The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1880-10-02

would not r1llnquish the sport until
after one more trial. He announced his
intention to try them that very night
ana L want you, Colby, he said. adj
dressing me, to go with me. | mean to
nave trumpeter yet
eXpressedmy Willingness to accom-
Paiy INN, and, though our companies
persisted Ill laughing at us, we proceed.
ca I'd 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
lug shadows we set of on our journey.
"Johnson's plan was to hunt the
swans by torchlIght, so, to fulfil the pur-
pose, the boat was brought into rcquisi-
ton. This craft is what is properly
called dugout. 1t was simply pine
log rudely followed out by means of an
AK, and slightly rounded ut 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 ricketv, but
he declared ii would first-ratc.
We had provided ourselves with II
quantity OF dry knots of the pitch-piue
tree, and had taken the fryiug-pan from
the camp. When we had padded down
the stream Il 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 q segment of
birch bark as Il screen.
The knots blaZed up brightly, and,
bplp,r rltl,pt.I from tho pnpaayn anI
blackencd surface Of the bark, cast a
brilliant light over the semi-circle ahead
of lis, We ut the same time being hid in
utter darkness, by means OF tie birch
bark behind which we were ensconced.
johnson was an old hunter and
ycrscd 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. lie had
never tried the experiment previously,
but 1t was not long before We hada prac-
teal illustration of the correctness of the
theory.
=" Before we had arrived ut the lake we
came upon a flock of the fowls we were
in search Of Within the circle Of our
light several white objects were observed
sitting motionle6s on the water. BY
Their long nccks raised high above the
surface we knew that they were trump
Ctcrs.
"They seemed to be perfectly amazed
ut 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 uttcrauce to strange sound
IL
the fallow deer.
4 padded as noisclcssly as possible,
but after a couple of yards Johnson lifted
his hand as Il signal to stop. | held my
paddles suspended mOtionlcss, and John
son IevcIed his doUble-barrel.
The report tIrat followed was almost
dclfcning. and the shot was not futile
With loud trumpet notes half a 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 hagged our game, both
dead and wounded, and saw that they
werc It large gmd"rand two young ones.
This WAS a5uccessful beginning, and
we felt encouraged to proceed Replen-
isting our fire, We padded on into the
lake. Hardly bali mile further along
We ran upon another group, and sue
ctodcd IN killing two more Of the trum-
peters
"It was "ctting tobe exciting business,
and VIC might have continued till morn
ing had il not been for an occurrence
that 1ummarlly put an end to our sport.
: was padding slowly along the
shore of the lake when Johnson noticed
a strange looking object III the water
moving il the same direction we were.
We had lusi sighted a group of trumpet
crS, and this now conner seemed rs intent
rs We We're iii approaching il stcalthlv.
What it was we could not ut first con
lecture. for We could only see n large
black snoHj gliding just above the SUI
face
johnson expressed his great dis
pleasure against the inteIloper ut once.
- Who knows but what it's bear.
like ourselves after swan meat ? I've
known the tarnal critters to do such
things. Darn bis hide, hen brighten the
fowl before we car shoot.
But whatever it was, my friends fear
was not realized, and we added another
large bird 10 orr game. johnson was
Just pulling the dead trumpetcr aboard
when something struck the boat and
nearly upset us.
= Trnation, what's that 2 exclaimed
my companion: and the next moment he
continued. by George, Colby its a
bear, and he's climbing into the boat
The following instant the bow rose
up into the AR, and a number OF the
burning pine knots fell back into the
bottom Of tie dugout They still con
tInued To blaze, and their hight falling
toward the stern. revealed the peril we
were In. A large black bear had seized
hold of the ducout, and his fierce head
and claws We're visible over the edge.
"Whatever may be said to the con-
trarv, iI's3tS HHtCyican,lS will not hest
tate To attack a man when urged on by
hunger. BuHn was desperate now. He
had been robbed of his swan, and now
he evidently had made up his mind to
see how human flesh would taste.
"Ow little craft danced upon the
water and seemed likely any moment to
turn keel upward, but the bear showed
no intention Of relaxing his hold; on the
contrary, ne appeared every moment
mounting higher into the canoe.
Give him swan, said | to John
SON: perhaps he will leave us then.
"'Darncd if | VIII; he's got no man
ucrs and / viii show him none. Take
that, Ne old villain.
u saw johnson club his gun, hut as