82 
was the call of the jay in the opposite woods that I heard 
and the drifting flecks of white clouds in the water that I 
saw instead. As the sun came up higher, the li<»ht wind 
went down, and by ten o'clock everything was Mil] oxoent 
that a gull would flap by occasionally likf a XerSffi 
fnm!!'i |J , 0 8 i Dg f" 8el . 0pp08ile 11,0 cum I> to drop down on 
some bit of refuse in the water, at which feat, the raven 
- mudc ® venin « 1 *i«? e °us near our camp, would 
he k T fimi J» , 8 .vf? - RU i 80 or Approval, as the case might 
be. I shot at this lard once with my rifle as he came over- 
ba?k ^ ?° ChaDCe of 11 ,ncal would tempt him 
back, at least not in our presence; but he would sit on 
at e'very cliauce— ° n th * ° PP0site poiut and put in hi* word 
"There’* no breexe upon the fern, 
ho ripple on the hike, 
Upon her eyrie node the erne, 
fhe deer hM nought the hrnke; 
The bu i, iII bird* will not sine aloud, 
1 he springing trout lie* si ill <• 
thft / after , noon exactly, and I was watching the 
mvsS wh m r°hor C T ur , up .°, ver »>y head and debating within 
myself whether I should go to sleep ot not, when by 
chance gbneing n, the direction of the river, I was aur- 
prised to see a canoe on the water heading toward our 
is and, and watching for a minute or so, could tell by the 
flush of the puddles that three persons were in the cruft 
but whether whites or Indians, 1 could not tell. Iwasuot 
Sd thev we n re C l tthe . , ' Ute ^ aItl, 0 U K h Ned had repeatedly 
Sri In ha ™ , oss, but mv curiosity had been satis- 
cerelv iTr down at 0ril,irt - a " d Indians, I sin- 
ccrely hoped they would pass on. In twenty minutes I 
distinguished four heads over the edge of t lie canoe and 
it was a party of reds from Lake Omic 
1 J r Wer ? , ar,er waa “ one ” beyond me. As they 
came nearer, I could see a man in the stern paddling and 
situeAn 8 l ‘ e . Cr “- t ,’ ^. llllu f °rward was a lad of fourteen or 
nnd amidships a squaw, both with paddles; they 
passed within a stones throw of our island, seemingly 
iround ?”???*, ° f * ° Ur camPl and tllL ‘ n wheeling half 
,L,< T 1Clr canoe on the point across and pro- 
< r an , ip ' 1 was considering whether it would be 
accordin 0 to laws of politeness lor me to cal] first, ns soon 
tu they were settled, or wait for them, when “halloal”came 
shore, ^ wa/SS *“ ^ rCUr ’ U " d lhcre ’ forly rods from 
canoe Ct k ' m ° D 11,6 bcacb and we proceeded to “land” the 
I thought you was asleep, as I didn’t see you when I 
come up,” said he. “Was f gone long?” 7 ° 1 
• , " i'.'a 1 8 n thfl ? over there on the point,” said I point- 
1D ?- . 4 re V 0 6 ou, S to have society up here 1 ”’ 
Flint s what brought me back early, as 1 expected you'd 
worry some L’s John Maquabeo with his squa wf he’s 
come up for deer, and you bet lie’ll get ’em-us mnnv iis he 
hroTi i^ C 1 C ° ° VC i r <lli8 “flernoon nnd see them- he's 
Z ,or 1 8C “ “■« ^ 
“Plow long will they stay here?” 
