PRAIRIE AND FOREST. I(!LA! PRAIRIE AND FOREST: A DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME OF NORTH AMERICA, WITH PERSONAL ADVENTURES IN THEIR PURSUIT. BY PARKER GILLMORE, "UBIQUE," AUTHOR OP " GUN, BOD, AND SADDLE," " PRAIRIE FARMS AND PRAIRIE FOLKS,' "ALL ROUND TUB WORLD," ETC., ETC. NEW YORK: HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE. 1874. TO ARTHUR BURR, ESQ., 3 fcebicate ttyis Sack, IN REMEMBRANCE OF HAPPY DAYS AND SINCERE FRIENDSHIP. CONTENTS. OIIAP. PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 13 II. TIIE BISON, GENERALLY CALLED BUFFALO 31 in. TIIE MUSK-SHEEP 57 IV. MOOSE-DEER 64 V. CARIBOU 85 VI. WAPITTI DEER 94 VII. VIRGINIAN DEER 106 VIII. THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE 130 IX. BIG-HORN AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP 143 X. BEARS 148 XI. WOLVES 174 XII. FOXES 182 XIII. HARES 188 XIV. GROUSE 193 XV. ORTYX 218 XVI. WILD TURKEY 224 XVII. WOODCOCK AND SNIPE 231 XVIII. WADING BIRDS 245 XIX. SWIMMING BIRDS 249 XX. SALMONHXE 283 XXI. STRIPED, BLACK, AND COMMON BASS 357 XXII. MUSKALLONGE 367 1* LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE RETREAT Frontispiece. BUFFALO RUNNING 37 A VETERAN 41 BUFFALO IN SPRING COAT 46 MUSK-SHEEP 56 MOOSE CALLING 69 CARIBOU MIGRATING 84 CARIBOU IN WINTER COAT 87 DIFFERENT TYPE OF CARIBOU HORNS 92 WAPITTI DEER 95 VIRGINIAN DEER 107 PASSENGER PIGEONS... '. ' 126 BIG-HORN 144 GRIZZLY BEARS 151 CLOSE QUARTERS 160 CANADIAN PORCUPINE 166 GRAY WOLVES 175 PRAIRIE-WOLVES 177 SWAMP HARES 189 MUSQUASH, OR AMERICAN MUSK-RATS 191 RUFFED GROUSE 211 PTARMIGAN .- 216 WILD TURKEY... .. 225 12 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE WILSON SNIPE 236 WOODCOCK-SHOOTING 242 AMERICAN CURLEW 246 CANADA GOOSE 255 THE MALLARD 259 BLACK DUCK 272 BALD PATES 279 TEAL .". 280 RIVER SCENE 336 CANADIAN TROUT STREAM 339 THE WILDS 342 FLOODED PRAIRIE , .. 375 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. CHAPTER I. To lay down rules by the observance of which the ma- jority of bad shots may become experts is sufficiently easy ; but the trouble is, however great the determination to fol- low the given precepts, so soon as game is flushed the in- structions are thrown to the winds, and bang, bang go both barrels, with the same hurried unsuccessful results as previously. That more birds are missed by shooting too quickly, I assert as indisputable ; and knowing this to be the case, why will it continue to be practiced ? For this reason, that many are so fearfully nervous that for the mo- ment they have no control of their actions, or they are so timid that although firing off their gun they consider a duty, they believe the sooner it is got through with the better: neither of such pupils is ever likely to become a crack shot. I have a friend who is, without exception, the most unlucky shot — I was going to say the worst — that ever I met. We at one period very frequently shot to- gether, and each evening, on our tramp home, he was cer- tain to tell me that he had discovered the reason for his ap- parent want of skill. How various the causes attributed, would be beyond possibility of enumeration ; however, he always devised some means of counteracting them — viz., by stuffing cotton in his ears, not to hear the spring of the game ! to wear a loose collar, so that he could the better 14 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. and more rapidly bring the head to the stock; to discard a waistcoat, for the thickness of clothing militated against bringing up his gun. However, he was always wounding birds — at least he said so ; for constantly, if near, he would call out, " Don't you see the feathers fly ?" which, perhaps owing to my less keen vision, I never did, save it were the feathers flying off with the bird. Another peculiarity this gentleman possessed was, that although he might have dis- charged the entire contents of his shot-pouch without bag- ging a single head when separated from me, as soon as we both shot over the same point, one or other of the birds knocked down was due to his skill ; doubtless companion- ship re-assured him, or induced him to take more pains. I would advise such, therefore, always to shoot in company, only I would rather be excused becoming the company. Of course occasionally he would knock over a bird, but when this took place it either was lost or took no end of trouble to secure. I remember one instance in a marsh where we were snipe-shooting, a number of mallards flush- ed within easy range : following the report of his gun, one of the greenheads left its companions, sailed round several times, each circle becoming lower and less contracted, till it dropped. Half an hour was fruitlessly wasted looking for it; my friend would not give up the search, so I went for- ward alone ; some time afterward he joined me, but his per- severance had not been rewarded. All that day he lament- ed over this lost bird, for, like many of our fishing friends, he doubtlessly thought it (because it was not bagged) far larger and far finer than any obtained. The reason for the ^so frequent loss of the few birds he hit was this : the vic- tims seldom received more than a stray grain outside the disk described by the shot, and therefore were not serious- ly wounded. That there are many like my friend I know, and I fear it will be a hopeless task to endeavor to make THE STOCKING OF GUNS. 15 • them good shots ; at the same time I think there are many bad shots who might be much improved. I believe that too much importance can not be attached to the stocking of guns. Occasionally one will meet with men who appear to do equal execution with either a crook- ed, straight, long, or short stock ; but such are rare, and when found you may feel certain that they have possessed unusual opportunities for practice. The length of man's arm, neck, and conformation of shoulder are so various, that seldom will a gun come up alike to different individ- uals : the straight, tall figure wants a crooked stock ; the short, stout person, the reverse ; and intermediate figures, the bend between both extremes. I once possessed an excel- lent gun, with which I invariably acquitted myself credit- ably. The stock had always been an eye-sore, for it was composed of objectionable wood, and the previous owner had chipped and scratched it so badly that, after length- ened hesitation, I determined to have it re-stocked. How- ever, when it reverted from the gun-maker to my hands, I was surprised how indifferently I shot with it ; but, on ex- amination, I found that the new stock was much straighter than the old. Again : being in the neighborhood where game was abundant, when I did not have one of my own guns with me, I borrowed from a friend, and my execution was so bad that before the day was over I gave up in dis- gust. This gun's stock was so straight that I doubt if any but its owner could use it. In having a gun made, there is nothing that should receive from the gun-maker more careful observance than the figure of the purchaser ; for I feel confident that a very great deal of bad shooting is made through want of attention to this point. Again: a gun should never possess a superfluous ounce of metal that is not necessary to its safety. When we start in the morn- ing, f rash and vigorous, after a good night's rest, the weight 10 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. • may appear a trifle ; but in the evening, if the day's work has been severe — more especially on grouse moor or snipe bog — you will be surprised how a little extra weight tells, and will induce you to undershoot your game. Still another equally important point is the strength that is required to pull the trigger. After long practice you may get accustomed to either very fine or very heavy ; but whatever you are used to, that retain. With the tyro it is different. Through frequent experiment he should find out what weight of pressure he can give without disconcerting his aim at the precise moment that he has obtained the line of sight. By imparting this knowledge to his gunsmith he will commence shooting under great advantage. A deal, we all know, depends upon a good start. It is as applica- ble to shooting as to life. If you begin under advantageous circumstances success becomes probable. Success begets confidence, and with confidence we are certain to shoot well. An habitually bad shot has no confidence. Con- stant failure makes him doubt his ability, his gun, in fact, every portion of his shooting paraphernalia. Nearly all persons who do not shoot regularly fire their right barrel first. When such is the case, your left barrel should shoot the strongest, as the second shot is generally at longer range. A good workman, however, will use either indif- ferently, a practice to be commended, so that one barrel may not become more worn than the other. A fault which a great number are addicted to, is using too much shot. An ounce of No. 5, or any of the smaller sizes, is amply sufficient for a twelve or even ten bore gun. However, if you have reason to use a larger grain, a quarter of an ounce more may be added to the charge. The reason for this is that the small packs closer, and thus makes a more formidable resistance to the explosive power. For strong shooting, and therefore long shots, it is the driving force HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 17 that is required, which you counteract by surplus lead, as friction is increased and so power wasted. Old hands may smile after reading the above, and justly say, " The fellow has told us nothing new ;" but remember we are not all old hands, and that there are many begin- ners, for whose benefit these hints are given. The fly-rod, like the gun, can not be too light, as long as it possesses the requisite strength ; for while fishing it is incessantly at work, the respite for loading not even being granted ; thus if a heavy gun after a hard day's work will make you undershoot your game, a heavy rod will have a greater tendency to make you a sluggard at evening in striking your fish, and the result will be about similar in both instances. For the trout fisherman — he, I mean, who fly-fishes burns and rivers — from twelve to thirteen feet is quite sufficient length for his rod to be (lake fisher- men frequently use longer, but what they gain in reach they lose in quickness, a loss, in my estimation, of most serious importance), and such a rod should not exceed in weight eight or nine ounces. I can imagine I see many cast up their eyes and exclaim that such is impossible to procure, but let me say they are mistaken. I have owned several of that weight, and with them, days in succession, have taken baskets of fish, of not only all the ordinary sizes, but on one occasion killed a trout nine pounds in weight. As I can not help regarding this as a performance to be proud of, I will relate how it took place. A couple of com- panions and myself were encamped on the margin of Mad River, in Oxford County, Maine. Our guns had failed to provide dinner, so taking a hazel wand I essayed to cap- ture sufficient chub to make a choicder, a description of olla podrida stew. Having hooked a small fish, I was about lifting it into the canoe when a large trout rushed from underneath the birch-bark, seized the chub, and al- 18 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. though I gave him both line and time to pouch what had not been intended for a bait, on taking a pull the chub came away, and I was free from the larger antagonist. Having caught sufficient small fry I went home, brooding over my misfortune, but keeping the adventure closely locked in my bosom (selfishness again). About the hour that the sun began to dip behind the giant pines, I had made up my mind to the course I would pursue, which was to .take my pet rod, mount a cast of two flies, and carefully whip the pool from end to end. As if it were but yesterday, I re- member distinctly the flies. The trail one was ginger-col- ored cock's hackle, with light corn-crake wing, tipped with silver ; the dropper a large-sized moth. " For work at that hour," I hear some internally mutter, " the moth did the business." No, it did not ; cock's hackles of all shades may invariably be backed against the field, and the cock's hackle on this occasion kept up its reputation. Down on my knees in the bow of the canoe, the camp-keep- er holding her back by a pole in the stern, slowly and cau- tiously I fished the throat, from thence down into the less angry but wider -spread current, when just as my flies passed over an eddy that divided the downward flow from the backwater there was a splash, rapidly responded to by a nervous quick movement of the wrist, which planted the hook firmly home. I doubt if I exaggerate, in fact I think I scarcely state enough, when I say that thirty minutes elapsed before my trophy could sufficiently endure the sight of a landing-net to have it placed under him. Thus was taken the largest river trout (Sdlmo fontinalis) I ever caught. But to my rod : it was made out of cedar from butt to tip, did not exceed nine ounces, and was the most lively, quick, light casting treasure I ever used. Cedar fly- rods I have heard objected to, because they are brittle ; doubtless you may find them so, and your casting-line also, VARIO US KINDS OF R ODS. 1 9 if you change its use into that of a whip-lash. However much I admire a cedar rod, I do not think it suited for a tyro ; but when the beginner has gained experience, and is able to offer an opinion and use a fly-rod as it should be, I doubt not he will perfectly agree with me. A cedar rod can seldom be purchased ready made, as tradesmen dislike the job; so if any reader should wish to possess one, he had better go to the very best workman he knows of, and give him an order. Even then I doubt if he will get it. Next to the cedar rod, but one that will stand any amount of fair work, is the split bamboo ; this, I think, can be pro- cured even lighter than the former. There is a firm, the Messrs. Clark, of Maiden Lane, New York, who make this a specialite. I have had the fortune to use one, and of their good qualities I can not say too much ; but their price is necessarily high, from the care with which the cane has to be selected and put together. When I was a boy, I believed Flint