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A DEER-HUNT IN A '-DUf^-OUT."

251

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1

A DEER HUNT IN A "DUG-OUT."

THE long-tailed deer, one of the small-
est of tlie deer kind, is found prinri-
pally in woodeil countries ; but its favor-
ite haunts are not in the heavy timber of
tiio great forests, but in the park-like
openinjxs that oceur in many parts of tlic
Rocky Mountain valleys. Sometinies
whole tracts of country are met with in
these regions whose surface exhibits a
pleasing variety of woodland and prairie ;
sloping hills apjiear with coppices u[)()n
their crests and along their sides. Among
tlicse natural groves may be seen troops
of the long-tailed deer, browsing along the
declivities of the hill.5, and, by their ele-
gant attitudes and graceful movements,
adding to the beauty of the landscape.

Some years ago I had an opportunity
of hunting the long-iailed deer. I was on
my way across the Rocky Mountains to
Fort Vancouver, when circumstances ren-
dered it necessary that I should stop for
some days at a small trading-post on one
of the branches of the Columbia. I was,
in fact, detained, waiting for a party of
fur-traders with whom I was to travel,
and who required some time to get their
packs in readiness. The trading-post was
a small place, with miserable accommo-
dations, having scarcely room enough in
its two or three wretched log-cabins to
lodge half the company that, happened at
the time to claim its hospitality. As my
business was simply to wait for my trav-
eling companions I was of course ennuijv
almost to death in siicl a place ; and it
was not long before I began to meditate a
hunting expedition. My servant Dick, a
hois bride, or half-breed, and a first-rate
h\mter, suggested an idea which seemed
to promise plenty of sport and venison, —
a hunt to take place by night. I n^adily
gave my consent, as I saw in the pro-
posal the chances of enjiying a very rare
sport. It was to be a fire-hunt ; l)ut not
as usually practiced among backwoodsmen,
by carrying a torch tiirough the woods.
Our torch was to float upon the water,
while we were snugly seated beside it ;
in other words, we would carry our torch
in a canoe, and, floating down stream,
would shoot tiio deer that happened to be
upon the banks drinking or cooling their
hoofs in the water. I had heard of the
plan, but had never practiced it, although
I was desirous of so doiflg. Dick had

often killed deer in tliis way, and there-
fore knew all aiiont it. It was agreed,
then, that we should try the experiment.

During the next diiy T)ick ami I pro-
ceeded in otir preparations without -siying
anything to any one. It was our design
to keep our night-luint a secret, lest wo
might 1)0 unsuccessful, and get laughr^l at
for o\ir pains. On the other hand, siiould
we su('C(>i'd in killing a goodly nun\l)('r of
long-t" Is, it would be timi; enough to let
it be known how we had managed mat-
ters. We had little difficulty in keeping
our designs to ourselves. Every one was
busy with his own affurs, and took no
heed of our maneuvers. Our chief dilTi-
culty l;iy in procuring a boat ; but for the
consideration of a few loads of powder,
we at length borrowed an old canoe that
belonged to one of the Flathead In-
dians— a sort of hanger-on of the post.
This craft was simply a log of the cotton-
wood, {Populus candicans.) rudely liol-
lovvcd out by means of an ax, and slightly
roimded at the ends to produce the canoe-
shape. It was that species of water-craft
popularly known throusihout Western
America as a " dug-out," a phrase which
explains itself. It was both old and
rickety, but, after a short inspection.
Blue Dick declared it would do " fust-
rate."

Our next move was to jirepare our
torch. For this we had to make an e:,-
cursion to the neighboring hills, where we
found the very material we wanted — the
dry knots of the pitch pine-tree {Pinnx
ri<<;ida.) A large segment of birch-bark
was then sought for and obtained, and our
implements were complete. At twilight
all was ready, and, stepping into our dug-
out, we paddled silently down stream. As
soon as we had got out of the neighbor-
hood of the post we lighted our torch.
This was placed in a large fryingpan out
upon the bow, and was in reality rather a
fire of pin(!-knots than a torch. It blazed
up brightly, throwing a glare over the
surface of the stream, and reflecting in red
light every object upon both banks. We,
on the other hand, were completely hid-
den from view by means of the birch-bark
screen, which stood up between us and the
torch.

