414 
[March 14, 1908. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
The last day out I discovered another feeding 
ground more promising in appearance than the 
first. Though the afternoon was dark and 
gloomy, with a brisk fall of rain, it might be 
the last chance for many months, so Mr. Polk 
and I went up the river to the nearest landing 
place and plunged into the wet thickets, he tak¬ 
ing ground that he had explored and thought 
promising. The last hour for hunting was nearly 
gone when a deer’s side and back were dimly 
seen through the cover, the rest of the animal 
being behind a tree. Several steps brought me 
to a sapling against which the rifle was steadied 
while waiting for a shoulder to appear. Shortly 
this occurred. It was too dark to see more than 
the general form of shoulder and neck, and the 
head was not in sight, so I could not tell 
whether the deer was a buck or a doe, but I 
took chances and shot. It was a surprise to 
discover that there were two deer instead of one, 
a doe standing behind a fawn in such a position 
that the tall back and shoulder that I aimed at 
seemed to belong to the same animal. With 
some remorse it was seen that the fawn’s 
shoulder was bloody, as both animals dashed by 
within twenty yards of me. No further notice 
was taken of the doe, and at the instant that an¬ 
other shot was fired the fawn fell as it was 
about to plunge into a thicket. Examination 
afterward proved that only the first bullet had 
struck it. 
The next morning camp was broken, after 
eight peaceful days in the solitudes of the Tensas 
swamp, which is always left with this advan¬ 
tage over those who have not seen the forest 
which shelters John Bunyan; that always in 
dreams may one go back there, during the many 
months which may elapse before he shall once 
more in reality follow the evasive trail of the 
fabled buck. Tripod. 
Bear and Deer. 
Oakmont, Pa., Feb. 2 7.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: There is another view of that story 
in your issue of Jan. 25. Was that justice of 
the peace correct in fining the bear killers for 
“hunting on Sunday?” 
As you know, being a lawyer, or even a mem¬ 
ber of the bar, cannot be laid at my door, but 
still there is such a thing as “within the mean¬ 
ing of the law” that is really a fact, little as 
members of the bar recognize it. 
Is it “hunting”—always “within the meaning 
of the law”—to pursue and kill a dangerous wild 
animal? I do not see that that is clear. Your 
“let us go and kill something” fellows have se¬ 
cured many laws, fearfully and wonderfully made, 
but words have meaning for all of that. 
Another matter is brought up in your editorial 
on twenty-two wounded deer being found and 
killed by gamekeepers, not knowing how' many 
more were unfound, and the gross carelessness 
of the hunters in not following them up and kill¬ 
ing them. Now, if those deer had been hounded 
every one wounded would have been found. 
If your “protective” laws allowed the use of 
a dog, mind you, even a beagle, spaniel or terrier, 
on the trail of wounded deer, all would be found. 
Yet sportsmen call it sport to sneak up on an un¬ 
suspecting deer, fire a charge into it while it 
is standing or lying still, with at least one chance 
out of three that it escapes far enough to be 
lost. William Wade. 
Plain Language. 
New York, Jan. 30. —Editor Forest , and 
Stream: I am one of the oldest of your corre¬ 
spondents, my contributions going back to the 
year of the foundation of the paper. I am thus 
a sportsman of long experience. My contribu¬ 
tions to your columns have had to do with al¬ 
most all the various subjects covered by your 
field. This personal explanation and my very 
great interest in the paper and everything that 
appears in it, lead me to ask if you will not give 
me space for 4 little good natured comment on 
some weaknesses which I occasionally see in 
your correspondents. 
One of the greatest charms of the accounts 
which appear in Forest and Stream lies in their 
directness and simplicity, but sometimes I see 
an apparent striving for effect which is to be 
deplored. Those of us who write for the 
printer—whether as story-writers, essayists, or 
correspondents—are naturally enough very de¬ 
sirous to make what we write impress those 
who read it. We wish to have our reason¬ 
ing logical, our narrative clear, orderly and in¬ 
telligent, and our descriptions effective, so that 
they will bring to the mind of the reader the 
scenes which we are describing just as we saw 
them. Perhaps also we would like to impress 
our readers with the notion that our sensibili¬ 
ties are keen and our insight deep. Therefore we 
sometimes make the mistake -of striving after 
effect in our writing, and this is one of the very 
ways in which to fail to secure an effect. We 
are not satisfied with talking about things as they 
actually are, but want to make everything appear 
a little more impressive than it really is. We 
are disposed to exaggerate things; to indulge in 
hyperbole. 