and Martin Kelly, both of Dublin, before all other rod-makers. I have used their manufacture over a great portion of England, Scot- land, and Ireland, and did not, until I had a cedar rod, be- lieve that any thing was made that could compete with theirs. Old bluff-blowed lumbering packet-ships sufficed our fathers to go to India ; now we have the P. and O. Service, with canal and rail across the Isthmus, and it is far from probable that this means of transit will always suit our children. If Joe Manton was to rise among us, I doubt much if he could hold his own among .modern gun-makei'S. Some persons, particularly Irish fishermen, are attached to double-action rods ; that is, rods which have so much elasticity in them that they display two movements, one up and the other down, when suddenly used. I do not like them for more than one reason : the movement of the wrist in striking the fish while raising the butt throws the tip 20 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. down, thus giving quite a contrary motion to what is in- tended. Again : if you have to fish against the wind, they will not only be found most difficult to manage, but excess- ively fatiguing. There is a rod made in Castle Connell (principally for salmon), after the above pattern ; it has many admirers, who doubtless through experience have become proficient in its use ; still I can speak only from what I know, and my verdict is, leave them to their pres- ent advocates. A combination-rod has always been my horror. I mean such as fishing-tackle shop proprietors guarantee to be both a perfect fly and bait rod by only altering the tip. If per- sons will but use their brains they can in a moment see that such is impossible. The two cases are essentially different, requiring the spring and elasticity in totally dif- ferent parts. The act of placing a dull, lumbering tip on the first three joints of a delicate, pliant trout-rod is really absurd. However, some may say, you will find a medium between the two more generally useful. My answer is, what is worth doing is worth doing well ; and if your in- tent is fly-fishing, the most perfect rod for that purpose should be selected. If the river is so discolored or swollen that bait has to be resorted to or you must go supperless to bed, for goodness' sake, go and cut a hazel wand, unless you carry a bait-rod. Hybrids, whether in rod or gun, are to be carefully avoided. I remember being once entrapped into using a hybrid gun, in the township of Markham, Up- per Canada. It was in this way: Going through some brush I flushed a quantity of woodcock. I stated the cir- cumstance when I returned to the farm-Bouse where I was residing. As I had no gun with me the host offered me the use of his, which from his description was worthy of a royal duke ; I therefore accepted the offer. On production it proved to be half shot-gun, half rifle — that is, the right- >n ' VARIO US KINDS OF REELS. 2 1 hand barrel was smooth, the left rifled. This was my first experience of such a weapon, and most probably will be my last. The game was found, the cover was close, and snap shooting necessary. It was of no use. The gun would not come up, or the game come down. The fact was, that the shot barrel was only half the weight of the rifled, conse- quently the whole fabric was without balance, and do what I would my aim was invariably disconcerted. Of the joints used in fly- rods the plain sliding one is probably the most convenient. If properly fitted it should never jam or work loose ; but if I lived on a river I should never make use of any other than the simple splice, for the lashing aifects less the action of the spring; and if a few additional moments are lost in putting it together, the re- turn is ample recompense. But I fear the age is too fast for its adoption. Having given my opinions of what a rod should be, I will now go to the reel. Of late years, at least since I was a boy, all kinds of mechanical inventions and appliances have been used to produce a more perfect reel: and there are now to be obtained stop reels, multiplying reels, and reels with as many internal cog and other wheels as would start a clock-maker. Of these complicated apparatuses be- ware, for they are fraught with disappointment and vexa- tion of spirit ; the old simple click reel is the only one that deserves the honor of being attached to a fly-rod. Still, too much care and attention can not be devoted to their con- struction. Every screw and joint should be as perfectly finished as those of a gun from a first-class manufacturer. The barrel of the reel should be wide in proportion to its length, for you thus gain power or give line with greater freedom ; nothing is more unsightly or more awkward than a long, narrow - barreled reel. Brass is the metal usually employed for their construction, but the newly - invented 22 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. aluminium bronze is infinitely to be preferred, for it does not corrode or discolor with the action of the atmosphere, and it is less liable to suffer from a blow or fall; mis- chances that the fly-fisher's paraphernalia, more particular- ly in a rocky, mountainous country, are especially liable to, when following the course of a trout brook, for stones will be slippery and fishermen have been known to take too much grog. Who among our expert salmon trout fisher- men can not remember having obtained a frightful cropper when precipitously following up or down stream a heavy fish he was fast to ? I do not require to tax my memory greatly to recall half a dozen such casualties. There are various methods of attaching the reel to the rod. Of none do I approve so highly as that by which the reel is held fast in a shallow indentation by a movable band. In those cases where the butt is pierced, or the reel held on the rod by a brass band attached to it, which closes with a screw, the nuts are constantly getting lost or loose, through the thread being worn out ; moreover, the hand not unf requent- ly gets chafed by coming in contact with the edges or ter- mination of the screw. On the subject of fly-lines there is great diversity of opinion. Of whatever materials they are composed they should taper. Hair and silk I was at one time much in favor of ; but after a lengthened trial I found one great ob- jection— the two materials had not the same amount of elasticity, so that a heavy strain would bear more severely on one material than on the other, ultimately causing brit- tleness. A plaited silk line, which has been submitted to a process of varnishing, rendering it impervious to water, will, I think, do the greatest amount of work, and throw the greatest length of line ; but for delicate, light, fine fish- ing, nothing I know of can surpass the old-fashioned line, composed entirely of horse-hair ; for they are possessed of CASTING LINES. 23 more vitality, elasticity, and quickness. In the selection of one of these every foot should be carefully examined and tested, for a careless slop-shop maker will frequently work in short and worthless hair, possibly in the centre, which will destroy the whole fabric ; for if the line be once broken it is useless, it matters not how much ingenuity and time you spent over the splice. For a day or two it may pass through the rings, but the friction will wear it rough, and it will catch, sooner or later, not improbably when a large fish is on, for then the strain is greatest. Can any thing more disgusting be imagined than taking the last look at eight or ten yards of your line, perhaps more, rapidly dis- appearing in the eddying stream with your casting-line and flies acting as advance guard ? The thought of such a catas- trophe is enough to make a man's blood run cold. Casting-lines should also taper, and, provided the gut is good, can scarcely have too fine a termination. Although a great many disciples of the rod always purchase these ready made, every fisherman should be able to knot one up himself. The process is simple. Select your hairs — coarse ones for the top, fine ones for the bottom — steep them for some minutes in water as warm as the hand can convenient- ly bear, then knot them together, increasing or diminishing gradually in size according to the end you have commenced at. Care must be taken that such a knot be used as there is no slip to. The safest I know of is formed thus : take the ends to be joined, and place them alongside one anoth- er, then take one end and make a single hitch by doubling it back and passing the end through the loop, which pull tight. Do the same with the reverse end, when by pulling on the line both will slip together, the strain having the tendency to lock the knot. After cutting off the surplus ends, take a few turns of very fine silk to whip them down, and the smallest quantity of varnish will add much to the 24 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. appearance of the line. There is no amusement that I wot of in which it is so requisite for its lover to know how to make use of his hands and ingenuity. Bad luck, or what- ever you choose to call it, may, before an hour's fishing be done, reduce you to the alternative of either ceasing work or manufacturing out of broken fragments a new casting- line. Very possibly this is caused by the fish being more than usually on the feed. How disagreeable to be com- pelled at such a time to halt ! — better far to spend ten min- utes with the dry end of gut in your mouth, the more rap- idly to render the hairs fit for knotting, and to know how to put them together afterward, than be obliged to cease. The rings upon your rod should be large and not too nu- merous ; five are sufficient for the lower joints, and about five more for the tip, supposing it to be a rod thirteen feet in length, and in three pieces. In America I lately saw rods ringed on both sides, so that, if after unusual hard work and constant use, a tendency to warp was evinced, you altered your reel to the reverse side and thus counter- acted it. However, the better plan, I should say, would be to use the reverse sides day about. The only objection to this double arrangement of rings is additional weight, but that must be very trifling. Having now described the rod, the reel, the line, and the cast, I approach a subject that I hesitate to touch, viz., fly- tying, for I do not think that any one can become an expert but through constant practice, after having received nu- merous elementary lessons from an adept. I believe I can tie a fair fly ; but how long do you suppose it was before I reached my present excellence ? Years ; and even now I discover wrinkles and new methods of which I was not previously aware; however, one rule may be laid down: never to take a turn of the silk round your hook without purpose, or without giving it sufficient strength to keep it FLY-TYING. 25 in its place and perform the duty intended. The most im- portant part is the simplest and first, the securing of the gut to the shank of the hook. Unless this is attended to, all your labor is vain and worthless — so much time thrown away and wasted. Here comes all the strain, and a thought- less turn or two will cause naught but disappointment. Some anglers, particularly Irish ones, place the wings on so that the feather points from the hook, then double them back and tie them down. In this method much practice is necessary to form a handsome head ; but its advocates claim for it strength. However, I have so frequently found the silk slip, and the feathers consequently point in the re- verse direction, that I unhesitatingly condemn the practice. To make a handsome and serviceable fly, I have always fol- lowed the method of putting the wings on separately, care being taken not to injure the pile of the feathers; and this should be done last, the most minute drop of varnish being used over the silk when the head is finished off. My first effort to tie a fly turned out a thing like a humming-bird, my second like a humble-bee, and so on, till I have succeed- ed in making a good imitation of a gnat. Patience and perseverance have done this, and none will ever excel in fly-tying without exercising these qualities, so essentially useful in every walk in life. As a rule, the bigger the riv- er, a superabundance of water in a stream, and the more boisterous the weather, the larger can be the flies used ; but in summer, when the rivulets and burns have become clear and low, the smallest sizes must be resorted to, thrown with the lightest line, from the most unobservable and most sheltered position. Three flies, their coloring and component parts, that I have found successful on almost all waters and at every portion of the open season, I will describe ; in fact, I have so much faith in them that I invariably use all three in 2 26 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. making my first essay on an unknown river, viz., the red hackle, hare's ear and yellow, and black hackle. In Amer- ica, on the small trout brooks, I found them equally attract- ive, evidence of a similarity of taste in fish on the Eastern and Western Continents. Fly No. 1, the red hackle, body composed of rufous wool, twisted in with tying silk, lower portions of body to be fine, gradually increasing in thick- ness till the shoulder is reached. Shoulder of bright red cock's hackle, the color that is obtained in a natural state from the domestic fowl, game-fowls generally producing the finest; but if those from the East Indian jungle-cock can be obtained, you will possess the very best. Wings put on separately, and obtained from the wings of the corn- crake, shot immediately previous to their autumnal migra- tion. Fly No. 2, hare's ear and yellow; this has a tail' composed of two strands from the larger feathers of the guinea-fowl, body composed of the fine mottled hair off the ears of a hare, mixed with fine mohair, of any of the inter- mediate shades from straw color to olive. The mohair should be cut short, so that it will the better mix with the hare's ear. This dubbing must also be tied in with the silk, and the fly should be large at the shoulder. No hackle in this specimen is required. The wings from the large wing- feathers of the fieldfare, each placed on separately. Fly No. 3, black hackle ; body of blue wool or mohair, finished at termination with a couple of turns of silver tinsel, black hackle from domestic fowl for shoulder, with the wing composed of the feather either from tail or wing of the water-hen. The angler had better be provided with vari- ous sizes of these, as rivers are not always in the same con- dition, and weather is variable. For me to say that other flies will not kill better on some rivers, or at least equally well, would be absurd ; but those described I have found most generally useful. A handsome and frequently very FISHING RODS AND FLIES. 