As soon as we were fairly under way, I
yielded up the paddle to Dick, who now
assigned to himself the double office of
guiding the dug-out and keeping the torch

4201&

» ♦x •

252

THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE.

trimmed. I was to look to tlic shooting ;
so placing my trusty rifle across my tliiglis,
I sat alternatfily scanning both banks as
we glick'd along. I shall never forget the
romantic effect which was produced upon
my mind during that wild excursion. The
scenery of the river upon which we had
launched our craft was at all times of a
picturesque character. Under the blaze
of the pine-wood — its trees and rocks
tinted with a vermilion hue, while the
rippling flood below ran like molten gold
— the effect was heightened to a degree
of s\ibliuiity which could not have failed
to impress the dullest imagin^vion. It
was the autumn season, too, and the foli-
age, which had not yet commenced fall-
ing, had assumed those rich varied tints
so characteristic of the American sijlca —
various hues of green and golden, and
yellow and deep red, were exhibited upon
the luxuriant frondage that lined the banks
of the stream, and here and there drooped
like embroidered curtains down to the
water's edge. It was a scene of that
wild beauty, that picturesque sublimity,
whicli carries one to the contemplation of
its Creator.

" Yonder !" muttered a voice that rous-
ed nic from my reverie. It was Dick
wlio spoke ; and, in the dark shadow of
the birch bark, I could see one of his arms
extended and pointing to the right bank.
My eyes followed the direction indicated :
they soon rested upon two small objects,
that from the darker background of the
foliage a{)peared bright and luminous.
These objects were round, and close to
each other ; and at a glance I knew them
to be the eyes of some animal, reflecting
the light of our torch. My companion
whispered me thai, they were the eyes of
a deer. I took sight with my rifle, aim-
ing as nearly as I could midway between
the luminous spots. I pulled trigger, and
my true piece cracked like a whip. The
report was not loud enough to drown t!.e
noises that came back from the shore.
There was a rustling of leaves, fo'lowed
by a plunge, as of somebody falling in the
water. Dick turned the head of the dug-
out, and paddled her up to the bank.
The torch, blazing brightly, lit up the
scene ahead of us, and our eyes were
gratified by the sight of a fine buck, that
had fallen dead into the river. He was
about being drawn into the eddy of the
current; but Dick prevented this, and,

seizing him by the antlers, soon de-
posited him safely in the bottom of the
dug-out.

Our craft was once more headed down
stream, and we scrutinized every winding
of the banks in search of another pair of
gleaming eyes. In less than half an hour
these appeared, and we succeeded in kill-
ing a second long-tail — a doe — and drag-
ged her also into the boat. Shortly after,
a third was knocked over, which we fou'id
standing out in the river upon a small
point of sand. This proved to be a young
spike-buck, his horns not having as yet
branched oflT into antlers. About a quar-
ter of a mile further down a fourth deer
was shot at, and missed, the dug-out hav-
ing grazed suddeidy against a rock just
as I was pulling trigger, thus rendering
my aim unsteady.

I need hardly say that this sport was
extremely exciting ; and we had got many
miles from the post, without thinking either
of the distance or the fact that we should be
under the disagreeable necessity of paddling
the old Flathead's canoe every inch of the
way back again. Down stream it was all
plain .sailing ; and Dick's duty was light
enough, as it consisted merely in keeping
the dug-out head foremost in the middle
of the river. The current ran at the rate
of three miles an hour, and therefore
drifted us along with sufficient rapidity.

The first thing that suggested a return
to either of us was the fact that our pine-
knots had run out : Dick had just piled
the last of them in the fryingpan. At
this moment a noise sounded in our ears
that caused us some feelings of alarm : it
was the noise of falling water. It was
not new to us, for, since leaving the post,
we had passed the mouths of several
small streams that debouched into the one
upon which we were, in most cases over
a jumble of rocks, thus forming a series
of noisy rapids. But that which we now
heard was directly ahead of us, and must,
thought we, be a rapid or fall of the
stream itself; moreover, it appeared loud-
er than any we had hitherto passed.

We lost but little time in conjectures.
The first impulse of my companion, upon
catching the sound, was to stop the prog-
ress of the dug-out, which in a few sec-
onds he succeeded in doing ; but by this
time our torch had shown us that there
was a sharp turning in the river, with a
long reach of smooth water below. The

mm

HH-

A DEER-HUNT IN A "DUG-OUT."

253

cascade, tliereforc, could not he in our
stream, but in sonio tril)ut;iry that foil into
it near the bend. On seeing this, Dick
turned his paddle, and permitted the dug-
out once more to float with the current.
The next morn(!nt we passed the nioutli
of a good-sized creek, whose waters, hav-
ing just leaped a fall of several feet, ran
into the river, covered with white froth
and bubbles. We could see the fall at a
little distance tlirough the branidies of the
trees ; and, as we swept (tn, its foaming
sheet reflected the light of our torch like
shining metnl.

