Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-29

like fire. Immediately there were buck
ling on of accoutreraents, and loading of
shot-guns. and few moments afterward
we were en- route, through the woods, in
the direction of Secotan lake. ~. -
eve absolutely lost our days work.
Not single swan did we shoot. There
were plenty of them on the lake, but we
were unable, In consequence of their
shyness, to get shot at any of them.
Every expedient was adopted that could
be thought of, calls, DISCUSSES and de-
coys, but all to no purpose. Never did
seven men go back to camp SO utterly
wearied, disheartened and vexed as we
did that night.
''The next day we tried it again, three
of us going in boat by way of heriver,
and the rest of us tramping through the
wood. The trumpeters were still there,
flying about the lake and floating on it's
waters, their loud trumpeting drowning
every other noisein the wild wood. But
the days hunt was as unsuccessful as the
first. No game was bagged, and we re-
"Most of US were entirely discouraged
would not ralinquish the sport until
after one more trial. He announced his
intention to try them that very night
and [ want you, Colby he said, adj
dressing me, to go with me. Imean to
have trumpeter yet.
CT expressedmy willingness to accom-
pany him, and, though our companies
persisted in laughing at us, we proceed
ed to make the necessary preparations.
"The night came on apace and was
dark enough to suit our purpose. Thick
clouds covered the whole sky, and not
a star was visible. Under the protect
ing shadows we set off on our journey.
"Johnson's plan was to hunt the
swans by torchhght, so, to fulfil the pur-
pose, the boat was brought into requisi-
ton. This craft is what is properly
called a dugout. 1t was simply a pine
log rudely followed out by means of an
AK, and slightly rounded at the ends to
produce the canoe shape. Johnson had
made it himself the first season that we
had camped on the Agamicus, and by
this time it was both old and rickety, but
he declared it would first-rate.
"We had provided ourselves with a
quantity of dry knots of the pitch pine
tree, and had taken the frying-pa from
the camp When we had padded down
the stream a couple of miles we lighted
the pine knots in the frying pan, which
was placed at the bow of the dugout
Between the light and ourselves Johnson
had thoughtfully stretched segment of
birch bark as screen.
"The knots blazed up brightly, and,
being reflected from the concave and
blacRened surface of the bark, cast a
brilliant light over the semi-circle ahead
of us, we at the same time being hid in
utter darkness, by means of the birch
bark behind which we were ensconced.
johnson was an old hunter and
versed in all the arts of woodcraft. He
had heard that swans, instead of being
frightened by torchlight, only had their
curiosity excited by it, in the same man.
ner as deer and other animals. He had
never tried the experiment previously,
but it was not long before we hada prac-
teal illustration of the correctness of the
theory.
''Before we had arrived at the lake we
came upon flock of the fowls we were
In search of. Within the circle of our
light several white objects were observed
sitting motionless on the water. By
their long necks raised high above the
surface we knew that they we're trump
eters.
"They seemed to be perfectly amazed
at first, but when we got within about
eighty yards of them they began to move
about and close into one another, all the
time giving utterance to a strange sound
that resembled very much the whistle of
the fallow deer.
ct padded as noiselessly as possible,
but after a couple of yards j Johnson lifted
his hand as signal to stop. held my
paddles suspended motionless, and John
son leveled his double-barrel.
The report that followed was almost
deafening, and the shot was not futile
With loud trumpet notes half dozen
white objects rose into the air and flew
away, but left three Of their companions
behind them. Two of the swans were
floating down the current, and the third,
evidently wounded, was struggling along
the surface and beating the water into
foam with its broad wings
'We speedily bagged our game, both
dead and wounded, and saw that they
were large gander and two young ones.
''This was asuccessful beginning, and
we felt encouraged to proceed. Replen-
ishing our fire, we padded on into the
lake. Hardly half mile further along
we ran upon another group, and sue
ceeded In killing two more of the trum-
peters.
''It was getting to be exciting business.
and we might have continued till morn.
ing had it not been for an occurrence
that summary put an end to our sport.
81 was padding slowly along the
shore of the lake when Johnson noticed
a strange looking object in the water
moving in the same direction we were.
We had just sighted group of trumpet
ers, and this new conner seemed as intent
as we were In approaching it stealthly.
What it was we could not at first con.
!, lecture, for we could only see a large
) black snout gliding just above the sur
face.
, johnson expressed his great dis
pleasure against the interloper at once.
: who knows but what it's a bear.
20 ro44