£i6 
are often 30b or more encampeci tliere. About four 
in the afternoon two ladies went down the lagoon 
to near the mouth and retiirned an hour later with two 
trout, one of 12 and the other 16 pounds, the landing of 
which had exhausted the energies of both; these were 
the largest fish taken during our stay. 
The next day, as the steamer was going to the Falls, 
r decided to take the trip to get a view of the lake. We 
were nearly seven hours on the way, stopping an hour 
at one of the islands to pick berries and take off one of 
the horses that were running loose there. Thie boat was 
beached on the south end of the lake and we >'alked 
a mile down the river to the town. The boat stayed at the 
landing that night, and early the next morning Steamed 
homeward. Many geese, iielidanS, shags, and ducks Could 
be seen in all parts of the lake. When we came to the 
Other island we made a landing to get a cook Stove from 
ihe deserted dwelling. The oven door was slightly ajar, 
and looking in we found a rattlesnake cosily coiled ujj 
Inside. He was ejected and dispatched without ceremony, 
and the stove and a lot of potatoes from the garden wera 
taken on board, a few more berries were gathered, and 
we continued our homeward voyage. 
The next morning Z. and I took a skiff and went down 
the lagoon with a spinner and fifty feet of line trolling 
behind. We had not reached the mouth before we had 
a strike, and after a sharp fight, in which the gamy fish 
cleared the water many times, we landed a 7-pound trout. 
This was all the fish we needed for a day, at least, and 
we returned to camp. 
The next morning we started out with our rods, reels 
and long gut leaders, more intent upon sport than for 
count or big fish. Not getting a strike in the lagoon we 
pulled out into the lake and went three miles north to 
another similar branch, going inland more than a mile, 
at the head of which was a fishing resort called The 
Lodge. This stream, like Ihe other, came from springs 
and was equally clear and cold. We did not see any fish 
at first, but began casting soon after we entered it, and 
within ten minutes had a strike that set the reel hum- 
ming like a buzz saw. Z. sprang to the oars, and, with 
swift and skillful strokes, anticipated every possible moye 
as I strove to keep him from the brushy banks, until he 
gave that up and started at full speed down toward the 
"lake, mor« than a quarter of a mile away. The braided 
silk drew like a wire through the water, as, in spite of the 
heavy drag, yard after yard left the creel with alarming 
rapidity; fifty and then seventy-five feet disappeared 
through the rings, and a moment later the water brok? 
one hundred feet away and the grandest fish I had ever 
hooked with a rod cleared the water wil,h a spring tha.t 
carried him two feet into the air. 
My line and leader were new and of the best quality; 
my rod was of steel and equal to any strain that was 
likely to be put upon it, but four times I drew him almost 
M-ithin reach, only to see him dash away again apparently 
as fresh as ever. Once more he was brought to the side 
of the boat, this time within reach of the gaff, and a 
moment later a rainbow trout of full 6 pounds lay gasp- 
ing on the boards at our feet. 
' Two smaller fish were taken soon after, and four 
others ranging from 2 to 4 pounds were lost by their get- 
ting to the banks. Then we took in our lines and re- 
turned to camp in time for an early dinner. 
Early one morning a few days later we pulled down 
the lagoon and out into the lake to explore a stream 
called Crystal Creek, about four miles north of the Pop- 
lars. Not a breath of air was stirring, and; the surface 
of the water was like a mirror as we rowed across Peli.- 
can Bay toward a vast flat of tules and lilypads, through 
which the stream makes its 'e»if. Mallard ducks were 
swimming about near the edge of the tules with broods of 
from four to fifteen ducklings about the size of robins. 
Trout were jumping continually all about us. In the 
rarefied atmosphere the snowy pelicans floating on the 
surface looked as large as swans. I noticed that here 
only the white variety was in evidence, whereas in Sail 
'Francisco Bay the smaller gray species largely predonii- 
'nates. Overhead tlie great fish hawks and a small species 
of gull, some white and others slate, were soaring and 
screaming for their breakfast. Twenty miles to the west, 
with its image distinctly reflected in the lake, the snow- 
clad peak of Mt. Pitt, by far the most conspicuous object 
in that region, rose to an altitude of 10,000 feet. This 
beautiful mountain is as sharp as a saw tooth, so that 
'two men can barely find room at the same time upon its 
apex, from which point, I was told, iotty-two lakes can 
be seen with the naked eye. 