We had scarcely passed this point
when my attention was attracted by a
pair of fiery orI)s that glistened out of
some low hushes upon the left hank of tlie
river. I saw that they were the eyes of
some animal, but wliat kind of animal I
could not guess. I knew they wore not
the eyes of a deer. Their p(!culiar scin-
tillrtion, tlieir lesser si-'.e, the wide space
between them — all convinced me they
were not deer's eyes. Moreover, they
moved at times as if the head of the ani-
mal was carried about in irregular circles.
This is never the case with the eyes of
the deer, wliich eitiier pass hurriedly from
point to point, or remain with a fixed and
steadfast gaze. I knew, therefore, it was
no deer ; i)ut no matter what : it was
some wild creature, and all arc alike the
game of tiie prairie-hunter. I took aim,
and pui'od trigger. Vv^hile doing so I
heard the voice of my companion warning
me, as I thought, not to fire. I wondered
at this admonition, but it was then too
late to heed it, for it had been uttered al-
umst simultaneously with the report of
my rifle.

I first looked to the bank to witness the
etTect of my shot. To my great surprise,
the eyes were still there, gleaming from
the bushes as brightly as ever ! Had I
mis.sed my aim ? It is true the voice of
my companion had somewhat disconcerted
me ; but I still believed tliat my bullet
must have sped truly, as it had been de-
livered with a good aim. As I turned to
Dick for an explanation, a new sound fell
upon my ears that explained all, at the
same time causing me no slight feeling
of alarm. It was a sound not unlike that
sometimes uttered by terrified swine, but
still louder and more threatening. I knew
it well — I knew it was the snort of the
grizzly bear.

Of all .\merican animals the grizzly
be;ir is the most to l)e dreaded. Armed
or unarmed, man is no match for iiim,
and even the courageous hunter of these
parts shuns the encounter. Thi.s w;is
why my companion had admonislied me
not to fire. I thought I had missed : it
was not so. My bullet had hit and stung
the fier(;e brute to nuidness ; and a (jiiiek
cracking among the bushes was immedi-
ately followed by a heavy plunge : the
bear was in the water.

" (f ood heavens, he 's after us !" cried
Dick in accents of alarm, at the same
time propelling the dug-out with all his
might. It proved true enough that the
bear was after us, and the very first plunge
had brought his nose almost up to the side
of the canoe. However, a few well-di-
rected strokes of the paddle set us in
(piick motion, and we were soon gliding
rapidly down stream, followed by the en-
raged animal, that every now and then
uttered one of his fierce snorts.

What rendered our situation a tcrrilde
one was, that we could not now see the
hear, nor tell how flir he might be from
us. All to the rear of the canoe was of a
pitchy darkness in consequence of the
screen of birch-bark. No object could be
dislinguislied in that direction, and it was
only by hearing him that we cotdd tell he
was still some yards otT. The snorts,
however, were more or less distinct, as
heard amid the varying roar of the water-
fall ; ami sometimes they seemed as if the
snout from which they proceeded was
close up to our stern. We knew that if
he once laid his paw upon the canoe, we
should either be sunk or compelled to leap
out and swim for it. We knew, more-
over, that such an event would be; certain
death to one of us at least. I need hardly
affirm that my companion used his paddle
with all the energy of despair. I assisted
him as much as was in my power with
the but-end of my gun, which was empty ;
on account of the hurry and darkness I
had not attempted to reload it.

We had shot down stream for a hun-
dred yards or so, and were about con-
gratulating ourselves on the prospect of
an escape from the bear, when a new ob-
ject of dread presented itself to our ter-
rified imaginations. This object was the
sound of falling water ; but not as before,
coming from some tributary stream. No.
It was a full of the river upon which we

^^

254

THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE.

were floiitiiig, and eviiloiitly (dily a very
short distance below us! We were, in
I'ikH, within leas than one hundred yards
ol' it. Our excitement in conseijuence of
beinij pursued by tlie bear, as well as the
(Ui-t that the sough of the cascade above
still filled our ears, had prevented us from
l)erccivinjf this new danger until we had
approaclied it.