A trout, or salmon, or deer, or bear is not 
merely large, but is great, vast, colossal, magnifi¬ 
cent, superb or stupendous. A wolf, which per¬ 
haps has just gorged itself on a carcass, lain 
down under a bush to sleep, and on being dis¬ 
turbed hastily gets out of the sight of a hunter 
armed with repeating rifle and belt full of am¬ 
munition, w r ith possibly a six-shooter and a knife 
or two concealed about his person, is variously 
spoken of as lean and hungry, ravening, blood¬ 
thirsty, sneaking and cowardly. A weasel 5 or 6 
inches long, caught in a trap, and unable to get 
away from the vicinity of the husky six-foot man 
who is approaching him with a stick or a gun, or 
perhaps both, and a dog, is spoken of as the 
incarnation of devilish ferocity and hate. The 
sea bird which passes its summers in the frozen 
North or South among surroundings which the 
average civilized, temperate zone man would re¬ 
gard as very disagreeable, is pitied, merely be¬ 
cause the writer feels that he would not enjoy 
surroundings which are entirely suited to the 
bird. 
It is quite conceivable that when the Brobding- 
nagians saw Gulliver nearly frightened to death 
by their prodigious size, they spoke of him as a 
sneaking, cowardly wretch; and when on the oc¬ 
casion of some teasing, he retired into the cor¬ 
ner of his cage and drawing his sword declared 
that he would defend himself to his last breath, 
some of them may have averred that he was the 
incarnation of devilish ferocity. 
Suppose a being with intelligence far greater 
than ours, as big as an elephant and armed with 
dynamite guns, were to come across one of us 
unarmed out in the country, and the little fellow 
were to run away; would we regard it as an act 
of cowardice? Or if a man attacked by over¬ 
whelming odds, is cornered and fights to the last 
gasp, do we regard his actions as inspired bv 
ferocity and hate? It is not a bad idea some¬ 
times to put ourselves in the place of others, 
even if these others are only small and compara¬ 
tively harmless animals. 
If we look back upon the people whose writ¬ 
ings have most stirred us we shall find that we 
were moved not by any exaggerated style of the 
writer but by his simplicity. He talked, to us in 
the plain homely language which is understood 
instantly and without effort, and in this way got 
nearer to our hearts than others do. The rule is 
a universal one. It is as applicable to Forest 
and Stream as to any other periodical, and if 
the old readers will look back and remem¬ 
ber the writings of Robinson, Nessmuk, Fred. 
Mather and Kingfisher, they will recognize the 
truth of the statement. Old Correspondent. 
Canadian Camp. 
The Canadian Camp held its dinner at the 
Hotel Astor on the evening of Wednesday, 
March 4. About 125 persons were present, and 
Rastus Ransom officiated as toastmaster. 
The guest of honor was Com. J. U. Gregory, 
of Quebec, one of the very old-time sportsmen, 
who for a generation has been a contributor to 
Forest and Stream. He is still the head of the 
Department of Marine and Fisheries of the 
Province of Quebec, and wears the order of im¬ 
perial service founded by King Edward VII. 
and awarded for special service in the interest 
of the crown. Mr. Gregory has held his present 
position for more than forty years. He talked 
of hunting and fishing in Labrador, and had 
much to say about the visits to Canada of the 
Duke of Argyle, and of his son) the Marquis of 
Lome, once Canada’s Governor-General. Next 
to Mr. Gregory sat Chas. Hallock, another 
veteran, who, with Mr. Gregory, looks back 
over a generation and more of good sport. 
Dr. J. C. Allen spoke on the sportsman’s 
privilege; Mr. Robert Frothingham gave an 
illustrated talk on shooting the rapids of the 
Grand Discharge of Lake St. John and a canoe 
trip up the Peribonca. Gilbert Evans gave an 
illustrated talk on fish, Dr. Geo. Porter told of 
some of his experiences in Canada, Alfred Henry' 
Dunham talked of crossing the Chilkoot Pass, 
while W. H. Wright, well known for his ex¬ 
ploits in bear hunting, and probably the only 
man that ever killed a grizzly with a jack-knife, 
expressed his views on these bears, concerning 
which he is an acknowledged expert. The meet¬ 
ing lasted till the late hours. 
In a short time Forest and Stream Publishing, 
Company will bring out a small volume which 
will contain the charming serial recently con¬ 
tributed to these columns by Mr. S. T. Ham¬ 
mond. The book will contain not far front one- 
hundred and fifty pages, and will be illustrated 
by a number of engravings. All readers who > 
enjoyed the serial as it appeared in the Forest 
and Stream are likely to desire this book in . 
order to keep in permanent form these charming• 
accounts of New England shooting. Orders wiiT 
be received for the book at any time. It will be 
sent postpaid for the sum of $t.oo. 