“Not over two nights, us he only hunts with a iack- he 
came up from Umic this morning. We hum down 
there next week to see where lie lives with the res t^of ’em 
There used to bo fifteen or more, but I beard tS is Spring 
some of ’em were going buck where they came from up 
the Nipissing way. \uu start the lire aud I’ll clean these 
fish I got coming up. I came along too fast to get more 
but they took the spoon right well, so 1 guess we’ll try that 
big fellow again along about sundown. If you get a good 
hold of him there’ll be fun, I tell you.” 6 g 
.i,r£? n V Ct 0Ut ' he V o11 yet '” Rfti<1 Ned, a * we started in 
the late afternoon i for the cove wherein we expected to find 
V ur ®P«on a day or so before! 
r«m iA Se S ? ia 11:511 11 ou, y bother us; have your line all 
ready, and just as we turn them weeds throw 'it out as far 
as you can I don’t think you’ll hook anything inTbeJe 
except the big one and if he bites look out you dJn’t break 
the hue. With that we sped across the water that was 
already beginning to reflect the glories of the setthmsulT 
and turning sharp to the left under the very shadow of the 
U-ees glided out into u large bay, the inner edge of which 
was bordered with a heavy growth of pads and weeds 
} l ' t w f e were thirty rods from shore and the water very 
deep, for the stems of the pads were of exceeding length 
and in this cove we expected to find our fish. Just where 
the growth commeuced, I coiled twenty yards or so of h e 
mmy band, and after one or tsvo svW^ ov^ my S 
aent ,t out behind me. It fell as wanted, and Jetting it run 
I soon had a good fifty yards out. Holding it between in 
thumb and forefinger, so us to let go easily, for I expected 
, 10 °n • h '. mself ’ 1 8WU »! n forward aSd back- 
strike. g y ’ lbl " kll, S evcr y minute to feel the tierce 
fber ^ now *’’ exclaimed Ned, as we made the circuit of 
, tb ® "® ed * once without a bite, ” I believe he was pricked 
too hard boforc und won’t take it. Go back ugaiu and if 
he won’t this time I'll give it up.” d lf 
i„iP rU "a ng . 5u l !? e liD0 we ,0()k a 9 bort circuit out into tlm 
lake and returned at the right spot. To uuderetand this 
remember 1 was in the how with the line, aud Ned in the 
&.i the ,° Uly W ,' ly l ° tr ? 11 in a canoe when you wish to 
bold the hne and not paddle. As we crept along on the re- 
turn trip I was losing laith with every stroke of !he paddle 
but when the weeds were nearly past the line Bn l i i ' 
ti^htenud a, it attached a “ fi ™ £°, S' 1 ™ £ 
my exclamation the canoe swung round, thus presenting me 
with a clear field for the tussel. Of course E Cn 
urned so as not to foul the line and Ned knew enough not 
o bacH or sheer off nearer the weeds, but without turn K 
he was watching me closely. Although the weight or 
! a lbe water lessened the ‘‘pull ” on my hand I knew I 
•! ad tb ® 8 V W n 8 ? flcr , Tb0 neit *bing was to bring him 
iu. When 1 pulled on the line it straigliteued out like the 
hawser of a tug, and water would ruu off in drops and al 
though I hud confidence in the cord I very much dmibtJd 
the spoon. Down would go tfie fisfi, now to tfic left then 
U» tfic right and but for Ned’s steadiness would have easilv 
drawn our light craft over the water y 
a rn!ie m S • w w™ .a™*- 
SSd t£“ 6 *“* K " a Uie * ^ iftAKS 
S?£S£ SE.T Gn-iS 
FOREST an d STREAM. 
someway before you lift him in. I believe we could’ut bal- 
ance her if that fish was in here alive.” 
“ Now then, slowly ” as I commenced to drop the slack 
line in the canoe. ‘Look out if he tries to get under, if 
he does that he s gone sure, or we’re upset. I can’t — Here 
he alongside, I shouted • for the fish, as they will some- 
times do, had swam hock on us so quick that I had but 
just noticed the slack when I could distinctively see his 
bulky form not three feet from the surface and almost uu- 
der the boat Ills long flat head wan savage in its appear- 
ance, and I had just time to mark the cruel gleam of his 
eye when there was a quick downward plunge, a flap of his 
tail almost in my face, and in a second I was hauling in the 
resistless line and looking at the bent hooks, for our great 
flsh iad escaped for the second time, and iny spoon was 
nearly spoiled. J y 
.‘j 1 ! w j 11 1,a X® t0 bc a bi S ,100k to bring that fellow out,” 
said Ned. That last turn of his’n was what fetched him 
clear, and no wonder, for the hook’s almost straight. Did 
you see him good— how long was he?” 
nS r Safed , r y '“ nd “ ,iclt “ "Vfc* S “ “r 
” He’d weigh near eighteen or twenty pounds then if he 
was that length. Let's start for camp; it’ll he sundown be- 
fore we get there now.” 