The lower reaches of Crystal Creek meander for 
several miles through the great tule marsh before men- 
tioned. It is about fifty yards wide by ten or fifteen feet 
deep. For quite a distance up the waters are the same 
color as the lake, gradually growing clearer as it ap- 
proaches the higher ground until the timbered hdls are 
reached, where the exceeding purity even in this region 
of pure waters doubtless suggested its name. In most 
places along its banks in the marsh the tules are growmg 
in the water but there are a few spots where the land is 
a little higher for a few square rods and these are 
covered with willows. On one of these, near the mouth, 
we found three Indian families who had come out from 
the reservation near Ft. Klamath for a few weeks' life 
in their old primitive style. They had built frad little 
wickiups of willows, where the squaws were weaving 
baskets to supply the popular civilized fad of the dsy, 
while the men paddled about in their dugouts fishing and 
gathering the roots of the lilypads. They were indus- 
trious and intelligent, spoke fair English and seemed to 
be a rather superior class when compared with the Cali- 
fornia Indians. Most of them have good farms with 
substantial houses and barns on the reserve, and some are 
quite wealthy, having many cattle and horses. ^ 
We rowed for five or six miles up the creek, precedca 
by flocks of half grown mallards that were very tame, 
swimming a short distance ahead until we pressed them 
lOQ closely, when they would disappear in the tules. 
Trout running from pound to 4 pounds we found in 
abundance everywhere, and frequently each of us would 
have a big fellow hooked at the same time, which, m a 
light skiff with fifty feet of line out, made lively work for 
us. Many that were not badly hurt we returned alive to 
the water, many others broke away in the tules. 
After three hours of such sport as neither of us will 
be likely to forget, we returned to the mouth of the 
creek with twelve fine fish, enough to last us two days, 
besides giving six pounds to some new arrivals who were 
making camp and had not yet been out. Whfen we got 
back we found that two of our camping friends had been 
out on the lake with hand lines and had returned with 
twenty trout running from 3 to 12 pounds weight. They 
went for fish and we for sport, and I think both came 
back perfectly satisfied. 
Although, with one or two exceptions, we had trout 
at every meal while encamped at the lake, still we never 
seemed to tire of its delicious flavor, and even brought 
away a mess or two to eat upon our way home. 
There was no extortion at The Poplars. The Griffith 
Brothers were the most generous of hosts. The camp- 
ing grounds, fuel, Rubles, etc., were all free. Horses had 
the run of a fine pasture for ten cents a day, and were 
stabled and fed for twenty-five cents. Meals were the 
same price, and butter, eggs, milk, bread, etc., were as 
cheap as in San Francisco. Good boats, skiffs^ and white- 
Iiallsy with lines, eould be had for fifty cents per day; but. 
as is generally the case, it is safer to bring your own 
tackle. The Griffiths and their wives were untiring in 
their efforts to make it pleasant for their guests, and we 
shall always remember them with the most kindly feel- 
ings. The only disagreeable feature there was the mos- 
quitoes; their name was legion, and they were of the 
most bloodthirsty variety, but they never troubled us on 
the water. Forked Deer. 
Qakl'ND, Californtii. 
[to be concluded.] 
Lost ia the Wilds of Alaska. 
There is something weird and interesting still lingering 
about camp life in Alaska that renders it a fit theme for 
song, poetry and prose. 
At the time of which I write, almost primeval sim- 
plicity reigned over that northern, land— almost solitude 
and stillness. 
The crew at the old salmon cannery operated by the 
Alaska Packing Association at the little post of Loring 
had completed their task of catching and canning 600,000 
salmon, had loaded this valuable cargo aboard the sailing 
ship Coraphine;, and Ixad sailed to headquarters at San 
Francisco. 
The little handful of men left behind to look after the 
cannery, trading post, and property in general, through 
th,e long winter months, could be counted on the fingers 
of one hand without including the thumb.. 
As. the sun sank lower and lower down behind the low 
wooded island and the western portion of Clarence 
Straits which formed the southern horizon of our lonely 
habitation ; as the days grew shorter and shorter, until 
i,t seemed as though it was almost always night, a 
peculiar, \yeird,, canny gloom crept over the little band 
left to our fate and in the grasp of an arctic winter. 
Snow came down from the dull black heavens in 
slow drifting zig-zag course that seemed to add glooni 
and solemnity to the already cheerless situation. 