xV shout of terror ^.id warning from my
(!oinjianion seemed tin; echo of one I had
myself uttered. IJoth of us understood
the peril of our situation, and both, without
speaking anotlier word, set al)out attempt-
ing t() stop tiie boat. Vs'i; piuldied with
all our streugtli — In: with tiie oar, while I
u.-i^'d the Hat l)utl of my rille. We had
.succeeded iii i)ringing iier to a sort of
e(juilil)riuni, and were in hopes (d* being
able to force her toward the t)ank, when
all at once we heard a heavy object strike
against the stern. At the same moment
the bow rose uj) into tln^ air, and a num-
ber of tiie burning piue-knots fell back
into the bottom of the canoe. They still
continued to blaze ; a!id their light now
tailing toward the stern, showed us a fear-
ful oljject. The bear had seized hold of
iJie dug-out, and his fierce head and long
ciirving claws were visible over the edgf;.
Although the little craft danced about
upon the water, and was likely to be
turned keel upward, the animal showed
no intention of relaxing its hold ; but, on
the contrary, seemed every moment
mounting higher into the canoe.

Our peril was now extreme. We
knew it, and the knowledge half paralyzed
us. Both of us htni started up, and for
some moments half-sat, half-crouched,
uncertain how to act. Should we use the
paddles, and get the canoe ashore, it
would only be to throw ourselves into the
jaws of the hear. On the other hand, we
could not remain as we were, for in a few
seconds we should be drifted over the
falls ; and how high these were we knew
not. We had never heard of them : they
might be fifty feet — they might be a hun-
dred. High enough they were, no doubt,
to precipitate us into eternity. The
prospect was appalling, and our thoughts
ran rapidly. Quick action was required.
I could think of no other than to lean
sternward, and strike at the bear with my
clubbed rifle. At the same time I called
upon my companion to paddle for the
shore. We preferred, under all circum-

stances, risking the chances of a land-
encounter with our grizzly antagonist.

I had succeeded in keeping the bear out
of the canoe by several well-planted blows
upon the snout ; and Dicdc was ecpially
successful in forcing the dug-out nearer
to the bank, wlien a sharp crack reached
my ears, followed by a terrified cry from
my companiiui. I glanced suddfuily round
to ascertain the cause of these demonstra-
tions. Dick held in his hands a short round
stick, which I recognized as tln^ .shaft of
the paddle. The blade had snapped ofl!",
and was floating away on ihe surface.

We were now helpless, 'i'lie manvge
of the canoe was no longer possible.
Over the falls she must go ! \\'(! thought
of leaping out, but it was too late. We
were almost upon the edge, and the black
current that bore our craft a^ong would
have carried our bodies with like velocity.
We eouid not make a dozen strokes be-
fore we should be swc])t to the brink ; it
was too late. We both saw this ; and
each knew the feelings of the other, for
we felt alike. Neither sjioki^ ; but, crouch-
ing down and holding the gunwales of the
(;anoe, we awaited the awful moment.
The bear seemed to have some api)rehen-
sion as well ; for, instead of continuing
his endeavors to (dimb into the canoe, he
contented himself with holding fast to the
stern, evidently under some alarm. The
torch still blazed, and the canoe was
catching fire ; perhaps this it was that
alarmed the bear. The la.st circumstance
gave us at the moment but little concern ;
the greater danger eclipsed the less. We
had hardly noticed it when we felt that we
were going over. The canoe shot out-
ward as if propelled by some projectile
force ; then came a loud crash, as though
we had dropped upon a hard rock. Water,
and spray, and froth were dashed over our
bodies ; and the next moment, to our sur-
prise as well as delight, we felt ourselves
still alive, and seated in the canoe, which
was floating gently in still smooth water.
It was quite dark, for the torch had been
extinguished ; but even in the darkness
we could perceive the bear swimming and
floundering near the boat. To our gr'eat
satisfaction, we saw him heading for the
shore, and widening the distance between
himself and us with all the haste he could
make. The unexpected precipitation over
the falls had cooled his courage, if not his
lujstility.

•v^

-.'-u.T:.j"izrr

Dick and I headed the canon, now half
full of water, for the opposite l)ank, which
we contrived to reach hy using the rifle
and our hands for paddles. Here we |
made the little vessel fast to a tree, in- j
tending to leave it there, as we could not i
hy any possibility get it hack over the fall. I
Having hung our game out of reach of the
wolves, we turned our faces up strc^am,
and, after a long and wearisome walk,
succeeded in getting hack to the post.
Next morning a party went down for the
venison with the intention also of carrying
the canoe back over the fall. The craft,
however, was found to be so much in-
jured that it would not hang together
during the portage, and was therefore
at)andoned. This was no pleasant mat-
ter to me, for it afterward cost me a con-
siderable sum before I could square with
the old Flathead for his worthless dug-out.