27 killing fly at times, particularly in blustering Weather, is made of the following material : Body of two of the long- est and most rufous strands of a feather from a brown tur- key ; these strands to have the fingers pulled up them, so as to cause the fine edges to stand out before being wrap- ped on. Shoulder of brown cock's hackle, with brown grouse feather for wing. In autumn, particularly if the stream should be clearing after a flood, I have known this fly to be most effective. However, it is no bad plan, if you are a stranger in a neighborhood, to get hold of an honest disciple of Izaak Walton, who will give you information, and if he be poor very probably sell you some of the con- tents of his book. Except for sea-trout fishing, the brill- iant and many-colored macaw-like compositions are gen- erally useless in American inland streams ; so let not love of gaudy coloring or the advice of inexperienced persons induce you to spend your time and money on such fabri- cations. We will suppose the novice accoutred with all that mon- ey and judgment can obtain in the shape of tackle and rod — at the same time hoping that his garments are composed of those sober, quiet colors that are least observable; for whether in shooting, deer-stalking, or fishing, attention to this is all important — to be on the river's margin, at a spot free from bush, rock, or other impediment. The rod is carefully put together (I hope it is a spliced one, for I shall have more hope for the beginner's ultimate success from this choice), the reel attached, the line drawn through the rings, and the cast and flies are carefully taken off his hat, round which they have been wrapped (to make them more subservient and less obstreperous on commencing work), and made fast to the line. Ere an attempt at the first 'cast is made, take one word of advice. Englishmen are so horsey in their proclivities that they invariably consider a rod, 28 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. when first they handle it, an instrument to be treated and used in exactly the same manner as a carriage-whip. From boyhood upward they have been used to the latter, and the Englishman's hand has obtained wonderful cunning in crack- ing the same. Now the uses of whip and rod are essential- ly different; the one is performed by the quickest possible jerk, the other by making the widest possible sweep, as free from angles as the turns on a race-course. Get this in- formation, whatever your nationality, so grafted into your brain that you will not forget yourself, for on each occasion you do, you will pay a penalty by losing a fly, probably the trail one. I have known some persons so skilled in snap- ping off flies, even although possessed of considerable ex- perience, that their custom must have been of no small ad- vantage to the tradesmen who supplied them with tackle. Supposing the angler is facing a river which he is desir- ous of throwing across. The rod being held in the right hand, gradually, but with increasing velocity, raise your rod from left to right ; when the line is straight out from you, make a sweep, and bring the flies down upon the wa- ter with a half-circular motion of the hand. This last move- ment will raise the slack of the line and cause the trail fly to strike the water first, which should always happen. When this first lesson is thoroughly learned with the left hand, it should then be practiced up and down stream : when, with perseverance and attention, such precision may be gained that the fisherman can place the flies at every effort within an inch or two of the desired spot. After having said this much, it will not be deemed out of place to mention those tradesmen who supplied me with the important portions of my outfit; for so much of your pleasure and comfort depends upon them, that a sportsman intending to prosecute a distant and lengthened tour through the American wilds, would be guilty of committing a great SHOOTING CLOTHES. 29 and serious injustice to himself, if he did not obtain the very best that the English market could afford. I am not foolish enough to believe that no others than the individu- als I mention would have served me equally well ; but, of course, those I know, and have not found wanting, are the persons I must introduce. For fire-arms, ammunition, etc., I would, as formerly, go to J. D. Dougall, of 59 St. James's Street, or his late assistant, A. G. Willison, now doing busi- ness at 9 Railv/ay Approach, London Bridge; a farther ad- ( vantage in dealing with them also deserves notice, viz., that they are both so well acquainted with North America and its inhabitants that information of a valuable description to the sportsman, on nearly all subjects connected with his in- tended tour, can be obtained from them. Messrs. Strickland and Son, of 14 Clifford Street, New Bond Street, I can confidently recommend as perfect in the production of shooting clothes almost impervious to wear and tear, at the same time gentlemanly in appearance, and fitting with such exactness that the figure will not suffer from restraint, but permit the arms and limbs ever to be free for prompt action. Although armed and clothed, I must not go farther without alluding to your foot-gear, for nothing will militate more against your pleasure and pow- ers of endurance than a blistered heel or pinched instep. To avoid these inconveniences go to Waukenphast's, 10 Pall Mall East, and if he does his duty by you, as he has by me, you will be more than satisfied ; and as loss of time is not unfrequeritly to be regretted, in half an hour from the time you crossed his threshold you will be in posses- sion of all you require. AS water-proof clothing and ground sheets are absolutely necessary for camping out, as I have done in a former work, I recommend Messrs. Woolgar and Co., of Ludgate Kill ; their bark-tanned fishing stockings are perfection, while their deer-stnlking and fishing -coat 30 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. can not be too highly prized for rough and hard service. Another commodity they furnish, although receiving its name from me, I would strongly recommend no person going in for roughing to be without, viz., the Ubique bag, for it possesses all the convenience of the ordinary sailor's bag, can be turned into a pillow at night, or, if necessity compels you, if in a canoe or open boat that leaks, you can place your feet in it, and thus be thoroughly protected from damp of every description. Of course there are numerous other things you may advantageously add to your kit, but do not forget that every superfluous pound of baggage is to be avoided, for long marches on tired horses have to be made, and rough and weary portages to be traversed, across which every ounce of unnecessary luggage will add to the fatigue of the bearers, and not unfrequently produce grum- bling and lack of discipline, two objectionables to' be given a wide berth to, for they destroy much of the pleasure at- tached to roughing beyond the boundaries of civilization. CHAPTER II. THE BISON, GENERALLY CALLED BUFFALO. THE habitat of this powerful and gigantic animal ex- tended from the Gulf of Mexico on the south to the 62d degree of north latitude, and from Kentucky and Indiana on the east to the higher ridges of the Rocky Mountains on the west : however, this range is now much contracted, and in a corresponding ratio their numbers diminished. Al- though buffalo at the present day can be found in the State of Kansas, yet the wholesale butchery they have there been lately submitted to has caused the few survivors to be ex- tremely wild and difficult to approach ; therefore I should advise the sportsman to direct his steps farther toward the north-west, to the valley of the Yellowstone or upper forks of the Missouri, to the Saskatchewan or the large plains lay- ing to its north. From the increase of settlement and of travel across the continent, this game, which formerly was migratory, has comparatively speaking ceased to be so; thus the sportsman will not now be compelled to follow them over an extensive range of country, but will probably be able to enjoy the pleasure of their pursuit all the year in one locality. The legitimate methods for their pursuit are by running them on horseback, when they are shot with a very large - bored pistol as the sportsman ranges alongside, or to stalk them, a rifle of great power and cal- ibre being then necessary. The shoulder-shot is the best, unless the animal happen to front you and expose his chest. Shooting at the head is a useless expenditure of ammunition, and, unless to turn a charge, should never be attempted. 32 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. When studying on the distant and far-west plains of America the habits of the buffalo (for though this name is erroneous, still it is the appellation by which I knew them and daily heard them called), or pursuing them to supply our camp with food, I never, in the retrospect of a long and adventurous life, enjoyed such perfect health, for the air on these distant plains is the purest I have ever breathed. Frequently on a knoll I have stood, after some unusually hard run, inhaling and enjoying its freshness as the thirsty traveler does a cup of clear cool water drawn from a mount- ain stream. Each day you perform your allotted work, and no cares are sufficiently weighty to be dwelt upon or procrastinated till they return with redoubled force. Your horses are your companions ; hardy and enduring you have proved them to be ; and between master and steed a bond of sympathy springs up, the animal being all reliance, the owner determined that the confidence shall not be mis- placed. With the true-hearted sportsman, who loves hunt- ing for the pleasure it affords, and the opportunities of studying nature as it emanates from the Creator's hands, carnage when useless is detestable: unnecessarily taxing the endurance of his steed, or paining it with uncalled-for punishment, is a crime he would no more be guilty of than the honest man of despoiling his friend. Again, your gun or rifle, ever a willing servant when properly taken care of, requires no small amount of attention ; to no other hands than your own trust it to be cleaned. However high your birth, delicate your nurturing, or boundless your means, to do without the assistance of hirelings, and rely entirely on yourself, is far from derogatory ; on the contrary, it is de- serving of commendation, and the benefit that will result in after-life from such lessons can not be too highly esti- mated. I have known a few months of wild Western life do more good in forming a character than years passed in PRAIRIE SCENERY. 33 cities or continental tour ; for here the fop forgets his folly, and the timid and nervous becomes self-reliant. Imagine spread before you an immense plain ; in what- ever direction you look, the same expanse of level country stretches before yon. Such is the prairie. The dear old ocean, as viewed from the deck of a vessel, is the nearest simile I can think of. In both an almost level horizon in each direction is met by the sky. Nothing in either is to be seen to break the stillness, save it be the animal life that have these elements for their home. Although this may be applicable, as a general rule to prairie scenery, there are portions less monotonous; in places, heavy belts of timber mark the margin of streams that ultimately help to feed some of the giant rivers of the American continent; while as you approach th^ great vertebra of the country — the Rocky Mountains — hill after hill rises, overtopping each other; again frowned down upon by lofty mountains, beau- tiful in coloring, soft in their distant outlines, and grand in their irregular and picturesque shape. Moreover, between these hills, almost impassable at first glance, through canons and gulches you can thread your way, perhaps for many, many miles, when, perchance, a beautiful meadow,* thou- sands of acres in extent, opens before you, rich and bright in the abundance of its grasses, while the slopes that gird these retired retreats are covered with the densest and love- liest of indigenous trees. Such spots as these are a natural- ist's elysium, for game of every variety select them for re- treats. The buffalo cow comes to them frequently to calve ; the worn-out fierce-looking bull, over whose head so many years have passed that he no longer has strength to keep pace with the migratory herd, and struggle in its dense phalanx for female favor or choice croppings of pasture, * In America termed park. 2* 34 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. retires to them to spend in abundance the winter of life ; while the graceful deer, the timid hare, and the sagacious beaver here pass their lives in peaceful, happy contentment, except some adventurous white man or snake-visioned red- skin should pay it a visit, destroying, as man ever does, the serenity that reigned around previous to his advent. But* come, the morning has broken clear and invigor- ating, breakfast has already been discussed, and the horses have got a rough rub over. The neighborhood is well suit- ed for a gallop ; for, from the slight shower of the previous evening, the soil is springy, and fewer of the indefatigable little burro wers — the prairie-dogs — have undermined our vicinity. Meat is wanted, and as we start our minds are made up that, unless successful, the sun must dip the west- ern horizon ere we return. Each attending to his own nag, and giving an extra pull upon the girths ere getting into the saddle, at a sober, steady pace we start. An old practiced buffalo-runner (for so the Western man terms his favorite and experienced horse) will quietly settle to his master's will, for from experience well he knows that prob- ably a hard day's work is before him, and all his strength will be required; while the youngster or griffin at this work frets and prances, almost pulling his rider from the pig-skin. Forbear, rider; curb your annoyance; give and take a pull upon your snaffle ; soon the youngster will set- tle down, and this day's work will probably teach him a lesson that will act advantageously on his future conduct. Discussing subjects suitable for such occasions, miles are passed; so far, with the exception of numerous bleached bones or an occasional deer or antelope track, no indication of game has been seen. From a knoll a survey is made ; a fresh hole or two is taken up in the girths, and the scarcity of animal life commented upon. To the Indian, of course, the blame is laid ; war-parties or moving villages of redskins I A BUFFALO DROVE. 