“ There must be fish of enormous size iu these lakes,” 
said I, on the way. “ Don’t you think so ?” 
‘i 1 Cttn ! t * ee «'hy there should’nt he ; they nint fished but 
little, and there s plenty of room and feed for ’em to grow 
I never ketched but one very big one; tliat’d weighed about 
twelve or tbirteen. I don t call him so very big, hut I got 
d n , i 1 ™' 1 / accident. If a man fished more for these 
big ones he d have all he could do. You ought to come up 
in the spring of t he year for these big trout, you like to fish 
so ; lie waters too warm now for ’em to bito well Easv 
on the rocks now, till I step out, so-that’s it,” and out we 
get and bringing the canoe after, turn it up ou the beach 
Z g n ( T 8Upper . a,ld after that bring out our pipes; 
and while the shadows deepen and the water gets grayer 
the miiAt e Sr°rf fW* U ’ "’ C - loun « e on our blanket! and 
. b ]): \ y , cv ®" in 8 18 P^sed in relating experi- 
“ J s ; >ber , talk - What started the subject I do not 
JSv thi V b . ul Nt 'd to my surprise began to speak of the 
day tiiat had passed aud its duties, and regretting some 
things in Ins experience, told me 6 
“ As I said, we have no chance to go to church up here. 
Sometimes a chap’ll come along that’ll get up some K of 
1 it m °re tor the women folks 
than myself, for I’d rather be up here n^w with you™y 
than at any preaching. I don’t understand what they say 
man W ? l6n 1 have heard but I mind' a 
}JV "A ' com ? &lon / , SIX ? r 8even years ago that I should 
like to see again and hear him talk. I remember some of it 
J 
"Whereabouts was that ? down at Miller’s ?” 
1 was away down on the Lawrence when I guided duck- 
ud°° “P urlS? b f C, f Wee t ing , hiS b . and soutl1 ward and sitting 
up. Parlies of from two to a dozen would come along at 
a mm?, women and men, and stay according to the flights 
This man was up one October before any ducks came to 
speak of and used to go trolling instead. I see him shorn 
our or five times at odd ones and he wnr’nt no green one a 
that I tell you. Wei.', Hurst’s little gir died when he w2 
up Huist was the Englishman that kept the tavern where 
be gunners stayed and they asked him to have service m 
tne house. Most all of us, company and Hired men went 
nranii.^i , ? | S 00d 0U r by llie window of the room aud 
preached, while some of us had to stay* out under the trees 
He X°»ff T °l ' h ° Cr ^ d ' 1 “ ourio “ s “ ««t'Vut“hen 
lie left off I was sorry it was over ” 
“ Why ?” 
