FOREST AND STREAM 
849 
Overnight, Almost, Autumn Drifts Into Winter, and We Rise in the Morning to Gaze on a New Outdoor World. 
The Metamorphosis Of A Greenhorn 
As Days Grew Into Weeks the Influences of a New Environment Brought About a Gradual Conformation 
To the Ethics of Camp Life and Camp Practises 
(Continued from February Forest and Stream) 
By W. H. Bentley. 
Chapter II. 
HAT the somnolent character of 
Bill’s arrival at camp somewhat 
belied his previous enthusiasm, 
cannot be denied; but it may be 
urged in extenuation that he 
was but a greenhorn, and in ad¬ 
dition, subject to some tempor¬ 
ary weakness of the flesh. At the 
same time, to present the truth, he entertained 
certain adverse views on the taking of big game, 
especially deer, that a lack of moral courage pre¬ 
vented him from disclosing, since he was well 
aware that they were out of harmony with the 
spirit and practice of the community of which he 
was about to become a member. He was not so 
dull as to lack appreciation of the inconsistency 
of his position in this respect, inasmuch as he 
took fish, the smaller game animals and birds, 
whenever opportunity was presented; and beyond 
question, therefore, his views were inspired rather 
by mere physical revulsion than by fixed princi¬ 
ples. It was with considerable reluctance he had 
included in his luggage a rifle of approved de¬ 
sign and construction, only on the insistence of 
Aeneas who had even threatened the abandon¬ 
ment of the trip, if the small, cheap camera that 
constituted Bill’s only offensive weapon were not 
supplemented by one more conventional and ef¬ 
fective; but in yielding the point he mentally re¬ 
solved not to make practical use of the instrument 
so unwillingly acquired. 
But if Bill’s enthusiasm did not at first extend 
along the lines specifically approved by Aeneas 
who, as a persistent hunter was fairly successful 
in adding to the trophies suspended from the pole 
at the end of the camp, it was none the less gen¬ 
uine and substantial over the simple experiences 
and incidents of the days spent in tramping the 
great woods, and in acquiring a collection of small 
and indifferent photographic negatives, after the 
manner of the average amateur in that art. As the 
days grew into weeks, the influences of the new 
environment brought about a gradual conforma¬ 
tion to the ethics of the camp, that even Bill him¬ 
self could not deny, and of which the observant 
Aeneas eventually took full advantage. 
“Now, Bill,” he gravely announced as he tossed 
a couple of fresh sticks of wood on the and¬ 
irons of the open stove, and settled back in his 
chair for the evening, “you’ve played horse 
with your uncle as long as he will stand it. You 
came up here with a pair of city legs, a grouch 
in your grub basket, and one or two tom-fool 
notions; and I let you go your own gait. Now 
you can tramp like a moose and eat like a river 
driver; and I’ll be hanged if you haven’t got 
to hunt like a man. I won’t allow you to disgrace 
yourself and constitute a standing reflection on 
the character of my associations, any longer. 
To-morrow you are going to tote that new gun 
of yours and show me how well you can use it, 
or I’ll blow that little, black box you’ve lugged 
round all this time, into punk wood, with a 30-30 
slug. You hear what I say?” 
“Very well,” assented the wavering Bill. “I’ll 
admit there appears to be a sort of kick-back 
in my notions that I don’t exactly understand. 
I’ve arrived at the point where I believe I must 
have two natures: one that came down to me 
from Adam, and the other, one that my good, 
old daddy tried to thrash into me. It looks 
now as if he didn’t thrash hard or frequently 
enough to do a good job, and the natural one 
has cropped up to the surface. I don’t know 
which will be at the top to-morrow; but unless 
I do another mental flip-flop I’ll lug the gun.” 
“Reguar Jekyl-and-Hyde sort of cuss you must 
be,” commented Aeneas. “I’m not up on psy¬ 
chological phenomena; but if there’s a sure oper¬ 
ation that’ll whack common sense into a person’s 
cranium. I’d like to own the patent on it. I know 
a whole lot of people that need that operation, and 
once in a while maybe I need it myself. Any¬ 
how, it appears to have been effective in your 
case; and I’m glad to extend my congratulations 
and to welcome you into this society of congenial 
spirits. You’ll recall I once said you were not 
such a bad skate on close acquaintance, and I 
guess the rest of the crowd will agree with me.” 