35 arc always saddled with being the cause of every disap- pointment and annoyance in wild life. But look there ! What is that? A distant cloud of dust. Buffalo for a thousand, and advancing toward where the hunters are sta- tioned. How is the wind ? is inquired. One wets his fin- gers with his saliva, and holds it up. In a few moments the position is declared untenable, and both, vaulting on their horses, hurry off to get more to leeward, availing themselves of a swell in the prairie to keep perdu. Having marked well the direction in which the herd is advancing, keeping as much out of sight as possible, scarcely speaking a word, and then not louder than a whisper, the distance between the hunters and game is rapidly diminished. From the nature of the ground, no longer can they remain hid ; so, taking their horses well in hand, forward they dash, and, in a few strides, what a sight is before them ! Cows, bulls, and calves, all intermingled, forming a straggling drove of thousands, heading in the same direction, and feeding as they progress. Occasionally this harmony of action is disturbed. Two ragged, clumsy-looking, veteran bulls approach each other : perhaps they have been former rivals for some dusky-hided beauty's favors. With a deep bellow one throws down the gauntlet, which the other is not loath to take up ; and, with fire flashing from their par- tially hid eyes, each rushes at the other. But the herd have become alarmed — a foe equally dreaded by both bulls is at hand ; their rencontre will brook delay to be settled at a future date ; and, with a startled stare and toss of the head, both turn and rush off after the herd, which is already making a most hurried stampede. However, when the hunters are old hands, the bulls might have saved them- selves the trouble ; while young cow-beef is to be obtained, none but the veriest novice would think of wasting ammu- nition on their rough and rugged old carcasses. No time 36 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. is now to be lost. These animals, unwieldy as they appear, for a mile or so are wonderfully swift, and, if they should gain rough ground, will beat an indifferent horse. Sitting well down in their saddles, nags in hand, at a grass-country speed, both push for the sleekest and squarest-looking cows they can mark. The pace commences to tell; the distance that separates sportsman from quarry is rapidly diminish- ing — a few strides more, and one ranges alongside ; the heavy pistol, which has till now been secure in the holster, is taken in the right hand, its barrel depressed ; low down, and eight or ten inches behind the shoulder, is the spot, if shooting forward. A puff of smoke is seen, followed by a report. The coup cle grace has been administered by a master-hand; for the huge animal loses the power of its fore-feet, comes down on its shoulders and head, and naught of life is left but a few spasmodic struggles. But where are the hunters? Look well among the retreating herd, and you may occasionally catch a glimpse of their hunting- shirts. A few moments more, and another shot is fired — this time not so successfully. Again the report of fire-arms; still the quarry retains her legs, but blood is already pour- ing from her nose, an indication that surely tells of speedy demise; so stop, let the poor creature die in peace; aggra- vate not her last moments. The scene which I have tried to describe took place about ten miles to the south side of the Yellowstone Riv- er. An old and tried friend from Germany was my com- panion, and on this occasion we each killed two cows. Double this number, or even more, could have been shot without trouble ; but the requisite amount of beef had been obtained, and I was jealous of husbanding the strength of my horse, for then, as now, but little reliance could be placed on the professed peaceful intentions of the Indians. The range of the buffalo, I have said, was at one period THE BUFFALO. 39 much more extensive than at present. The same reasons that have decreased, and in some instances almost annihi- lated, other genera, can be safely urged as the cause of this —the cultivation of wild lands and the unprecedented in- crease of inhabitants on the American continent. On the eastern limit of the Grand Prairie, in Illinois, I have fre- quently found bones of the buffalo, telling too plainly that this had once been his home. At the present day, at least twelve hundred miles farther westward must be traversed before the sportsman can hope for a chance to use his rifle on this game ; and year after year farther distances will re- quire to be journeyed to accomplish this purpose. Their southern limits are Northern Texas and New Mexico, while the intermediate expanse up to sixty-five degrees of north latitude, according to the season, contains them in more or less abundance. Of late years their range north has been increased between three and four degrees, so that Indians who formerly had to come two hundred or more miles, if desirous of obtaining a supply of beef for winter use, have the animals now on their home hunting-grounds. I am dis- posed to believe that this is caused from their finding these northern regions less disturbed — for this is far north of where the constant tide of emigrants crosses the plains — and that the poor, persecuted creatures prefer suffering from the cold of these inhospitable localities to facing the dangers that always are connected with a rencontre with the pale-face. Although the buffalo can endure a great amount of cold, and find food even after a thick covering of snow lays upon the earth, yet he is not provided like the musk-sheep for an Arctic winter, and from his greater bulk requires so much sustenance, that a protracted sojourn in the northern barrens must ultimately have the result of re- ducing his strength, and therefore his fitness to cope with the severity of the climate. Again, he has other enemies 40 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. as well as man. The wolves seldom leave him alone. Day and night they bestow upon him the most devoted atten- tion. However, as long as he is in good health he has lit- tle to fear from the marauder ; but the moment that acci- dent, sickness, or loss of strength from starvation occurs, the buffalo's unhappy position is known, and half a dozen of these robbers will remain night and day watching for an opportunity to complete the wreck ; and should this not oc- cur as soon as desirable, not unfrequently they will make a simultaneous assault, one pretending to fly at the victim's head, while another attacks in the rear, using every arti- fice to cut the buffalo's hamstring, in which they invariably succeed, unless the presence of man should disturb them. On one occasion, while hunting, I obtained an excellent opportunity of witnessing one of these encounters. At the distance of half a mile I perceived an old bull going through a variety of eccentric movements, which were at the mo- ment perfectly incomprehensible. To know what might be the cause, as well as perhaps to learn something new re- garding this race, I left my horse and made a most careful stalk without once exposing myself, retaining the advan- tage of wind till within a hundred yards of the old gentle- man. The ground in the vicinity was much broken, and, before attempting to obtain a survey of the situation, I en- sconced myself behind a boulder. I had been eminently successful, the first glance told me. There was the bull pretending to feed, while four prairie-wolves were lying around him on the sparsely covered soil, tongues out, and evidently short of breath from some excessive exertion. None of the dramatis personce had seen me, and I chuckled in my shoes as I grasped more firmly my double barrel, knowing how soon I could turn the tide of battle. By-the- way, the prairie-wolf has always been a favorite of mine, as well as his half-brother, the coyote. Their bark has oft- PRAIRIE -WOLVES ATTACKING A BUFFALO. 43 en recalled pleasant memories, and their services have sev- eral times recovered a wounded deer. In a few minutes the apparent ringleader of the quartette got up and shook himself. This was the signal for the others to get upon their pins. Prairie-wolf number one walked quietly toward the bull, occasionally stopping (after the manner of dogs to pluck grass) ; then, with a sudden spring, made a feint at the persecuted buffalo's head. The buffalo, in his turn, low- ered his head, and advanced a few steps to meet him ; but this was unnecessary. Now the rest of the fraternity rush- ed up. Another took the post of teaser, while our friend number one dropped in the rear ; and when a second feint at the head was made by his comrade, number one, watching his chance, left a deep scar over the bull's hock. Again and again this game was played, the same wolf always re- taining his rear position. Is not the instinct of animals most similar to the reason of man ? Here each wolf had his allotted work, doubtless that which was best suited for his capacity. The rear assault was the most dangerous; for a kick well directed would unquestionably have caused instant death to the adventurous assailant; but the most experienced and expert had selected the post of danger and honor. The flashing eyes and foaming mouth of the bull told plainly the result ; so I stepped from my concealment. However, all were so occupied that until I awakened the echoes with a loud " war-whoop " I was unseen ; but man's voice always has its effect in cases of this kind. The ver- min, with startled stare, plainly asking what the deuce right I had to interfere, sulkily trotted off as I advanced ; while the persecuted, in return for my kindness, lowered his head, and pushed rapidly for me, compelling me to seek safety in flight. Such conduct in the buffalo was scarcely commend- able, and very unusual. I accounted for it by the harass- ing his temper had suffered, as well as his feeling how in- 44 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. adequate his strength was for escape by flight. Poor old creature, his days were numbered ; for as soon as my back was turned, and a safe distance intervened between us, the wolves returned, and as I rode homeward, occasionally turn- ing and halting to watch the gradually more indistinct bel- ligerents, the victim was still employed in battling for life. After all, was he not paying the debt of nature, and dying as his ancestors for generations had died before him ? Man yields his spirit to the source from whence it emanates, on a luxurious couch or humble straw bed, after frequently suffering from protracted and painful illness. The veteran buffalo, effete from age, after a long and happy life, when unable to keep with his companions, dies in a gallant and short struggle, overpowered by his too numerous enemies, a death worthy of a hero. The cow calves in spring, although I have, on several oc- casions, met with a mother as late as the end of July with a youngster by her side, not over a couple of weeks old. The attachment shown by the parent for her offspring, and the solicitude she evinces for its safety, impart a touching lesson, which even the human family would do well to fol- low. I remember on one occasion I had been setting traps in a small stream with abundant signs that beaver were numerous in the vicinity. I had waded up this water- course for upward of a mile, all the time being hidden from the view of the animals on the prairie by the bluffness of the banks. Having performed my task, I left the stream and ascended to the level of the country. The first glance I took disclosed a beautiful and interesting picture, for a* young cow, with her calf almost between her legs, stood determinedly facing several wolves. The baby was evi- dently sick, and the instinct of the party of prowlers told them so. My sympathies, of course, were not with the ag- gressors; and, the better to prove it, I picked out the ap- INHABITANT OF THE PLAINS. 45 parent ringleaders, doubling one up with the first barrel, and accelerating the' retreat of another with a second; for, al- though he did not drop, an ominous "thud" gave me the information that he had received a hint that the neigh- borhood was dangerous, and that he had better leave it while he had the power. In September the rutting season commences, and furious encounters between the bulls take place; their actions on these occasions remind the specta- tors very much of domestic cattle. The combatants at first sta-nd apart, eying each other with flashing orbs, while they paw up the soil with their feet, throwing it frequently over their withers ; their short tails lash their sides, their horns are dug into the soil, and the vegetation scattered to the winds ; occasionally bellowing in a low guttural voice, ap- parently using every effort to work themselves into a fury. At length they rush at each other ; the shock sometimes brings one or both to their knees; this is repeated again and again ; for over thirty minutes frequently, when well matched, the struggle will be protracted. At length the weaker commences to give way, first slowly, always keep- ing his head to the foe, till with sudden energy he wheels and leaves the victor triumphant. All this time the cow has stood by, an inert spectator, waiting for the hero of the hour to claim her love. These battles seldom or never ter- minate fatally. They occur at the period when the coat is in the greatest perfection, and the almost impenetrable mane, which densely covers the brows and fore - quarters, is un- questionably of the greatest service as a protection. It is my belief that, when the sexes thus mate, the male remains faithful to his spouse, for up to within a month of the cow's confinement both kee'p together. Early in autumn the bulls are in good condition ; but after the rutting sea- son they gradually lose flesh, and by midwinter become so poor that they are scarcely fit for food. The cow, on the 46 AND FOREST. other hand, keeps fat, and even in spring fat may be found along the vertebra? and lower portion of the carcass an inch thick. With the advent of the first mild weather, even be- fore the snow has disappeared, they commence to shed their rough coat, first from between the fore-legs, then the prom- inent parts of the body, and later from the fore-limbs and hump. This long hair — or, as it is frequently called, wool — comes off in patches, trees and rocks being used to rub BUFFALO IN SPRING COAT. against ; the result is, that by March a more ragged, tatter- ed, weather-beaten creature can scarcely be imagined. The horns of both bull and cow are about the same length ; those of the former are thick, blunt, and clumsy, those of the latter sharp, slim, and trim-looking. Both sexes much resemble each other ; at the same time the figure of the fe- male is more delicately formed, and not within a couple of hands as high at the shoulder, nor is she clothed with such a quantity of the rough, coarse covering over the fore-quarters. BUFFALO SINKING IN QUICKSANDS. 