B . ecau f 1 e was different from anything I ever heard lie 
talked of the trees and clouds, and wlmt he called good 
UJ. !, h, % ll { e > and tLea what the other life would be. It 
mnlT„ m ,f \ C « U ? d ta i, k J ust bke him, only I could’nt 
fixed after A fi | ^ T“ d tLe Way a man would be 
U.xul nfur he died depended on how he used his life here 
That - ?®‘ f ter u w - as l ° be f ° ,,d of country and 
I 1. T, fc ,! lian '! Ve forever in the city aWi not see it at all ” 
Tliut s business for you, Ned ” 
Ji J’®!* J? u l l ’ want . ,hal I mean! He spoke of the girl that 
had just died, and what she was at that minute ; he said lie 
believed she was there with us, only we could’nt see her and 
I I diil'i i m ° H Cel i° 0l< ? a ” °- ver to bear hiin ‘alk so,’ but I guess 
.. ' d . 1 . uuderstund 11 r ‘gbt. Just before he stonned. he 
gatory to be released in time when I had suffered for what 
I had done wrong hero, but I don’t understand it clear ” 
Nor any one else, Ned. This is Sunday night, and we 
may as well talk of these things as any other subject, if you 
don t object. I feel no more hesitation in speaking of the 
end of this life than of my going home to Philadelphia 
Some men would laugh at the idea, hut no com, .an’ 
ton suits me us well as the man who will teach me how to 
better myself in the way of learning about it with the same 
freedom that he would use in telling me how to hold mv 
gun steadier, or throw my fly further. I say the man who 
is always running this talk down is not the man to cuiov a 
trip like this.” J * a 
“ 1 don’t see how it’s possible for a man’s body to be 
raised after so many years,” said he after a little silence • 
If I kill a bear or wolf and let the carcass lay on the 
ground I can only find a few bones next year, aud after 
a few years, nothing. I suppose it will be done by a mira- 
cle when the lime comes.” 
“ Miracles are done away with now, replied I, and I can’t 
believe they will be used to bring a man’s bones together 
after death. It is said that our bodies will be raised incor- 
ruptible, but I take it that means the higher body, and the 
lustant I am dead my flesh is to me what last year's horn is 
to a buck after shedding, of no further connection what- 
ever It I have to he killed at nine to-night, my new life 
would instantly begin at the nextsccoud, but how or where 
is something I don’t care to know.” 
“ Did you ever see uny of them fellows that say as how 
they had seen spirits from .” 
•’That' 11 do Ned. If you start that question I'll pass. 
I he nights too short, and I want to sleep without dreams- 
so 1 II go aud get some wet leaves for the ‘ smudge 
and taking the dipper I weut down for some water to sprin- 
kle some moss and weeds to raise a smoke. Night reigned 
supreme. I stooped and filled the basin aftd then started 
buck ; from a higher poiut I could see across to the Indian 
camp, but except the smouldering fire there was no life 
there. Millions of stars were blazing overhead, and as I 
looked upward one shot across the heavens and dropped si- 
lently toward the West. Falling star in Summer ! maybe 
it is the mother of another Hiawatha, thought I Hark! 
that was a gun from the east side, surely Maquabee has got 
one deer and it is’nt ten yet. Welj ! I'll get one also to- 
morrow but now for a good sleep, sleep the deatli of this 
seventh day s life, and then for sport on the morrow. 
Music. 
A PRAIRIE 
For Forest and Stream. 
WOLF HUNT. 
, „ *■ Just before lie slopped he 
told us how a man or woman should live, so as to be right 
when the y come to die, and, as lie said, not to he afraid of 
the terror by night ’ or the arrow that flew by day Did 
you ever hear the like of that ? * 3 U 
Had 1 heard it ! Was not my heart, as lie spoke full of 
the memory of an old man, who, when disease had left him 
blind and lame, and tortured daily to au extent that few 
could Stand, drew such consolation from Those ^ words- 
elc -” tlmt 
“I think I Liuve, Ned, was that all ?” 
Cdec by my bo»; ; ,bc night wm still enough tE Ju! 
abend “ 1 f ,dn, « ! l . l, ‘cre coure up a thunder storm that went 
aheutd of anything of the kind I ever see. Of course U 
woufd^e UP Th? {hY® 8 ! k,n . der 6keart nt fir st, as any man 
would be. 1 lie thunder hanged away, aud I could see 
I .ioiVt wam ld f0r t,ie fiffhtning, while the lake— Well ! 
did I crowded im i^ water thrash around more than that 
uiu. 1 Crowded up behind a tree, and while the rain was 
&S.™i h 'L W . mdbrad !i!* orf limbs 4 nrovtud °S 
““' 1 ^'v^wslUUndlincS 
Ti;7rwt% h at o 8 ' , ^' , ?.. ciud ' s spirii « » 
.eemStr ^ ° ' " UCh ^ ' “ il 
mmm 
“ 1 ™ I died n, , 0U J ^ ou]d g0 , 0 pur . 
