June i8, 1904.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
508 
heavens m ight be split by a blinding flash of lightning, 
followed bv a terrific peal of thunder, a high wind and 
sl:eets of rain. 
"The night is changed! And such a change! O night, 
And stcrm and darkness! Ye are wondrous strong." 
The only thing to do was to walk as fast as we could 
and get over the portage as soon as possible. The guides 
never allowed me to carry anything over this portage, and 
no difference how heavy their load, or how full their 
hands, they always came to help me over the hard places. 
We reached the end of the portage and crossed the lake 
IG our camp landing, where Bob had hung a birch bark 
lantern he had made. 
The storm. came soon after we went to bed. There was 
a blinding flash of lightning, followed by two reports in 
quick succession, like rifle shots, only deeper and heavier. 
There was no doubt about it being thunder, but it was 
different from any I had ever heard before, and sounded 
more as though the English Navy was bombarding our 
camp. The rain poured down on our tent, which would 
only "sift out the coarsest;" the rest came through. What 
would we do? The Doctor was already sick with a cold, 
and, if our blankets got wet, might have pneumonia. I 
took a storm coat and made a kind of canopy over our 
heads, and a rubber blanket taken from under us covered 
the woolen blankets. I was getting experience faster than 
I could appreciate it. 
The next morning the rain-shedding properties of our 
tent were reinforced with a tarpaulin. 
In Four Mile Lake, across a bay from our landing, rose 
a perpendicular cliff, rising fully 500 feet above the sur- 
face of the water. One afternoon we crossed to where 
an ascent was possible, and climbed to the top of the 
cliff, or mountain, as the guides called it. We could see 
fcr miles over the country, and counted four or five lakes. 
A register on top of the cliff contained the following 
names: G. F. Brown, F. P. Krebs, and A. Dickson. 
From this cHff we followed the ridges to the lake to hunt. 
To sit in the canoe for two or three hours and neither 
hear nor see a moose, but watch the ducks come in flocks 
and never take a shot, was really heart-breaking, but the 
only thing to do if we wanted a moose. 
One evening when we were watching, out walked a 
moose on the opposite shore. He had a large head, but 
was too far away to shoot, and did not stop an instant, 
but went into some low bushes and disappeared. Taking 
the two rifles the Doctor and Bob started to cross the 
lake, but the canoe grated on a rock as they pushed off, 
and thev neither saw nor heard anything more of him. 
The moose trails followed around the head of a bay back 
of where I was sitting, and when I heard a noise in the 
bush I got frightened and wondered how I would defend 
myself if the moose should come out back of me. The 
f rily thing I could think of was a pair of gray blankets 
1 was sitting on. I know I breathed easier when I saw 
;hc cancc coming toward me. 
Moose hunting was hard work, and we were not meet- 
ing with much success as far as the moose were con- 
c.nied. We had to give up duck shooting and tramp 
;xrcss the portage every day; but we were learning many 
things we could learn in no other way, as well as seeing 
fcnie wonderful things in nature. In fact, we were lay- 
ing up a store of knowledge that would be a pleasure to 
vs m the years to come. The hours we spent sitting in 
Ihe cmoe or on the shore watching for moose were not 
let, for had we not heard one call, even answer the guide, 
and learned how fast they can travel over the roughest 
kind of country? We had seen one on the shore, and 
another evening as one went through the bush it stepped 
on a fallen sapling, which broke, making a report that in 
the absolute silence sounded like a rifle shot. The silence 
was oppressive. A grouse walking among the leaves in 
the bush back of us made a noise that was startling, and 
a very interesting little bird that came along the shore 
every evening hunting its supper at the edge of the water, 
could be heard walking on the gravelly beach. Occasion- 
ally we heard an owl, and sometimes a duck would quack. 
The ducks were of no small interest to us. How grace- 
fully they came in, wheeled and settled on the water. 
When the ducks were all in and the little bird had gone 
to bed, then came our ride across the magic lake and the 
portage, which was hard, but furnished a great deal of 
interest. 
One night we saw a rabbit sitting by a log near the 
trail, and the Doctor shot at it with his rifle, but made 
a clean miss, while the rabbit sat still and looked at 1.1s. 