47 When a herd of buffalo are alarmed by the approach of the hunter, the cows, in a few seconds, head the retreating herd, closely followed by the yearlings and calves, while the lumbering old bulls, from incapacity, drop in the rear. When not disturbed, in lying down or rising, they exactly resemble others of the Bos family ; but if they be come upon unawares by an object of fear, the velocity with which they gain their legs and break into a gallop is truly surprising. They are excellent swimmers, and have no hes- itation to enter water; nevertheless, annually, great num- bers are drowned ; but this generally occurs in spring, when the broken ice is clearing out of the streams. Throughout the Western country there are numerous quicksands, and frequently unfortunates get imbedded in them. It appears in such cases that, without exerting themselves, they submit to their fate. I have formed this conclusion from having, unseen, perceived a bull get into such a scrape. I watched him. Inch by inch he kept sink- ing ; still I felt convinced that a protracted, energetic strug- gle would take him across to terra firma; yet no such effort did he make. Thoroughly believing that his earthly course was run, I advanced to have a closer survey of the finale. The unfortunate did not see me till within a few yards ; but when he did, his habitual fear of man predomi- nated over all other feelings ; again and again he plunged forward. Dread of my proximity had given him strength and endurance ; for, after a few minutes, his feet got on soundings, from which the margin was gained, and the brute was once more free. I think this apathy to death in certain forms is common to the majority of animals. The dangers attending the chase of this noble game are very much overrated. True, a horse may put his foot in the burrow of a wolf, swift fox, or prairie-dog, and send his rider sky-rocketing. The result may be a broken neck, or, 48 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. if such a fall took place when in the centre of a large herd, trampling to death might be possible ; but I am convinced, from long personal experience, that, so long as the game can keep going, they will seldom or never turn on pursuing man. At the same time, if you fire at a buffalo as you ride past him, without much changing the direction they are pursuing, he or she may slightly deviate toward the pursuer. However, your bridle-hand should invariably sheer your steed from the quarry, not only to avoid this deviation, but to clear the animal if it drop to shot. The majority of horses accustomed to this work do so of their own accord. At the same time, I should particularly caution the tyro that on himself and his own nerve he should invariably rely, not on that of his dumb companion. To be a good horse- man, of course, is particularly desirable ; and the person who can ride bareback will often come in for a run when a saddle may not be at hand. Many of us, of course, can ride in this primitive manner; but there are very few Americans or Europeans who can compare in this respect with the Indians — they appear so perfectly at home on their horses: anywhere and everywhere they place them- selves, and but seldom get a fall. However, the paces of horses are very different ; some I used for running buffalo I preferred riding with blanket and a surcingle; on others I did not feel sufficiently at home without the saddle. For some months I had an un- der-sized chestnut, very little over fourteen hands. My associates called her a mustang. In some points she much resembled one ; but there was a well-bred look about her small head, narrow muzzle, broad forehead, and lean neck, that told of aristocratic lineage. Moreover, she was very fast and high-couraged, as well as easy in her paces. Her back, while in my possession, was seldom crossed by a sad- dle, although she was the favorite mount, and as such was THE BUFFALO AT BAY. 49 more frequently used. I purchased her for a trifle from a fellow with " villain " plainly written on his countenance, and, as might have been expected, she was recognized and claimed. To part with her was a great trial ; but I had the satisfaction of learning that my surmises of her parentage were correct, her sire being thorough-bred, and her dam a mustang. When buffalo are so severely wounded as to feel in- capacitated from further flight, they will then occasionally turn to bay. When this takes place, unless the animal be an old bull, you may safely conclude the wound mortal, and that but an hour or two will elapse before death comes to their relief; but if you be desirous to terminate the final sufferings, when dismounted, be very cautious how you approach to deliver the coup; for, with velocity al- most marvelous, they will dash at their tormentor, gather- ing all their energy for the occasion. A bull I had disabled stood at bay, and, judging from appearances, was within a few moments of expiring ; blood flowed profusely from his nose, and already he had commenced to straddfe his legs to support his towering carcass. Carelessly I approached. The manner of the rider was infections on the steed. When twenty yards distant from me, down went his head, and at me he sprang. The activity of the horse alone saved me ; and the shave was so close as to be far from pleasant. It was a cleverly executed charge, and a fitting finale to life. The impetus of his motion he was unable to control. The strength of the body was unequal to his courage of heart ; for, ere he could halt, over he rolled to rise no more. In hunting, as in civilized life, it is danger- ous to trust in appearances — we know how often they are deceptive. But there are other dangers to be apprehended on the buffalo range — viz.,- the Indians, who are so cunning and treacherous that the hunter must ever be on his guard. 3 50 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. The following reminiscence will illustrate how even over- caution might prove dangerous to friends. For some days I had had a terribly hard time of it. The ground had drunk its full — and to spare — of snow-water, game was scarce and wild, and the scanty herbage that my horse and mule were able to obtain since we entered the plains was barely sufficient to keep them alive ; still good seventy miles more had to be traversed before I could reach the friendly shelter of the belt of timber that sur- rounded the Forks. If it had been autumn, I dare not have chosen this route, for it is a debatable ground of the Co- manche and Arrapaho, to whom a solitary white man would be so tempting a morsel that he could not fail to be caught, and we will not say what done to ; the very conjecture is disagreeable. The severity of the late weather, therefore, was my safety ; for redskins, no less than white men, dis- like unnecessary exposure. Still, I was convinced some stragglers must have lately visited the neighborhood, for the occasional head of game I saw was so wary that I con- cluded hutiters had lately disturbed them. One thing was very much in my favor — I was in the lightest of marching order : no pack of peltries or well-stocked kit had I ; for a few pounds of bullets, a pound of powder, and my buffalo robe were all my beasts had for a load. How independent a fellow feels when all his worldly goods can be summed up in so few words, unless he be in Bond Street or Broad- way ! To keep as much in the nags as possible, in case speed might be required, ever on the lookout for any thing suspicious, with cautious, slow steps, I pursued my route to the eastward. Nothing occurred to increase my watchful- ness ; in truth, I commenced to believe that I had unneces- sarily alarmed myself, when, crossing a small water-course, on the edge of which was a sandy margin, plainly I saw prints indicating that three horses had lately passed. The AFRAID OF INDIANS. 51 fore -feet of one of them was shod — a good sign. Still, they might have lately been stolen from distant white set- tlements ; so all my previous alarm and caution were again reverted to. Half an hour afterward, I heard the report of a rifle ; but, as there was a roll in th'e prairie between me and the direction the sound came from, I could not see who had fired the shot. In ignorance of what was to be seen be- yond, it would have been madness to have ridden to the top of the bluff ; so, turning off to the right into irregular, broken ground, the effect of the previous year's heat, I hobbled my animals, and started cautiously to stalk my way to some elevated ground, from whence I might obtain a view of the surrounding country, taking, at the same time, care to keep myself between the suspicious direction and my beasts. I had not traversed over one hundred and fifty yards, and was halting, the better to notice the most avail- able cover for future progress, when first the head and shoulders, then the entire figure of a man, loomed over the top of the swell. Comanche or Arrapaho I knew at once he was not — perhaps Osage or Pottawatomie ; but what the deuce would bring them so many hundred miles from their own hunting-lands? However, as every thing in the shape of redskins is to be dealt cautiously with, I changed my caps and got into most convenient and unconspicuous shooting attitude, determined not to throw away a shot, or, much less, give my supposed foe a chance of returning the compliment. That he was alone, being dismounted, I knew could not be the case ; and as he was coming in the very direction of my fresh trail, which, if he was permitted to cross, he could not fail to discover, and, with the discovery, bring his whole party in pursuit of me, there was but one alternative to adopt. Last year, in this very locality, the Indians had been unusually active ; scarcely a gang of emi- 52 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. grants or traders who had taken the southern route but had lost members of their party; in several instances nei- ther sex nor age had been spared by these blood-thirsty marauders; so what could I expect if alone I fell into the hands of a party of braves on the war-path? True, my scalp — for it has long been ignorant of a scalpy lock — would scarcely be worth lifting; but then I did not want to knock under yet ; and, if so, I preferred making a fight " for it, as, I think, under the excitement, the process of be- ing wiped out is less painful. By this time my stalwart apparition had approached within eighty yards: he was a noble-looking figure, with- out the slouch of the red man when hunting, with a step as free and independent as if he had been shooting. over a pri- vate manor. A big bug he evidently was, conscious of his own divinity; still, no eagle's feather or characteristic mark of a chief distinguished him. Presently he halted, and threw his large gun across his arm ; from this movement I perceived at once that he was a white man. Great was his surprise when he saw me leave my ambush; quick as thought his rifle was cocked and brought to the port, but I prevented him from further hostile demonstrations by a salute in mother -tongue. Our meeting was strange ; both took a pretty good stare, and then mutually mentioned each other's name, for we had met before, and where? In no less distant a portion of the earth than in the realms of the Tycoon. A restless spirit, a crack shot, and passionately fond of field sports, the world was his demesne; and where game was abundant, there he would be found, whatever were the dangers that surrounded it, laughing at hardship and privation — the bitters that make the sweets of life the more enjoyable by contrast. Securing my animals, I ac- companied him to the party to which he had attached him- self. They had only lately left civilization, and, through THE HUNTING-SADDLE. 