There ar? life and. electricity in the howling tempest, 
(.h.? booming thunder, the chains and streaks of lightning 
tliat split and rend heaven and earth, with its mighty force 
that compel one to-lpok upon its devastation with awe 
and admiration. But the deathless stillness, during the 
short days of my first northern winter, without a trace 
of life or animatipn, accompanied by that incessant drift, 
drift, drift of the ghostly little particles of frozen vapor 
always coming down, down, dowO, burying everything 
with its feathery, fluffy whiteness, and making trayel 
impossible for everything except the meanest, crudest, 
and most savage beasts — the wolves and w.olyeriines— 
more than I Qould bear. 
Oftentimes during the long dark night as I lay awake 
thinking of the peculiar influences that surrounded; me 
in this northern home, and wondering how the loved: ones 
at home in sunny California were faring or enjoying 
themselves,, I would hear the calling death cry of soine 
unfortunate deer that was being torn to pieces, while 
alive by a hungry pack of the great black and gray timber 
wolves the late snow had driven from the- interior. 
During the summer some of the crew brought home 
a poor little half starved motherless fawn, and by giving 
it great attention we managed to improve its condition 
until it was large and strong, and almost as beautiful, 
innocent and as playful as a girl baby. _ Fearing that the 
Indian dogs would kill or injure it if it was allowed to 
run at large around the post, we decided that we would 
take it down the coast several miles and turn it loose 
on a small island which lay several hundred yards off 
shore, and made what we supposed to be an ideal home 
for our young pet. I had been detailed to look after it for 
the winter; I knew its sweet, iimocent voice as well as I 
did my own. 
It was hard to lie still and listen to an average ordinary 
'wild deer meet its fate at the mercy of the wolves, but 
v/hen one night I was awakened and listened to the call 
rf our little pet fawn for help, the sluggish blood ran 
cold in my veins. I leaped from my cot, grabbed my rifle 
and fired several shots into the black night air in the vain 
hope of scaring or driving the beasts away from our help- 
less, innocent pet. But alas! the cries came louder and 
louder, and then, what made it all the more effective, it 
seemed to call my name and speak it as plainly as a child 
would that was calling me under the same circum.stances. 
I took a solemn oath that night that the blood of our pet 
fTO'n would be atoned. 
In referring to my old diary I see the following entry: 
"November 13, 1901. Went hunting in Deep Bay after 
wolves. Found remains of our pet fawn. Tom Brown 
lost." 
Tom had been ship carpenter on the steamer City of 
Topeka, operated at that time as the only regular mail and 
passenger steamer in southeastern Alaska. He had left his 
ship during the summer months to join a party searching 
for placer gold mines, and had turned up with us fellows 
at the post in the fall. 
I told the boys that I had heard the wolves kill our 
pet fawn during the night, and that I was going to ex- 
terminate the whole pack, and asked Tom if he would 
assist me in the work. He readily agreed to help. We 
left the post in a rowboat and traveled south to the 
island where we had left our pet fawn. On arriving I 
looked for tracks and saw where it had left the island 
and taken to the water. We rowed across the channel 
to the mainland and saw where it had landed on the 
beach after its long swim and had started straight for " 
home, or in the direction of the post. It had gone mor 
than two-thirds of the distance when it had been over 
taken, killed and devoured. 
The scene of the death struggle presented a picture that 
plainly showed the experienced hunter and close observer 
how the cunning wolves had outwitted the brave little 
fawn. From their tracks it was plain to see that after the 
deer had been located by the pack, two of the largest and 
most powerful had made a great detour and had got in 
ahead of the fawn and secreted themselves, one behind 
a large boulder and the other at the end of a large log, 
around the end of which the fawn would undoubtedly 
pass. Then the main pack had brought up the rear with 
a rush. A half dozen great leaps brought the frightened 
fawn to the end of the log behind which one of the cun- 
ning brutes had concealed himself, and by leaping out" 
just before the fawn was up to him, he had the advantage 
of its momentum, .and in its endeavor to stop and go the- 
other way it was ' overtaken by one, then another, and 
finally the whole pack. The attack and finish were com- 
plete. After the feast they had rolled around on the snow 
to clean their coats and had left in a body for the dense 
timber, traveling, as they always do in the snow, in single 
file, and every wolf stepping exactly in the leader's tracks. 
I judged from the signs at the scene of the killing that 
there were twelve or thirteen in the pack. 
I had come well prepared with strj'chnine and cyanide 
of potassium, and displayed all my skill and energy in 
laying a bait that I was sure would bring results. Before 
leaving the post I had made a number of small tallow 
balls, and after drilling a small hole into the center of 
each and inserting about one grain of the deadly poison, 
then filling the hole up with fresh tallow and sealing it 
carefully I made a bait that was tasteless on the surfaces 
and deadly when it had melted in the throat and stomach' 
of the wolf. 