The lantern was held a little lower, and he shot again, 
putting out the lantern and leaving us in darkness. When 
we got a light, the rabbit was gone. Many of our grouse 
and spruce -partridges were gotten along this trail; some 
Bob knocked over with a stone. One morning the Doc- 
tor shot a rabbit just after we made the first steep climb 
from the lake, and it was hung on a tree by the side of 
the trail, to be gotten on our return. A little further on 
he shot a partridge, and we had only gone a_ short distance 
when I shot a grouse by the side of the trail, and another 
one flying to a tree, I turned and shot it. On the portage 
another morning we saw a cock spruce partridge on a 
spruce tree that had blown out of root, but the top having 
caught, it hung suspended over the trail. As we ap- 
proached the tree, the partridge was strutting about, his 
tail feathers spread, his wings lowered, apparently ready 
to fight, so we stopped to watch him. He strutted around 
for a while, then stepped daintily down along the trunk 
of the tree to the ground. When Bob started on, it 
turned toward him, its wings and tail spread, its feathers 
bristling, as much as to say, "Come on, if you want to 
tight !" When we saw two hens on the ground on the 
other side of the tree, we understood that the little cock 
partridge was defending his harem. It was a great dis- 
play of courage, and furnished another picture to "hang 
on memory's wall." We had all the birds we could use, 
and left them unmolested. 
It w-as evident the moose were _ traveling around the 
head of Moose Lake without stopping, and we left camp 
early one morning, determined to find out where they 
v.ere going, if possible. We had gone about half way 
u}; the lake, and Bob was ashore examining some trails, 
Y.-hen the Doctor saw two deer playing on the other side 
oi" the lake. Bob paddled quickly and carefully across. 
They became suspicious before we were half w^ay over, 
and while one would feed, the other would watch. They 
made a beautifyl picture, but we wanted the buck. When 
we got almost within 100 yards, the Doctor shot at the 
buck and we thought hit it, but it disappeared in the 
weeds. He then shot at the doe, but missed her. The 
buck was again in sight, and the Doctor, doing mechan- 
ically what he had done all summer, aimed for the 
middle of the target, and the buck followed the doe into 
the bush. Bob found blood, and we rushed into the bush 
and saw the deer twice where they had stopped, but did 
not get a shot. At first we could see only an occasional 
drop of blood, but soon came to great splashes of it, and 
at one place foimd large clots with a tuft of hair. We ex- 
pected to find the deer lying dead at every step, and I was 
so sorry I could hardly keep back the tears. Almost all 
at once the blood became less; we could find only an 
occasional drop. After following for almost a mile, we 
gave up and I never was more disappointed about any- 
thing in my life. So much for the inconsistency of a 
v/oman. While the Doctor keenly regretted the loss, for 
it was his first deer and had a beautiful head, I believe I 
was more disappointed than he was. 
We certainly made a mistake, when we found blood, by 
not waiting two or three hours before following the deer. 
The bullet from the .35 Winchester had evidently gone 
through the deer's body without mushrooming. It was 
now too late to follow moose trails, so we ate our lunch 
and rested. We neither saw nor heard any moose that 
night, and started over the trail very blue and discouraged. 
We had noticed the Northern Lights in the sky, and 
Vidien we came out on a high, bare ridge of rock, we 
stopped to look at them. Almost immediately the light 
began to form directly over our heads, not rapidly, but 
with a quick, steady motion, as in changing pictures in 
a magic lantern, until a circle was completed, leaving a 
small circular opening directly at the zenith. The light 
spread over the sky until well down the dome, then great 
shafts of light shot down at regular intervals until they 
touched the horizon. We stood under an immense canopy 
of light, through which only a few of the most brilliant 
stars could be seen. Bob had put down the lantern, and 
we stood and watched in awed silence one of nature's 
grandest, most mysterious phenomena. The display lasted 
from fifteen to twenty minutes, then disappeared about as 
it had came, and Bob picked up the lantern and we went 
on. When we came to the brow of the hill where we had 
to climb down to the lake, we stopped, for the light was 
growing bright again. From where we were standing 
we could see across Four Mile Lake, and directly opposite 
us rose the high bluff. While we stood there a double 
curtain of gauze was suspended over the lake, and 
reached from one horizon to the other, hanging straight 
across as though suspended from a curtain pole. They 
were the same width from end to end, and were hung in 
folds. One curtain was longer than the other, and both 
had a" hem along the foot. Both folds and hem were dis- 
tinctly visible. The curtains did not touch the water, 
neither were they up in the sky, but were suspended over 
the lake. While we watched, a pale violet color passed 
over them, lasted a few minutes, and was followed by a 
rose color, which in turn was followed by a pale pink. 
The curtains were then drawn aside. The colors were of 
marvelous refinement and purity, rather than brilliant. 