53 his interest, my equine companions got several feeds of corn, to which they had long been unaccustomed. The night passed discussing old friends, a flask of brandy, and a package of kinnjkinic tobacco ; and when, on the morrow, I shook his sterling hand at parting, before recommencing my journey, he presented me with a few more feeds of grain, which, without doubt, materially assisted my four- footed friends in rapidly traversing the balance of the de- batable ground. The visitor to the plains desirous of hunting buffalo, and doing so comfortably and under the most advantageous cir- cumstances, should always take his saddlery with him. A hunting-saddle from Peat, or Wilkinson and Kidd, made of the best pig-skin, would be my choice, remembering al- ways to be provided with spare girths. The high-peaked saddle generally used in the West has advantages for front- ier use ; but for a firm seat, hard and rough riding, give me our English production. A double-reined snaffle I would take in preference to all bridles. At the same time, much depends on how a horse's mouth has been made. If the nag in his youth had his jaws dislocated with a barbarous Mexican bit, a snaffle will have no more power of control over his actions than officers over a panic-stricken regiment. I once possessed such a beast. The rider with a snaffle might as well have pulled at a stalwart oak as at this crea- ture's mouth. He was a light-necked, star-gazing, hot-tem- pered beast. The scrapes he got me in were so numerous, that to this day I wonder he did not break my neck. Of the arms most suitable for buffalo-shooting from horseback, I believe the large-bore breeoh-loading revolver the best. They are easily loaded while on the gallop ; for the muzzle can be placed between your thigh and the flap of the sad- dle, and thus held. For my part, I used a double-barreled shot-gun, with the barrels reduced to twenty-two inches in 54 PRAIRIE AND FOREST length. The stock, however, was always inconvenient, par- ticularly when loading while the horse was going at speed. Small-bored arms are to be avoided. The trappers and professional hunters use them ; but the reason is, that they require much less ammunition than those of larger calibre ; and at the same time, in killing fur-bearing animals, the pelt does not become so much torn. A small bullet, when prop- erly placed, will do its work instantaneously ; but deviation of a few inches is so frequent in this, which may be called snap-shooting, that the more severe shock and larger wound of the big projectile are eminently more effective. CHAPTER III. THE MUSK-SHEEP. ON the vast steppes of barren land that stretch from the sixtieth degree of north latitude to the Arctic Circle, this little-known animal is to be found ; however, I have never been able with certainty to learn that it has ever been seen to the eastward of Hudson Bay. Its favorite haunts are about Great Bear and Great Slave Lake, and along the up- per tributaries of the Mackenzie River. From musk-sheep being extremely shy, and the rough- ness of the nature of the country they inhabit, there is but one method for the sportsman to adopt in their pursuit, viz., stalking; and although a small-bore rifle might on such an occasion be employed, I should advise a calibre which shoots a bullet of not under twelve to the pound. Any gentleman visiting these regions should endeavor to propitiate the Hudson Bay Fur Company, and, if possible, obtain letters of introduction to the factors of the various forts that extend along his route ; for it will insure him a hearty welcome, shelter in time of necessity, a supply of provisions if stores should run low, and information where the game will be found, with very possibly the assistance of a guide and hunter who is thoroughly conversant with all the surrounding country. English and American sportsmen of the present day are possessed of such courage and perseverance that the rigor of the Arctic regions does not intimidate them ; or I would not introduce my readers to this animal. Why the musk-sheep should be designated ox by some 3* 58 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. persons is to me a mystery. Plainly do its appearance, habits, etc., designate it as a member of the Ovis family, instead of the Hos. However, Blainville, a naturalist of good reputation, to avoid censure, boldly seizes both, and designates it Ovibos, thereby claiming a distinct standing and title to the honor of representing a new genus by adopt- ing the sobriquet of two old ones. Audubon does likewise, and heads his chapters on these animals with the title of " Genus Ovibos" As an authority on American natural history, the latter is entitled to the highest consideration. At the same time, I can not help feeling that the name adopted is a shuffling pretext to prevent controversy, and the possibility of making a mistake that in future years would require to be corrected. Among the numerous lakes of North America that are situated on the extreme edge of the Rocky Mountains and the barren lands in sixty-four or sixty-five degrees north latitude, the musk-sheep (for I must call it so) is occasion- ally found, but when the traveler progresses farther to the north-west it is no uncommon occurrence in a day's march to see several herds ; in fact, they were so numerous that the camp of a friend of mine was always well supplied with them for food. Their flesh is excellent and nutritious when fat, but quite the reverse when, by a long-protracted win- ter, they become thin and attenuated. The flavor is much the same as that of venison, although much coarser in the grain, and is entirely free from any musky odor, except in very old males during the rutting season. The ground which they principally frequent is the same on which is found the small caribou — two species of this genus being accredited to the North American continent — immense stretches of rolling, rocky steppes, most sparsely supplied with vegetation, except where an occasional brook winds its solitary course toward some giant river, rapidly hurry- MU8K-SHEEP. 59 ing on its northern course to the Arctic Ocean. Their principal food is the various mosses, the leaves of stunted brush, and the fine velvety grasses that sparsely crop up in wet localities. For animals so unwieldy in shape and appearance musk- sheep are wonderfully nimble, making always for the rough- est grounds when pursued, leaping with agility from rock to rock, and scaling the faces of slopes so perpendicular, that the hunter, with hands and feet brought into play, finds it almost impossible to follow. Their hearing and sight are very acute ; at the same time, so suspicious and cautious are they, that, although always assembled in little parties of from ten to twenty, sentinels are regularly told off for duty, which place themselves in the most commanding positions, ready to whistle the signal of alarm on the slightest sus- picion of danger, accompanied by the usual sheep-like stamp of displeasure, which summons the herd to assist in inspect- ing the supposed intruder before they shift their feeding- grounds for haunts that previous experience has taught them are more secure. From the high latitudes in which they have their habitat, Captain Parry, the celebrated voyager, classes them among the dwellers north of the Arctic Circle ; and well might he or others do so, for so well are they protected by nature from the inclement weather of the inhospitable regions which they inhabit, that the most severe snow and frost little interfere with the routine of their life. Their wool is remarkably soft, long, and densely close ; so that at a small distance, if they are walking over irregular -surfaced soil, their feet are scarcely seen, the body of surrounding fringe giving the observer the impression which would arise if you saw an animal surrounded with a petticoat. Their color is much the same as that of the buffaloes of the plains, possi- bly a little darker, and at a distance they might easily be GO PRAIRIE AND FOREST. mistaken for them ; but, on closer inspection, the delusion can not continue, for their outline of form, sheep-like move- ment and figure, at once correct the error. In height they stand from eleven and a half to twelve and a half hands, the males being the largest and most cumbersome in appear- ance. Their legs are excessively short, and gifted with great muscular power, while the track of their hoof is about the size of a two-year-old steer's, but straighter and less pointed. The head is ornamented with handsome horns which almost unite at the base, and taper off with graceful, handsome sweeps to sharp points, which are generally with the mature animal on a level with the eyes. The nose is covered with soft, downy hair, and the eye, which is large and full, gives the physiognomy an intelligent look, which would induce the belief that no great difficulty would occur to prevent their domestication. If such could be effected, great benefit might result from the introduction of their wool into our markets, as, from its length, elasticity, and fineness, it could be manufactured into the most superior class of cloths. Their rutting season occurs at the breaking up of the autumn, when the cold and fitful winds of October com- mence to warn us that warmth is gone, and snow and ice are coming. The male, who generally is very inoffensive, unless he chance to receive a wound incapacitating him from escape, becomes now most quarrelsome and vindictive, attacking with the greatest fury whatever provokes his dis- pleasure ; and woe be to the white man or Indian who then meets him, if away from a place of escape or unprovided with fire-arms. At this time furious engagements take place among the males, which sometimes continue till one or both of the contestants are so much exhausted that they fall an easy prey to the Indian's arrows or the tusks of the large northern gray wolf. WILD DUCK. 61 In May the female produces a single lamb, over whose welfare the mother shows great solicitude. The young, until three or four weeks old, are unable to follow the par- ent, but are hid away in the manner usual with deer; the old lady, however, on such occasions never wanders far from her offspring's hiding-place, and on the least suspicion of danger rushes to her offspring, prepared to do battle with all intruders, whatever may be their size or appearance. The droppings of these animals, with the exception of their size, exactly resemble those of sheep. I will relate two anecdotes illustrative of the chances of accident that will occasionally occur to the sportsman, even when in pursuit of animals which are generally deemed harmless; and clearly proving how necessary presence of mind and decision of character are to the person who adopts wild life, or hopes to return safely from a trip to the comparatively unknown tracks of the great north-west- ern portion of the American continent. "The ice had just disappeared from the rivers; the wild duck had already arrived in immense numbers, so that our table daily had been graced with the choicest varieties, when a thought struck me that an alteration of fish for fowl would be most acceptable to the palates of the en- campment. About a couple of miles distant, where the river, contracted to one -fourth its usual breadth, rushed into a noble pool, I had on the previous year been most successful ; moreover, it was a pleasant place to fish — no overhanging bushes, but gently sloping, gravelly banks nearly the entire length of its margin. In an hour I had se- cured more trout than I felt disposed to carry ; so, work be- ing over, I treated myself to a pipe. While enjoying my to- bacco, a wading bird, of a description I never before saw, lit close to me. It was so tame that I threw several stones at it, almost with success, for the distance was not over ten or 62 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. fifteen yards, before it took to wing, and went farther down the stream. Anxious to procure a new specimen, I follow- ed till almost a mile lay between me and my fish. To save distance in returning, I determined to cut across the angle formed by the bend of the river, and had progressed about half-way when I saw a female musk -sheep coining after me. When a lad in the Highlands, I had got dreadfully punished by a tup, and the remembrances of the event had not yet been forgotten. A mountain ram is a small beast compared to my present pursuer, and he was able to do enough mischief. The ground was very roughly sprinkled with boulders, some of great size, and for the most inac- cessible of those I made the best speed I could muster, and only succeeded in gaining a place of safety when the ewe's horns were within a foot or two of my hurdies. For over an hour sh'e kept watch on me ; and, worse than all, when I got back to my fish, some vermin or other had carried all the best ones off, and it was getting too late to catch a new mess. When at the fort, the Indians soon explained the reasons of this unprovoked attack, and proved the correct- ness of their assertion by shooting the mother next morn- ing and bringing the lamb home, which we were unable to keep alive for over three days, much to the regret of all." The second adventure is a repetition of the inexcusable folly of not immediately loading your gun before approach- ing wounded game. "In stalking some barren caribou, eight musk -sheep crossed directly between me and the deer. I was well hid at the time, so that they came un- suspiciously within thirty yards. In a moment I gave them both barrels. To the first shot an old buck dropped, and - rolled into a ravine; the second barrel crippled a three- quarter grown sheep so badly that I knew less than a mile would lay her up. In my hurry to secure the old one, with- out loading I hurried to the ravine. There he was, as I STALKING CARIBOU. 63 thought, in the last struggle. Down I jumped into the hollow, which was about ten feet deep ; but no sooner did he see me than up he got, and, head down, charged. I turned tail, and fortunately scrambled out a wiser man ; for, deil tak' me, if ever I gang near ouy o' them without baith powther and lead in my gun." The average weight of the full-grown male is about four hundred and fifty pounds, while the female is generally from fifty to seventy-five pounds less. The Indians state that they live to an immense age, which belief is probably caused by their venerable and ragged appearance at the time they cast their coats. CHAPTER IV. MOOSE-DEEK. THIS giant of the deer tribe, although at one time abun- dant in all the North-eastern States, at the present time holds only a precarious and short-leased existence in the northern portion of the State of Maine. However, when the Canadian frontier is crossed they become more abun- dant, increasing in number till about the' fifty-seventh de- gree of latitude is reached, above which they are seldom found. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick the sports- man in pursuit of moose would still find a reward for his labor ; but in that section of country lying to the south of James Bay, and stretching westward to Lake Winnipeg, this giant deer can be obtained in greater abundance than in any other portion of the American continent. For their capture two methods are usually adopted : first, by calling them up to where the sportsman is con- cealed, by imitating the voice of the female, or call of the male, through the assistance of a horn of birch-bark ; this device can only be employed in the still evenings of autumn, during the rutting season. So acute is the sense of hear- ing in this animal, that the slightest false note on the call will send the quarry flying in the reverse direction ; thus Indian companions are almost necessary to the white hunt- er, they, from greater experience, having become adepts in its use. The second is to pursue them on snow-shoes after a heavy crust has been formed on the snow, through the heat of the spring sun by day and the sharp frosts by night. As long shots at this quarry are seldom fired, the spoils- HEIGHT OF THE MOOSE-DEER. 65 man will find the ordinary smooth-bore gun quite as effi- cient as the rifle. A weapon of heavy calibre is here also of great importance. I never think of the State of Maine without the most in- tense feelings of pleasure, for among its pine-clad hills and wood-irnbosomed lakes I enjoyed many, many weeks and months so free from care, so productive of pleasure, that the recollection can neve^ pass away. This region of country is characterized by numerous labyrinths of lakes that are scattered over it in every di- rection, divided from each other by mountainous ridges, clothed to their summits with giant pine-trees and the many varieties of hard woods peculiar to these latitudes, alike giving beauty to the landscape and affording food and shelter for every kind of northern game. On the ex- tensive flat meadows that edge these lakes, or form the margin of many of the numerous noble rivers, in the hol- lows, ravines, and hill-sides, was the moose-deer's home to be found, his choice of quarters being regulated by the changes of the seasons. Portions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are now favorite resorts of this giant deer; but in Northern New Hampshire, Vermont, and North- eastern New York, where a quarter of a century since moose were plentiful, I doubt if at the present date a sin- gle specimen can be found. Such is the result of civiliza- tion and the influx of the white man. The size to which the moose-deer grows has been vari- ously stated. Audubon says over twenty hands ; Mr. Hays, an animal artist of great talent, and who has spent many years studying his profession in the native haunts of all the subjects he has used his brush upon, informs me that he has known animals to grow much larger. From this gen- tleman's experience as a hunter and naturalist, I have not the slightest doubt that he is correct. However, 1 believe 66 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. about sixteen and a half hands to be the average height of a full-grown male; but that certain localities — possibly where greater abundance of the most suitable food is to be found — produce much larger animals. All the moose that I have heard of being killed in Labrador — where the win- ters are particularly severe and vegetation sparse — have been smaller than those shot in the State of Maine; nor can I see any reason to doubt such being the case. We know how other genera are affected by such local pecul- iarities, and why should this animal be an exception ? It is the habit of sportsmen and naturalists to praise the appearance of the moose. My own impression is that there is no animal more ungainly, awkward-looking, and appar- ently disproportioned. That he is admirably constructed for the part he has to play in life, there is no question ; but the very requisites with which he is endowed give him such an unusual appearance, that prejudice alone can call him handsome. The Virginian deer, the fallow deer, the Wapitti, and the red deer are to me perfect in shape, graceful in their movements, and ornamental to the landscape; but the moose, on the other hand, with his short, thick neck, asi- nine head, protruding eyes, heavy broad ears, tremendous antlers, long, awkward, powerful legs, and disproportionate withers, looking even higher than they are from the mane that surmounts them, can never be considered by an im- partial judge but an awkward and clumsy-looking brute. Of all the ruminants on the American continent, the moose is the tallest. I doubt not that a stall-fed ox can be made to weigh as heavy, but not to attain the stature ; and on this account, as well as many others, it is really a duty that the Legislatures of the various States of which he is an inhabitant owe to the country at large to pass and enforce such laws as will prevent his ultimate annihilation. THE HORNS OF THE MOOSE. 6V Probably it may never again be my good fortune to re- visit these scenes of my youth-; but can I ever forget the happy days and nights I have spent hi the dense swamp, sparsely covered, barren, tangled woodland, or over the brilliant camp-fire, when, miles and miles away from civil- ization, I have been on an expedition to hunt moose ? No ! Though I have shot in all parts of the world, gone through scenes exciting, both as soldier and hunter, Northern Maine, with all its glorious lakes, rivers, and mountains, will stand paramount : for there my experience of moose-hunting was gained ; there I made my maiden effort, which was a fail- ure, to return years afterward and awake the echoes with the war-whoop that proclaims success. In December moose-deer cast their horns ; by April the successors commence to sprout; by the end of June full form is developed, but not till many weeks later are they denuded of velvet ; when that takes place, the antlers are perfectly white; but exposure to the atmosphere soon gives them a tawny shade, which deepens with the lapse of time. The cow, of course, never bears these ornaments, but the young bull-calf at one year throws out a brace of knobs an inch in length; in the second season these are about six inches long; the third year they increase to nine or ten inches, with a fork ; in the fourth season palmation is ex- hibited with several points. From this age there is a grad- ual increase in the palmation and number of points till the animal attains its greatest vigor, from which period the horns decrease in width and weight, at the same time be- coming more elongated. Twenty-three is the greatest num- ber of points I have seen on one head, and the weight of the horns just exceeded seventy pounds. I doubt if larger has ever, of late years, been found. The young moose-deer, that is, those under five years, frequently do not show their new head-dress till March. 08 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. Instances have been known — still, I have no doubt that such were great exceptions — of young males bearing the former year's horns as late as the calving season, which is in the end of April, and in Labrador and far northern local- ities, May. In September the rutting season commences. Then is the period to see this great animal in all the magnificence of his strength. Reckless and furious, he rushes about, bellowing forth defiance to his own sex, and what is ac- cepted as notes of love by the other. Woe betide the trav- eler, the unarmed or inexperienced man who should then meet him, if no place of safety is at hand, for naught but their total destruction would be the result! I knew an in- stance where a French Canadian nearly lost his life by one of these furious beasts. He had gone with his pony and sledge to bring a boat across a portage, and on his return, while threading the intricacies of the bush-path, a moose, excited with rage and lust, rushed past him. Indiscreetly he fired a charge of small shot after the retreating terma- gant, which brought him to the rightabout, and caused him to charge. Into the boat jumped the Canadian; but the thin ribs and planks afforded no protection from such an assailant. The frail craft was soon knocked to pieces, and our friend took to a tree, when, from his perch, he wit- nessed his pony gored and trampled to death. Moral: Don't fire small shot at moose if you have any regard for your life. During the rutting season many bull-moose are annually killed ; for the hunters, taking advantage of their then com- bative disposition, secrete themselves, and imitate, by means of a roll of birch-bark, the challenge note of an excited male. Some gallant lord of the wilderness hears the false, decep- tive call ; and believing that his demesne has been invaded by a rival, towering with rage, he rushes in the direction VISIT TO ST. FRANCIS. 71 whence the sound proceeds, intent on repelling the intruder. Listening to the repeated calls, again and again the bull an- swers, till at length he is drawn within the range of the rifle of the secreted hunter. My maiden effort at moose- shooting was made in such a manner. As if it were but yesterday, the whole adventure is written plainly on my memory. I had only been in America a few months. The attractions of Saratoga I could not avoid, and when there became acquainted with a family of St. Francis Indians, earning a precarious subsistence by basket-making. Before this I had never met any of the aborigines of the American continent, and hour after hour I passed idling around their encampment, listening to stories of the chase, and more es- pecially of moose-hunting. The dark-skinned race got my spare pocket-money, and I, in return, all their knowledge of wood-craft that could be theoretically imparted. The spirit of adventure had become excited within me, and ere I left Saratoga I had faithfully promised to visit St. Francis in autumn, to join one of my new acquaintances in a moose- hunt. The beautiful tints of an American fall were in their greatest brilliancy when I reached the termination of a long and tedious journey to accept the proffered hospitalities. My reception was not so enthusiastic as I expected ; in fact, my ardor was a little damped by the marked coolness of my host. Yet, after coming such a distance, I was deter- mined to carry out my project, and a well-stocked purse en- abled me to do so. Starting at early morning, on a beauti- ful, clear day, we descended a tributary stream of the Pe- nobscot River, for eight or ten hours. The easy motion of the birch-bark, the grand scenery, and the brilliant-colored foliage recalled many a vision I had formed of what fairy- land must resemble. About four o'clock we disembarked, our birch-bark was shouldered, and a portage of a mile or 72 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. two traversed, when the margin of a clear, calm lake was reached, surrounded with beautiful green hills. Again we launched our canoe on the bosom of the waters, arriving at a second halting-place as the sun in glorious splendor dip- ped the. western horizon. Hiding our frail birch-bark craft in some brush, with my attendant leading, we started up an acclivity; after an hour's rough and difficult walking, the Indian stopped, and sounded a note on his calling-horn. To this there was no response, but my friend assured me, " Plenty moose by-by."~ The night was as beautiful as the day preceding it. The hunter's moon was at its full, and near objects could be seen almost as distinctly as when the sun was high in the heavens. Several efforts with the call had been made; dis- appointment and failure began to appear certain, when a distant and unknown sound struck my ear. At the same moment the redskin seized my arm and whispered, " Old bull." We both placed ourselves in a hemlock-tree, and numerous were the injunctions I received of the necessity of silence. Afraid to move, cramped in an awkward posi- tion, for near a mortal hour I endured the torments, cer- tainly not of the blessed ; still move I would not, ultimately could not, as the answering voice of the bull in response to the Indian's call told that the giant was rapidly approach- ing. At length — oh, how glad I was ! — the noblest game I had ever set eyes upon broke into the opening at a cautious trot, hesitated, stopped, and impatiently stamped his foot. The distance that the moose was from us could not have been more than thirty yards. Slowly and imperceptibly the Indian's gun was getting into shooting position. I at- tempted to do the same wTith mine, when — oh ! what ex- cuse can I offer? — bang went the right barrel, and, but for a vigorous effort, I should have fallen from my perch. I had better draw a veil over the recriminations that en- A MOOSE IN THE FOREST. 