Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-07-27
No, III.
IL CAxP, July 20, 1866


aided and ahefted him, EFT us TUESDAY morn-
ing. The calls Of busness-which do some-
times penetrate even into the depths Of the woods,
to the land where newspapers are unheard of,
ard stocks unthought of, and drag back to the
''hsunts Of busy man. even those who. for
time, thought themselves escaped from all care
but that Of present enjoyment Of this wild life
demanded their return to the settlements; and
they have gone. We are but mediocre con-
cern, Therefore; but have managed to have some
pleasure in quiet way, despite the lack Of the
jokes, practical and impractical, which kept
camp in perpetual turmoil for FIVE days.
Yesterday. two more Of the party started for
home, with the children, one Of whom was IL;
we are. therefore, quite broken up, and shall
leave camp. the rest Of us, to-day. The ques-
ton Of provision, too, is becoming serious; we
can't live here much longer without better sue
cess than for the past week. in hunting and fish
ing. Somehow, the deer seem to have taken an
unreasonable objection to being shot ''in the
leg, and the fish begin TO be deaf to the voice
Of the charmer and won't bite;'' our breakfast
this morning was upon salt pork, and We leave
in disgust for some better land than this. But
upon the whole, there is not much reason for
complaint, for either trout or vension, or both.
have been on our table for breakfast and dinner,
every day till yesterday.
Some other game has fallen into our hands,
TOO. While out the other day rowing, one Of the
party spied huge bull pout lying in shallow
water beside a rock summing himself, and creep
ing quietly up he actually killed the fish with
his sheath knife; we had him fried for dinner
(the fish, not the man ard though not equal
to lake trout. the bull-pout is good eating
Talking Of these water wocd-chueks,' as sam
Cunning dubbed them, reminds NE Of joke
our mad wag'' played on an unsophiiticated
one Of the party, whom he gravely called to
look at water wood-chuck's hole pointing
out spot near the bank Of the lake where
sticks had faIlen crossWise SO as to form a sort
Of well, and giving short lecture on the habits
Of the Aforesaid ''chuck'' from which the simple
one retired with such evident increase in knowl-
edge Unnatural history as to give huge delightto
the soul Of the crafy,-till the no-longer-to-be-
restrained guiTav Of the bystsnjers brought
email suspicion Of a hoax ont Of the water
wood chuck s hole, and Q spatter Of water over
the hoa1er.
On Sunday. two who had gone to battle,
brough; back with them a young loon, which
they had caught by separating 1t from the old
birds and fairly firing It out It was quite
young, no; larger than a two weeks Oh chicken,
and made no attempt TO escape from the hands
that held it, or the psn q water in which it
was put at camp; hut sat there OF the water, 81
intervals uttering faint piping cry. not much
like the fearful howl the old binds send forth.
It.vas quite black on the neck and back, AMI
white on the belly, with little marks OF TIE
mottling which makes an oil looms feathers so
handsome. After dinner It vas carried back to
the bosom Of lis family-for there's no eating a
Icon; sole leather and old Goldfish skins would be
infinitely preferable. It was put back in the
water about a quarter Of nile from the old
birds and instantly iivei, coming up couple
Of rods of, and plying its propellers with the
utmost vigor, IS perfectly at home and able 70
take care OF itself as Il ten summers ofloon-aey
hal gone over its head.
II any lad wanted s4uirro'-rie, it might
easily have been got, far the woods seem full Of
the little rel coats; they chirr at US from the
tree tops, scurry acr5ss cur camping ground
in full sight. and wien al is quie,
even take run On the roof Of the shaut7.
Some amusement they made two or three
times, when o7ertakea By boat while swim
ming the lake \ squirrel swims well, and
rather than 20 round, VII take to the water for
s stretch Of half mile. Being overhaulei by
the boat. and an oar put out in bis way, up
climbs master squirrel and runs all over the
boat, glad Of terra frua but half frightened TO
death. One 50 caught ran up the arm Of one Of
the party and sat On his shoulder for some min
utes; getting dry and recovering It's breath,
then made a spring into the water AMI again
boldly put out FOR shore. Another one, worse
frightened. several times after climbing on the
car out Of the water. rushed quickly to the top
Of the blade As the oarsmsn raised it upright
and without moments hesitation jumped off,
a good eight feet, into the water again.
All did your patience and my paper hold
out, should like to tell You many things which
have befallen US here in the woois,-of the
hauling huge lake trout from the still depths Of
the dark vster-a 2i-pounder, SO inches long
and Is round, has been among our captures
Of the hooking the smaller but more active
brook trout, and safely landing him despite his
desperate plunges and struggles; Of the " float
ing" for deer,-that mysterious silent midnight
ride, when without sound, almost without sens
Of motion. you are carried on, the dark shores
gliding by ike vision, no sound save the boot
Of the owl, the screech Of an awakened loon. a
far of bark from a Cox, the splash Of trout
leaping from the water, the croak Of the frog.
the crack Of a tvig in the underbrush or the
plash at the waters edge which tells Of the
presence Of the deer, who stands motionless in
astonishment as the glazing light Of the jack
lantern flashes on him, drawing nearer and near
er till the report Of the hunters gun
breaks the stiffness AMI aSakens ten thousand
echoes around the dark lake.-of the evenings
round the campfire, with their jokes. songs and
stories; Of many a pleasant incident and event
Of our life in camp. But the half cannot be
told in the compass Of letter; aud there vi.
be no chance to write again. for We are breaking
up camp.
Already the hammoeks are unslung. the tent
is struck, the blankets are rolled up and strap
ped, the guides are packing Up the hundred and
one little traps that make up cur camp kit. the
ladies have shswls and hats ready to put on, and
are listening for the oars Of the boat that is to
come and help carry our baggage across the
Lakes. So pleasant has been our weeks stay in
camp, that it is with positive sOrrOw we take