The display passed over the sky from west to east, and 
was most impressive and sublime. The canopy had 
formed over us as we stood on a great ridge of bare 
rock up on the hills, with an uninterrupted view of the 
entire heavens, surrounded by nature in her wildest, most 
rugged form, and miles from a human habitation. When 
the curtains appeared the hills and woods were behind us, 
and we stood on the brow of a hill overlooking the lake 
\yhere the curtains hung. We had been so fortunate as to 
witness an unexpected display of one of nature's most 
wonderful phenomena, with no element lacking that could 
have added to its grandeur. 
"Aloft on sky and mountain wall 
Are God's great pictures hung." 
Taking the rifles, Sam, Bob and the Doctor left camp 
early in. the morning, hoping they might find the deer. I 
kept the shotgun, and agreed to stay in camp and have 
supper ready when they came back. Bob advised me to 
climb a tree and not use the shotgun if a bull moose 
should come around. I said I would get birds and have 
soup for supper, and light the lantern at the end of the 
portage ; two very rash promises to make, as I found 
later. I made some mush to fry for supper, washed the 
dishes, hung our blankets in the sun, then filled the maga- 
zine of the shotgun and started 'out to hunt birds. They 
had become very scarce around our camp grounds, so I 
crossed the portage to Four Mile Lake and followed 
along its shore for quite a distance; then, going deeper 
into the' bush, turned toward camp. After walking for 
some time I came out on the shore of a lake, and looking 
across saw our camp on the other side. I was a good deal 
surprised, and decided to quit hunting, go back to camp, 
and stay there. I had gone deeper into the bush than I 
thought, going entirely around the end of the lake. I 
neither saw nor heard a grouse. 
Sam had said there were plenty of chips I could use 
for cooking, as though I must not use the fire-wood that 
was cut. I knew he did not mean that, but I thought,; 
"All right, I'll cut my own fire-wood." The way Bob 
cut down the poplar and birch trees for camp use was 
always a matter of great, interest to me. He selected a 
tree, gave a few strokes with his ax, then pushed the tree 
over. Apparently he cut down trees with as much ease 
as I would go out in the yard at home and cut a few 
flowers for the breakfast table. Here was my chance to 
cut down a tree when no one was watching. I took the 
ax and selected a tree about six inches in diameter. I 
had to give a good many strokes with the ax and rest 
a few times, but the tree came down at last, and left a 
funny looking stump. I heard Sam make some remark 
about beavers when he saw it. Cutting the tree up into 
fire-wood was not so hard, but when I had enough wood 
to cook supper I quit. I had said I would have soup for 
supper, and as I had no birds, the soup must be made 
with something else. I cut a square of lean bacon, 
trimmed both sides carefully, put it, with some beans, in 
a pail of water with a little soda, and let them boil about 
fifteen minutes ; then, pouring this water off, I put on 
fresh water, adding rice and onions, and set on the fire 
to boil.. 
The Doctor wanted a Canada jay to mount, and Sam 
had arranged a trap to get one without spoiling the 
plumage. He balanced a forked pole across a log and 
laid a piece of cheese on the fork; then he took the ax 
and sat down on the ground at the other end of the pole, 
and when the bird went to take the cheese, he gave the 
.pole a hard blow with an ax. He had not gotten a bird 
yet, and, having plenty of time, I thought I would try 
to get one. I put a piece of cheese on the fork, sat down 
at the other end of the pole, with the ax over my shoul- 
der, the handle- tightly grasped in both hands, and 
waited. In a short time a bird came, and I brought the 
ax down, making a fearful clatter, but before the ax 
struck the pole, the bird had stolen my cheese and was 
sailing away to the treetops. I had played a fair game, 
and with a good deal of pique saw my small adversary 
win and fly off. I wonder if it laughed? I was no match 
for that handful of feathers, and went back to my cook- 
ing. I was much interested in watching a squirrel pick 
up the strips of bacon rind, and, sitting up, eat o& all 
the meat, going from end to end of each strip twice, then 
throw it down and get another. Another interesting visi- 
tor was a little mouse with a body not much thicker than 
my finger and rather long, set on queer little short legs. 
I had brought in the blankets, made our bed, and was 
getting ready to make the biscuit for supper when a flock 
of ducks settled on the lake. I was very anxious to shoot 
a duck on the wing, and one morning we had gone to. 