73 sued, for homicide was nearly the result, whether justifia- ble or not must be for others to decide ; but St. Francis was not long honored with my presence. Of moose-hunt- ing I had seen enough for one season, and for many a year not even my bosom friends knew that I had ever made an attempt to slay the noblest of all the deer family. In the close, warm weather of July and August this game is much pestered with flies. To avoid these, plagues, the moose almost becomes aquatic in his habits ; for hours he will completely submerge himself, with naught but his head above the surface. At this season their principal food is the long, succulent limbs and leaves of the water-lily. In the tributary streams that help to feed Moosehead Lake it is no uncommon thing for the fisherman or tourist, on hi§ aquatic excursions, to come across moose floating, or see them reach the shore in advance of him, alarmed either by the voices or wind of the strangers. Such was my fortune once when fishing in a tributary of Lake Parmacheney. Trout had all day been on the feed ; my gun lay carelessly at my feet, half buried in blankets and other hunter's para- phernalia in the bottom of my canoe, which I had permit- ted silently to drift with the current. Suddenly I heard a splash, as if all the fish in the river had collected to make a simultaneous rise ; but instead of fin, it was fur, and a splendid moose, bearing a noble head of antlers, plunged through the weeds, and soon disappeared in the recesses of the forest. If, I had been prepared, or even had my gun been obtainable at a minute's notice, I could almost with certainty have administered the coup de grace. When the season advances, and the sparse advent snows occasionally give warning that winter is at hand, the moose- deer leave the morass and river banks for higher ground. Here they collect in families, previous to yarding, which takes place as soon as the lands of these northern wilds 4 74 PRAIRIE AND FOREST, have received their annual deep and pure white covering. At this time the moose lives in comparative security, his length of limb and tremendous power enabling him to defy all pursuers. Enjoy well thy rest — enjoy it, I say, for it is but for a short season ; for when the sun again warms the landscape, and a crust becomes formed through the thaw by day and frost of night, powerful and noble though yon be, you will require more than that superhuman power to save you from the persevering Indian or venturous white man. Poor creature ! your chance when pursued, after a heavy crust is formed, is indeed small. I know no denizen of the forest that, at any period of life, has the odds so fear- fully against him. As may be imagined, then, the end of February and March are the periods when the greatest havoc among these animals takes place, and I regret to say that frequent- ly the fiendish love of carnage alone seems to occupy the mind of the pursuer. I have known instances — I grieve to say many — when moose have been killed simply for the sake of killing ; for, with the exception of one or two tid- bits, the giant carcass has been left to satiate the appetite of the wild beasts of the forest. If one who has been guilty of such unjustifiable conduct should read this, let his con- science reproach him for the past, and the sting of remorse cause him to resolve never to be again an offender. The exact position of the scene which I am about to de- scribe lies within the limits of the State of Maine, about sixty miles north-east of Moose Head Lake. The days that had heralded the advent of March had been extremely warm, the nights clear, with sharp frost ; just such weather as would be pronounced first -class for the collecting of sap to make maple-sugar. Two days' journey had been required to bring us to the desired local- ity; for we had both agreed that no search for moose IN A LOG-HUT. 75 should bo made till a favorite neighborhood was reached, alike beautiful in summer or winter. Moreover, here we should find a log-hut, erected two seasons previously, and which we had every reason to believe would be in a thor- ough state of repair. In due course of time we arrived at our rendezvous ; the snow was cleared out of the structure, and, considering all things, the two Penobscot Indians who accompanied us succeeded in making our temporary resi- dence look more than inviting. The first night passed in the usual manner ; we each pledged the other's health more than once, and again and again requited our pipes with tobacco. Still we slept soundly, and day had well broken before either turned out. A hurried cup of coffee and a few morsels of cold meat and biscuit sufficed for breakfast, so that ere the sun had risen over the neighboring hill we were en route for the scene of action. The country that we traversed was covered, but not densely crowded, with hard wood — so open, in fact, that a fair shot would severe- ly have punished woodcock which had taken shelter in a similar locality. After tramping three miles, the Indians leading, and I causing much amusement by a succession of catastrophes from one snow-shoe overlapping the other, a halt was made, and the expression of the guide spoke plainly of the vicinity of game ; without questioning, we turned off to the left, still following in single file. Stoop- ing low and slowly advancing for some moments, we came upon a yard — but, alas ! deserted ; but such had not been long the case. Our dark-skinned companions were jubilant ; visions of moose -meat floated before them, and straight they directed their steps to the place of exit, for the occu- pants had winded us earlier than expected. To a novice but one track appeared, yet the Indians held up four fin- gers to indicate that number of inmates. Soon we found their information correct ; for, after a pursuit of an hour 76 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. and a half, we perceived our game — a bull, cow, and two calves — going over a neighboring swell. The reason of the deceptive appearance of the trail is caused by the cow and calves stepping as nearly as possible in the footsteps .of the bull, who on such occasions invariably leads. Just as we supposed ourselves on the verge of success, the moose passed through a second yard, easily known by the trampled state of the snow and barked sides of the trees. The occupants of this retreat had joined those we were following. This additional force to the pursued add- ed fresh excitement to the chase, and the distress resulting from pace was for the time forgotten. In an hour more we were again in view, and soon afterward among the game. My companions I will leave to themselves, and con- fine myself to my own performance. One of the males had a noble head of horns. These I determined to be possess- ed of ; so, marking him for mine, resolved not to halt till successful. Again and again I thought that but a few minutes would elapse till I could shoot; but either from the snow being less deep, or the animal making extra efforts, at least an hour had elapsed before the quarry was sufficiently close to deliver with precision a fatal shot. Soon I was joined by one of the Indians, then by the re- mainder of our party. Four moose had been killed ; so my companion and self agreed that we had reaped enough re- ward for one day's work. Next day was equally success- ful, more game having been seen than on the first essay. I doubt not, if we had been so minded, for days we might have continued this slaughter ; but, as it was, we had as much meat as we could transport to the settlement. A more rapid manner of taking moose when there is a crust, and one much practiced, is to be accompanied by a small, active dog, which, if properly trained to his work, will never lay hold, but only snap at the quarry's heels. CHANGES OF THE MOOSE-DEER. 77 The poor moose is thus soon brought to bay ; for his active pursuer, whose weight is so light that he does not break through the crust, dances -in security around the game, snapping at every exposed point, and so engaging the vic- tim's attention that the hunter can approach the quarry sufficiently close to deliver with certainty an unfailing shot. The flesh of the moose, although sweet, is very coarse. Still, many people prefer it to any other. I can not say that such is the case with me, good beef being to my idea infinitely superior. The tongue, last entrail, and especially the mouffle, or extremity of the upper lip, are great delica- cies, more particularly when eaten cooked in the primitive style of the backwoods. It may be the wood-fire, it may be the want of seasoning, or, more probably still, the fresh air and severe exercise of the hunt; but all that I have eaten when snugly housed about a camp-fire has been rel- ished with a gusto unknown in city life. A bonne louche which must not be forgotten, and which only the moose- hunter can enjoy, or those who live near the haunts of this animal, is the marrow from the shank-bones of the legs, cooked immediately after the animal is killed. This, served on toast, with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper, would make the mouth of the most fastidious epicure water that had previous experience of its excellence. The moose-deer changes much in appearance with the ro- tations of the seasons. In summer the coat is short and fine ; in winter, coarse and long. Underneath the hair is found an abundant crop of soft wool, which doubtless en- ables them to endure the great severity of the northern winters. The face hair, different from that of the horse or cow, grows upward from the mouffle, on the termination of which there is a triangular bare spot. The power of the jaws and teeth of the moose is very great. The facility with which they strip the bark from those trees that con- 78 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. stitute their favorite food is wonderful. Their pace is either a walk or trot, the usual bounding gait of other species being unknown to them. Even if a fallen tree in- terrupt their progress, instead of rising at it like a horse, they manage to clamber over in a most effective manner. Two methods of capturing moose I have not alluded to — for why? They appear so antagonistic to all those feel ings that should actuate the gentleman — viz., by snaring and trapping. The miuutia3 of the modes of proceeding by which the unsuspicious game is induced to enter either of the above devices, I am certain would not be interesting to a sportsman. For many years it was a disputed point whether the moose-deer of America and the elk of Europe were the same species; but the most eminent of recent and present authorities agree that they are identical. Captain Hardy, of the Royal Artillery, who was stationed many years in Canada, and devoted much of his time to moose-hunting, as well as studying this animal's habits, and who is also conversant with the European elk, emphatically asserts that there are not the smallest grounds for any diversity of opinion on the subject. Audubon, an authority on Amer- ican natural history second to none, refuses to give a de- cision, and justly so, for he was not conversant with the European animal. The following adventure occurred to me while sojourn- ing in the habitat of the moose : For some days my fly-rod had been indefatigably and most successfully at work, furnishing not only my own table, but many of the neighboring families with trout, so that a change of programme was far from unacceptable. One morning as I was deliberating in which direction I would go, my host asked me if I should have any objection to accompany him to lift some traps he had not visited AMERICAN SWAMP-HARE. 79 since spring. The trip promised an acquaintance with a new beat, and an insight into what I was not as yet conver- sant with in this section of the American continent — viz., the method followed of trapping martens. As the sun was rising over the eastern hills — for these primitive people are early risers — we found ourselves about to leave the sur- veyed road. My frienci bore on his back a sack in which to place his long-neglected traps, while I carried my trusty ten-bore double gun, loaded by request with ball in one barrel, and buck-sliot in the other. Our route at first was through a dense cedar swamp, exceedingly irregular on the surface, while the undergrowth was so close that it was with difficulty parted ; a thick coating of moss was under- foot, so spongy and full of water that if we remained sta- tionary for a few seconds we would be over the insteps in water. Nevertheless, the tracks of the American swamp- hare were innumerable; an animal, by-the-bye, which is very similar to the Scotch blue hare, some authorities going so far as to say they are the same species, slightly changed by climate and different habits of life, resulting from the dissimilar localities in which they are found. A blazed path was all we had for direction ; but as both were iii the full vigor of manhood, we steadily progressed. Several times we flushed the Canadian spruce grouse ; but as my projectiles were not suited to this stamp of game, and my companion continually kept reminding me that larger might be expected, I forbore troubling them. From the swamp we got on drier soil, very rocky, and densely wooded with pine, the trees increasing in stature as we ascended, till we were surrounded with such glorious pines as might one day form, without discredit, the main- mast of a line-of-battle ship. Upward, like the youth who shouted "Excelsior," we kept ascending; but we had not the maiden to warn us, 80 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. whose warning I doubt not, unless she had been unusually pretty, would have been disregarded. Soon the walking became climbing, and after an hour's clambering the sum- mit of the ridge was reached. Here the first trap was lift- ed ; and at intervals of two hundred yards or so, according to the nature of the ground, the others were found distrib- uted. As they had been down for nearly two months, whatever had been captured by them was now in a de- composed state. Soon the whole (over a dozen) had been gathered, when we descended to a stream literally alive with fish ; trout of all sizes up to a pound appeared to be actually crowding each other; and so unacquainted were they with man's presence that they totally disregarded our intrusion. Lunch4ime had arrived, and on the margin of the brook we enjoyed our meal ; several of the trout, which my com- panion had captured with the most primitive line, attached to. a rod cut from the nearest tree, forming no inconsider- able portion of the meal. After a smoke and half-hour's dawdle, we started on our return, following an entirely different route, equally disad- vantageous for rapid progression. During our homeward tramp I learned that martens could only be taken on the highest ridges, and that the bait used was either a red squirrel, the beautiful little cedar bird, or the heart or liv- er of the swamp-hare. I was not a little surprised at the number of times my companion halted to inquire if my gun was all right, more especially as so far we had seen no in- dications of large game, excepting some decayed stumps and logs, moved where Bruin had been grubbing, or scratch- ed trees, where his race from time immemorial had been in the habit of stretching themselves. As the sun set, we once more regained the path, well fatigued with our rough and protracted tramp, myself not A SKULKING PAINTER. 81 a little disgusted that I had seen nothing sufficiently worthy of being considered fit game for the heavy missiles which both my barrels contained. In fact, I could not help open- ly grumbling that I should have been inveigled into such a useless journey, which elicited the response from my asso- ciate that I might thank my stars we had got back safe. With this answer for the time I had to be satisfied ; but that evening the mystery came out, and the selfish motives that had dictated my companionship being sought. I will endeavor to state the story as told by the trapper : " Last April, when the snow was on the ground, I laid out the traps we have to-day lifted. The traveling was very bad at the time, for it was near the break-up of winter. I got along the ridge all right ; but as I thought it better to return as I had