Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-07-27
BEK.


tos Those scouudrels have villainous fashion
Of getting up early in the morning and proceed
ing Immediately to breakfast, to the discomfort
Of other people who don't like to be broken Of
their morning nap; and the hammock sleepers
are commonly devoutly thankful when some
good Samaritan from the shanty gets up at
dawn and brings ''smudge" to relieve them
Of their tormentors. But on the whole, we are
much less disturbed by "such small deer" than
We feared, and even the guides say the punkies
are not so bad as they expected. You may kill
a mosquito or two. to be sure, at almost at any
time Of day or night; but herein is marvel
lous difference between these musQuitos Of the
woods and their city cousins, that you can kill
them. They, simple souls, 60 directly about
their work unsuspcious Of harm till the fatal slap
crushes them; while your city musquito Is the
mos, shy, treacherous, malicious villain mag
Unable The black flies are almost gone; We have
seen very few.
do no, know how better to give you an idea
Of our life here. than by attempting to describe
one days e1perienee,-say yesterday.
About ( A. NJ. the midges bite me 50 saw
sgelY, in the shantY. that can sleep no longer,
Every one, even in sleep, il resilessly turn
ing, fighting and scratching. Drawing on
boots crawl out and find R. already making
a smudge in front Of the tent alongside FOR the
benefit Of bis part Of the party. Taking piece
Of bark and scraping some Goals from the
smouldering FIRE, do likewise, and carry II
few feet IN front where in the hammocks, two
almost shspeless heaps are swinging. and pro
eeeding to smudge them IN a cloud Of smoke,
am rewarded by fervent blessing from the now
almost frantic unfortunaies. Then 70 back to
the shanty and creeping into my place again,
sleep till breakfast time. About halfpAsi SIX,
two Of the guides start up and taking q boat 20
to the ''set lines TO see what fish are caught in
the night The others 60 to Eori to get break
fast, while the res, Of u gradually aWaking
exchange remarks, and crack jokes from tent to
shanty and shanty to hammocks After cur tot
let il made, and the guides announce breakfast,
We sit round our table Of rough boards, on camp
stools, trunks, boards or What-not, and proceed
to dispose Of the fried fish and broiled venison,
with coffee and "h1ins,'' in high good hum0r
with ourselves and the rest Of mankind. The
guides then eat their own breakfast, while We
n r
atoms for the future. An expedition TO Mohican
Pond e resolved on for this day
About half past nine two boat loads start Of
Soon We reach the head Of the lake and
pleasant walk Of half mile through the woods
brings Us to the shore Of MohicAn Pond. a pretty
little sheet Of water We ind the other boat
load fishing for mIunoVs. Two Of the party are
continually poking fun and spArring and others
are not 10th to take an occasional hand IN, 20
there was considerable Of a noise now and then
it was something to be wondered At. therefore,
when deer suddenly makes its appearance on
the opposite side Of the lake. of course all
still down at once, and as quietly as possible
we paddle across the lake.
A boat with two gunners goes on first
while the others lie at q distance watching; the
deer hearing and seeing nothing quietly walks
along the shore till suddenly flash
from gun darts into view and the deer bounds
up INTO the air and rushes along the edge Of the
pond for short distance before turning into the
woods; another shot quickly follows the first but
the deer disappears The guides say it went
lamely on one leg, evidently bit, and FIRE OF
jokes begins on the marksmsn who FOR the third
time has only hit his deer in the leg. The guides
got ashors but can not find the animal.
One boat then goes back to the landing Iplace
that guide might 90 to camp and get dog,
and the others went to the buoy to ish, While
the guide was gone We trolled for trout, catching
one and plenty Of bites-from the mischievous
one who sat IN the stern and iuitched the line at
every opportunity. When the guide came back
with the dog, we again paddle across the lake
and 10 another deer He takes the woods
the dog is put on bis track, and soon his yelp
rings around the pond as in full cry he takes the
fresh trail Of the deer We listen to it, receding
and again drawing near ill it is evident that the
deer is driven to some other water Before long
the dog comes back and hoElng sits on the
bank till VIC row up and take him in again,
By this time it is half past two and time to 70
home to dinner
When we get back to camp the guides to work
to get dinner and to pay ourselves for the loss
of the dear, a can Of Holsters is opened and some
fresh jars of pickle. and preserves. The guides
get up savory stew and all declare it the best
Inner yet-exeep one who says there wasn't
enough Of it
After dinner we lounge around. the two enc
MES tormenting each other and making fun for
he rest, as they sit in the hAmmocks. Then
NO or three go out for row on the lake as it
lraws towards sunset, and books are brought
ut and letters home commenced but reading
II writing Is hard work here in the voods-par |
icularly when such row is kept up behind |
ne.
By halfpast Elk the guides commence prepar-
tiOns for supper, while two Of US 60 out to the
'uoy to fish for lake trout. Supper over about
alfpsst seven or eight we spend the evening
nder the trees talking, laughing, telling stories,
inging all the sentimental songs We know and /
Ome we don't, winding up with grand argr-
,ent between the two lawyers Of the party, to
Ihich the rest listsn In breathless interest,
be ladies' putting in q word now and then Just
} keep the thing lively. 1t is hslf-past eleven
efore We go to bed, and the funny man of the
arty being wakcful, keeps US awake for an
our more. But at last the camp is hushed
i'd sleep spreads her mantle over US.
Yours, BEx. |