River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-10-13
A Days Sport in the Adirondacks.

1t is the morning of a hunting-day.
The guides are up and stirring before
it is fairly light, and the sun has not
risen above the tree-tops when Reub's
bald head appears between the tent
flaps, and he reminds us of our solemn
promise to make an early start. The
air is eager and nipning, and we hurry
to get dressed, putting on an extra coat,
and sitting down with little shiver to
breakfast of steaming coffee and ven
ison steak and potatoes. Steve is al
ready starting into the woods with the
hounds. He fastens their chains to his
belt, and sets off with long, swinging
stride, following no path, but making
for certain ridge far back in the for
est, where he hopes to find stag or
two not yet awakened from their morn
ing nap. 1t will be hard tramp, through
swamps and thickets, jungles of under
brush and tangles of fallen wood, with
the dogs pulling aud Juggling at his
belt, and nosing the ground impatient
ly for scent. After an hour or two, if
he finds fresh track, he will let one of
them loose, and then go on to start
second, and, if he can, a third. The
dogs are noble creatures, two of them
thorough hounds with long hanging
ears, and The other a rough Scotch dog,
with the keenness and pertinacity that
belong to his race. They will follow the
track with untiri ng yigor, crawling
through the densest slash of burned
and fallen timber. rushing along the
more open hardwood ridges, threading
the tangled alder thickets, dashing
through marshes, swimming narrow
streams, until at last the deer crosses
some runway where hunter stands,
or takes some larger water, and is cap
tured or escapes. Then, if there be no
one there to take the dog in, he turns
and follows his track back until he
comes to the camp and creeps in, wet
and hungry and tired, to lie down by
the fire and wait for his master to feed
him.
In the meantime we have finished
our preparations and are pushing out
in our boats to take possession of our
watch grounds. The light mist of the
morning is curling up in fantastic
shapes from the water, and the air is
yet unwarmed by the sun, as we turn
away each to his appointed station
one on little pond some three miles
up winding stream, another on an
island, at the head of the lake, another
down at Red Island, and Peter alone,
for he is a ready oarsman, has charge
of the island in front of the camp. 1t
is tiresome work watching alone. for
your eyes must be strained to catch
the first sight of the deer as he enters
the water or moves, visible only as q
black spot, across the surface. Fancy
often plays you tricks, so that a floating
piece of wood, or a loon swimming
across some distant bay, seems to be a
deer's head, and you set out in pursuit,
and almost break your back, until you
discover your mistake.
But if you have a good guide with
you, you may leave the larger part of
the watching to his sharp eyes, and, find
ing a shady place, amuse yourself with
q book, or watch the ants crawling
through the grass forest, or lie and
dream, letting your thoughts wander
lazily along the curving shores and
among the drifting clouds Presently
there comes a faint sound, very differ
ent from those constant noises of the
woods and waters TO which you have
been listening. Reub straightens him
self on the projecting limb OF The dead
pine where he is sitting. Hank A
faint mellow note eff a hounds voice
coming over the trees. 1t is Jack. He
is running. Now the chase is coming
toward us. You can near the sharp
ringing bark distinctly. How eagerly
he runs There is a moments silence.
He is puzzled, or is struggling with
some difficulty. Now the CRY rings out
again in quick, clear notes. The wind
sweeps it away, and then brings it back
with new power. 1t grows fainter and
fainter. He is passing around some
Hill or ridge in the forest. He is turn
ing away. No, here he comes again.
clearer and louder than ever He is
making for the lake. But what Is this
The music ceases. Then it begins more
slowly. The deer has made turn, ard
is swinging away for Stony pond. Jack
follows him, and his voice grows fainter,