
trail, which it had followed but a short way, when it 
was overtaken and killed by my friend, who had hastily 
pursued and clubbed the life out of it. On resuming our 
way he told me of three other similar instances which had 
fallen under his notice. 
While at the Zoological Gardens, Cincinnati, a fine 
.specimen of the Gila monster was acquired by the so- 
ciety. Very naturally I used every expedient to prevent 
its escape, in having its exhibition quarters constructed. 
On account of its reputation of possessing potent poison- 
ous powers, it attracted a great deal of attention ; but the 
visitors contented themselves with examining it at a de- 
cent distance from its glass-fronted cage, and I con- 
gratulated myself on the success of my devices for its safe 
kcepitig. All went well until one Saturday afternoon, 
when the newsboys of the city were given free entry to the 
Gardens by the Board of Directors. I felt some qualms 
as to the result of the aft'air, and gave stringent orders 
to the entire staff of employes to be on the qui vive un- 
til the last visitor had left the premises. Everything 
seemingly passed off well, until just as the gates were 
being closed, when I was startled by a report that the 
heavy plate glass in front of the monster's den was 
smashed and the reptile was missing. An immediate 
search was made, and evcr3'^ portion of the reptile house 
and its surroundings were closely examined, without de- 
tecting any traces of the reptile. I am free to confess 
that I passed an uncomfortable night, nor did I experi- 
ence any relief the next morning when a farther search 
failed to reveal any indications of the monster's presence. 
A short time subsequent, I was giving some directions to 
a blatant Irislmian, who had charge of the pony track, 
an appendage for the amusement of the 3'oungsters, when 
I was startled by the appearance of a neighbor carelessly 
swinging the monster by its tail. Instantly fearing a 
warning crj^ from the Hibernian, I made a cautionary 
sign and sharply ordered him to bring an empty sack. He 
had but a few steps to make before reaching one, which 
was quickly passed to myself, when I held it with the 
mouth opened, in front of my neighbor, who nonchalantly 
dropped the reptile within without realizing in the slight- 
est degree the peril he had undergone. On questioning 
him, he informed me that on investigating the cause of 
an unusual row in his hen house, he had captured the mon- 
ster, and naturally concluding that it had escaped from the 
Gardens, he had returned it. I heartily thanked him, but 
was careful not to inform him of the risk he had under- 
gone. 
While living in Natal, South Africa, I endeavored to 
make a collection of the skins of the birds of that region, 
and in skinning and arranging them I was much annoyed 
by the flies. 1 made vain efforts to get rid of them, and 
finally gave up the task in despair. A short time subse- 
quent, while seated in front of my shanty, enjoying an 
afternoon pipe, my attention was attracted by the artifices 
of a couple of chameleons on a neighboring shrub in try- 
ing to make a meal of my pests. The idea struck me that 
they might be used for my benefit, whereupon I imme- 
diately^ captured and placed them on a small bough, hung 
by a fine wire, immediately over the center of my small 
dissecting table, and soon experienced a decided relief 
from the nuisance. Whenever it happened that I did not 
make use of the table, half a dozen flies thrown on the 
leaves of the branch sufficed to keep my prisoners quiet. 
Little did I imagine that a far more beneficial use of the 
idea would soon come under my notice. On my arrival in 
Batavia, Java, I found almost every available place of 
concealment in my bed room was used by those cunning 
little reptiles, the geckos, for hiding places during the 
day, from which they would issue as soon as darkness 
set in, to make war on the clouds of mosquitoes and 
other insects which sadly interfered with sound slum- 
ber. I was very mtich diverted on being awakened one 
niorning by a humming sound in the immediate proxim- 
ity of my head, and when fairly aroused was pleased to 
discover that the noise was caused by a pair of huge dra- 
gon flies that my attendant had captured and placed un- 
der the mosquito net, so that they might prey on any in- 
truders which might get underneath. During my stay at 
Buitenzorg, I managed to make pets of a couple of 
geckos, which came down the pillars of the porch in front 
of my room, regularly every evening in order to feast on 
the flies_ which I would catch and give to them. While 
on my journey to the interior, I found that the inhabi- 
tants protected them and used every inducement to get 
them to remain in their houses. During this trip I dis- 
covered a singular superstition of the natives in attribut- 
ing good fortune to the ownership of a pair of doves and 
found a pair caged in a large majority of the houses; par- 
ticularly in those of newly married couples. 
While residing in Durban, Natal, I received a note one 
morning from the harbor master, requesting my immedi- 
ate presence down at the port, as a large python had 
boarded and taken possession of a newly arrived barge, 
and the entire crew had deserted her and come ashore. 
Calling one of my keepers, I hurried off down to the 
beach, and on my arrival found quite a crowd collected. 
On questioning the captain, I concluded that in swimming 
across the harbor during the night the serpent had evi- 
dently struck the vessel's hawser, which served as a 
medium for climbing on board, and had been discovered 
in the morning coiled around the capstan while the crew 
were washing the decks. Mischievously the nozzle of 
the hose had been directed toward it when, with a loud 
hiss, it ascended the shrouds to the foretop, from which 
it projected its head in such a belligerent manner that 
the crew deserted the vessel and hurriedly pulled ashore. 
Making up my mind as to my mode of capture, I secured 
a large, empty wool sack, and on requesting the panic- 
stricken sailors to pull off and put myself and keeper on 
board, was met with a direct refusal. I then applied to 
the harbor master, who, after much solicitation, man- 
aged to persuade two of his men to man a dinghy and 
pull myself and keeper off to the deserted vessel. Just 
as we were starting, the captain requested that I would 
rescue a favorite terrier, which had been forgotten in 
their panicky flight. As we neared the vessel I could 
see the python, with its head hanging over the edge of 
the foretop, which encouraged me to follow out the plan 
I had conceived for its capture. My keeper and I 
clambered over the rail well aft, while the dinghy was 
pulled off a short distance, in order to give its crew a 
full view of our work. After a short search I managed to 
find a coil of small rope and a corresponding pulley. 
Ascending to the main top, I slung the pulley underneath, 
put the rope through it and passed one end down to the 
keeper. Descending with the other end, f fashioned a slip 
noose and made it fast, with about three feet of play, to 
the end of a pole, which I picked up on deck. Then going 
forward and climbing up the shrouds until I could reach 
the python's head with the noose at the end of the pole, 
I began to annoy it with successive thrusts, until by a 
lucky stroke I managed to get the noose over the rep- 
tile's head. Thereupon the keeper hauled taut with his 
end of the line, while the python coiled his tail around 
the lap of the foremast and foretopmast. Hastily climb- 
ing up on to the top, I quickly loosened the pole and un- 
coiled the python's tail, when by a speedy pull the keeper 
had it suspended under the main top. Hurriedly de- 
scending, I picked up the wool sack and holding it with 
the mouth wide open, the choking reptile was lowered 
into it until its head was reached, when an expeditious 
cut with my pocket knife severed the noose, upon which 
the bag was quickly closed, and its mouth firmly tied. In 
comparatively a short time, from the vibrations of the 
bag, we knew that our prisoner had recovered its wind, 
when the dinghy was called alongside and. we and our 
captive were taken ashore. On landing and lifting the 
sack out of the boat, it was carefully shunned by the 
crowd, and the skipper anxiously inquired if we had 
seen anything of his pet, and on my answering that I 
had not, but that I had noticed an enlargement of the 
abdomen of the python, which I supposed was caused 
by- a hearty supper, taken on the previous night, a shout 
of laughter went up from the assemblage, and I hurried 
off with ray booty. 
Frank J. Thompson. 