Moose Lake, and I was given the gun and told to sit in 
the bow of the canoe and watch for ducks. We were go- 
ing among the rushes in the hope of finding sorne stray 
ones. We had been paddling around for some time and 
1 had forgotten all about hunting, when several black 
ducks rose just ahead of us in easy range. I never 
thought of the gun; I forgot that I was hunting ducks; 
I had forgotten everything but the charm of the sur- 
roundings, and just sat there and watched Ih-e ducks fly 
away. Bob and the Doctor yelled, "Shoot ! Why don't 
you shoot?" So I picked up the gun and shot, but the 
ducks were far out of range. I don't see how a woman 
could be blamed for forgetting to shoot on such a morn- 
ing, amid such surroundings. My failure to shoot that 
day had been the source of a good deal of amusement, 
and here was an opportunity to redeem my reputation. I 
got the gun off the table, where I had kept it all day, but 
it was loaded with No. 6 shot and I had not time to 
change the shells, for the ducks were rising again. I 
kept behind the bushes until they came in range, then I 
fired. One duck faltered and fell out of line, but re- 
covered itself and went on. The No. 6 shot had not the 
desired effect, and I was so disappointed. 
I made the biscuit, put them by the fire to bake — I had 
learned how to bake biscuit in the skillet — lifted the bacon 
out of the soup, and put it by the fire to roast. While I 
was atending to the cooking, after setting the table, one 
of those pesky jay birds lit on the table and took a bite 
out of the butter, and for a while I was kept busy watch- 
ing the cooking and shooing birds off the table. I had 
said I would light the lantern at the landing, but some- 
how it was dark before I noticed, and then I was afraid 
to cross the portage. Twice I took some matches and 
started, but did not go far. I was not afraid anything 
would catch me, but I was afraid something might 
frighten me. Bob had laid the camp-fire, and I decided 
to light it instead of the lantern. The birch bark and 
kindling was laid on the ground under the logs ready to 
light, but I used a good many matches before I found the 
place among the kindling Bob had intended me to put one. 
The day had not been long; I had enjoyed h thor- 
oughly, and had been busy, but from dark until the men- 
came seemed an age, though in reality scarcely two hours. 
We were going to break camp Sunday rnorning, Octo- 
ber 17, and expected to do our last hunting on Moose 
Lake Friday evening, for the canoe must be carried over 
the portage, and that could not be done at night. A hard 
rain kept us in the tent Friday evening, and the guides, 
taking the shotgun, started before daylight, in the rain, 
Saturday morning to get the canoe. They returned when 
v/e were eating breakfast wSth the canoe and one duck. 
Saturday was cold, wet and disagreeable. 
Sam called us before daybreak Sunday morning, and 
we got up to find breakfast ready and the guides' tent 
down. The ground was covered with snow. What a 
change ! When we came into the bush the tree tops were 
covered with a warm, yellow sunlight. We had seen that 
sunlight fall, leaf by leaf, until the trees were bare, and 
it lay on the earth a restless, brown covering, oyer which 
the Frost King had each night thrown a beautiful whits 
lace work, and this morning had covered with a soft, 
white, feathery blanket. Winter had come, and i't was 
time for us to go. 
Sam had been observing Sunday by boiling a pudding 
for dinner, but to-day we would not get one, for our pro- 
visions were getting scarce. We were out of baking 
powder, sugar, dried fruit, and coffee. 
We got an early start and reached Wendigo Lake in 
good time, getting a spruce partridge on the portage. 
The lake was quite rough, it was snowing, and the wind 
blew directly in our faces, but we did not feel the cold, 
and had a joyous, exhilarating race down the lake. When 
we went into the bush we could scarcely keep warm, but 
we were coming out in a snowstorm and did not feel the 
cold. I was astonished when I found the handle of m.y 
paddle, just above the blade, was coated with ice. 
We reached the long portage near a copper mine, and 
camped for the night on the other end, with everything 
carried over. The corn cakes wthout baking powder were 
not good, and the guides went over to the mine to get 
some bread. They were out of bread, but had sent to 
Tom's Town for some, and brought us two loaves that 
night. We got a rabbit, cooked the last of the beans, 
and used all of the butter for supper. We still had rice, 
flour, corn meal, bacon, and tea. 
The next morning we were up early, for it looked like 
rain, and there were a number of portages to cross, and 
we had to reach Tom's Town before two o'clock to get 
the steamer. 
This branch of the White River has cut its way down 
through ^reat banks of white clay, which it is constantly 
undermimng and wearing away. We saw where a moose 
had come down one of these banks and crossed the river. 
The bank was almost perpendicular, _ at least fifty feet 
high, and was the bare, white clay, without even a blade 
of grass growing on it. I do not believe a man could 
have come down it, but that big animal had ipome down 