I N the early days of my pedagoguehood it was my for- 
tune to become the presiding genius over as motley a 
crowd of untamed colts as I believe ever assembled to- 
gether under the roof of a log school house. Situated on 
the Western frontier, on one of those beautiful rolling 
prairies, the country around was justly noted not only for 
its magnificent crops, bouncing pretty girls, and sterling 
boys, but game of many kinds and iu great abundance was 
scattered through all its parts. I soon discovered that if I 
was sent there to “teach the young idea how to shoot ” 
some of them, with the rifle, at least, could far outshoot 
me. Many of my pupils were men grown, and among 
them were several celebrated shots, and few that were not 
my superior in sports that required severe muscular strength 
or endurance. Our school was known as having on its role 
the best wrestler, the fleetest runner, aud the swiftest ska- 
ter iu all the region around. 
It was early in the fifties when I first went West and be- 
came a ‘ ’school marster,” aud how well I remember my 
astonishment the second day on my arrival at the school as 
the larger boys came in, to see them slack their guns in the 
corner, with a score or more pinnated grouse (prairie chick- 
ens, they called them). I said nothing at the time but I 
soon ascertained that it was the custom for the boys’ many 
of whose homes were somewhat scattered over the prairie 
(some coming five or six miles or more to school) to biiu i 
their rifles and knock over a few birds from the fences 
where they are wont to alight of a frosty morning I liked 
the idea, and having fixed u place iu the woodshed to hang 
up their shooting irons, away from the younger children 
and the game beyond the reach of prowling dogs I soon 
fel into the practice of carrying my double barrel back 
and forth for I “boarded around.” you know, and many a 
good bag have I made of a morning and evening Quail 
were very abundant; hares so plentiful that no one thought 
of shooting them; grouse iu sufficient quantities, and the 
ducks-nmUard and teal-why the ponds (sloughs, they 
call them) were alive with them; theu came wild geese anil 
the sandhill cranes, a bird that will sometimes reach tlm 
height ot six feet, aud I have even heard of larger ones 
Deer abounded iu the groves (every bunch of timber goes 
by the name of grove); lots of coons we bad, too for our 
night hunts, and the prairie wolves, those cowardly rascals 
though every year growing scarcer, were yet sufficiently 
pew 610 * 18 l ° tr0UbiC the farm ° 1 ' 8 ’ Poultry yards and sheep 
was towards the closing days of the term— the sloughs 
were still in a satisfactory condition, and able to bear un 
for the Spring sun had not yet broken up their icy coverings— 
that I was waited on by a committee of the larger boys 
und asked it I would not give them the next Thursday as 
a holiday, or at least hold school ou a Saturday in place of 
that day. Why so? “Because we want to go to the wolf 
i!«h V A Humph 11 i Wft “ lLd t0 SO, too. It seems the wolves 
had been unusually audacious in several of the sheepfolds 
and a regular organized hunt was planned for their exter- 
mination, as well as for a good time among the hoys The 
® al i* r Z“n S °° a an : anged ’ and cudy ou tbe morning men- 
tioned, with some thiily or forty of our party we started 
for the point designated for us. P y ’ WL slartcd 
The plan was something like the following:— Word had 
been sent out several days before to lbe different towns and 
villages scattered over the country to elect their captains 
for the graud hunt, to form their portion of the ring that 
was to close up to a certain centre indicated by a fla- or a 
tall staff far out on the prairie. These rings ale sometimes 
twenty and thirty miles in diameter, and it takes an early 
start, with rapid traveling, to close up in time. The dif- 
ferent captains, on fleet horses, ride back and forth keep- 
thfng^beforeThem. 11 ’ “ d “ ^ C, ° 8e Up lbey d ™ "*£ 
Alter a smart tramp of a few miles, we began to see 
scattering parties on our right aud left, that gradually grew 
more numcrQUs, until an almost unbroken line was formed 
on both sides, ad heading towards a distant point, but 