Knowing the wolfs partiality for fish, I told Tom I 
was going out to get a halibut for them. He wished me 
good luck, and said that he would take a little tramp 
through the woods while I was gone and arranged for 
me to meet him, after I had completed my work, at the 
head of the bay, about one-half mile down the beach. 
I rowed out in about twenty fathoms of water and was; 
not long in getting a fine hundred-pound halibut. Tom in 
the meantime had disappeared in the dark green snow- 
burdened timber on his snowshoes. I came back, inserted 
the deadly little balls or tallow capsules in the flesh of thf 
halibut, and dragged it up on the beach far enough sc 
that the next floodtide would wash over it and remove 
any scent that I had left behind. Having completed this 
work, I set about to bury the remains of poor pet Peggy 
and as I noted the little red braided ribbon that hac 
served as a collar, all plaited, ornamented and decoratec 
by .some half score of sailors and employes around th« 
post, I remember that I whispered to myself that the 
whole pack will bite the dust for this. I was only a boj 
then. Since that time I have assisted in laying to rest ir 
the interior snowy wastes of Alaska some of my gooc 
old camp mates and comrades, but never was I so com 
pletely overcome with grief as when I buried the remain: 
of that innocent, harmless, pet fawn. 
The day was drawing to a close, it was now 2 o'clock 
and it would be dark at 4. Tom had been gone somt 
time. Dull gray snow clouds overhung the cheerless sky^ 
1 knew from the indications that it would be snowing 
scon. I jumped in the boat and rowed up the beach tc 
where I was to meet Tom. He was not there; a hunter*! 
intuition told me that he was lost. I hurriedly gatheref 
a huge pile of knots and limbs and with some difficulty 
built a fire, and after leaving a note in a conspicuou 
place telling him to remain there until I returned,_ ! 
rowed back and took his track. Snow was falling thicl 
and fast. Getting the general direction of the wind (, 
had failed to bring my compass with me, and this was mi 
only guide), I snowshoed hard and fast with the vaif 
hope of overtaking him. It was plain to see that he hat 
not been in the timber ten minutes before he was lost am 
■traveling in the opposite direction from the one he ini 
tended and told me he would take. The trail grew dim 
and finally completely disappeared, entirely obliterated b; 
the fast falling snow. I could see by the course takei 
that he would be likely to follow the base of the mountaii 
in an easterly direction. 
Flastily retracing my steps I went back to the boaf 
rowed along the coast to where I had built the fire aiKj 
was not surprised when I failed to find him there. Min 
ufes were now hours to me, and not one was to be lost 
Darkness was coming on, the snow falling fast, and th' 
vt^eather growing bitterly cold. Raising my good old rifl 
to my shoulder I decided to fire the old Hudson's Baj 
hunters' and trappers' signal of distress — three shots a 
intervals of five seconds each. Bang — i, 2, 3, 4, S; ban; 
— I, 2, 3, 4. At this I stopped as the last faint echo o 
the heavy gun died in a distant rumble over and amoni 
the deceptive hills. I heard a call ; I listened. I heard i 
again. It grew louder and louder, until it finally was on 
continuous chorus. I had heard it before. It was th 
same pack of wolves that had killed the pet fawn. Wouli 
my good partner share its fate? A nauseating sicknes 
came over me. Then, too, I was feeling the effects of th 
piercing cold, and had not eaten anything since breakfast 
Tom having taken the lunch with him in his hunting coa 
pocket. 
Again I fired the signal of distress, and again came thi 
same unwelcome blood-curdling chorus of the wolves. Btj 
not a sound from Tom. I fired only singly now, as my am 
munition was growing short, and I did not care to be lei 
without any ui:der the conditions. I landed in severs 
places and caLed long and loud, only to be answered b 
the hungr'. howling, mocking pack that seemed to haun 
me with their mimicry. I rowed along up the beach unti 
I was directly opposite where the wolves were howling, 
broke my way through the shore ice and landed on th 
beach. My efforts in trying to build a fire were in vair 
The darkness was intense. The wolves stopped howl 
ing, but this was not a relief to me, as I knew that the 
were either sneaking down to have a look at me or wer 
stalking other unfortunate prey. I was at a loss to kno\ 
what to do ; I thought seriously of going back to the pos 
and getting help. But then what was to be gained. If 
could ever find my way in the total darkness I would nc 
be able to return before morning, and by that time Tor 
would be dead. No, I would stay and call often and loui 
and try and get him to hear me. I sat and listetied fo 
