The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-16
au URsIuE FR0LIC.
BY JOHN II. ESTES.

Some years ago, at tune when numbering was more actively carried on in the Maine forests than it is now, it often happened that the Jogging crews" on coming to the end of their work in the spring, would have a considerable amount of provisions left over in their camps-say barrel or two of salt pork, flour, and a few bushels of beans. At that time of the year it would be difficult to remove these stores through soft snows, and accordingly they were usually left as a part of the next winters supplies, and the camp was fastened up as se- curely as possible to protect them.
 But hunters who had occasion to traverse the woods seldom hesitated to draw on these stores for whatever they fancied themselves to stand in need. Although, of course, this was, in strict view of the matter, simply theft, the custom was so common, and was so generally tolerated by the owners of the stores, that no one re- garded the taking of provisions as an offence.
 In October 1869, the writer, with a companion, was moose e-hunting about the head waters of the west branch of the Penobscot river. One day we came into clearing where there were three or four log camps, with evil dences of numbering operations the previous winter, and approached them in the hope of finding something for supper.
 Upon entering the "man camp" so called in distinction from the COX camp" we perceived that it had re- gently been broken into, and that everything inside it was turned topsy -turvy. There had evidently been supplies left over from the win ter stock, but these had been over hauled and scattered about. Beans, peas, knives, forks, spoons and tin plates lay strewn about upon the floor, while camp kettles, barrels and other articles were also tumbled down in corner.
 "Humph! Bears work !" exclaimed Ben, my companion, who was a some- what experienced hunter. "Look there, where they've gnawed clear through the head of that pork bar rel! That was barrel of pork that the cook never had opened; but them bears knew that there was pork in there, and they was bound to have 1t"
 He turned the barrel up on end. There was a hole in the head big enough for bear to get his snout in ; but though most of the brine had run out, they had not extracted great deal of the contents. Two or three half-eaten chunks of the pork lay about the floor.
 "This was done not longer ago than last night, or the night before" said Ben, land they'll be back again after more."
 "Not bad place, then, to get a shot at them," suggested.
 "I reckonl" replied Ben, looking about the camp. He took up an old warping line, and glancing again at the pork barrel, laughed outright. "I know trick that l saw tried once, and twas enough to make dog laughl A bears queer sort of a creeter. If you'll bear hand with me to fix things here, we'll have some fun seeing them perform with this barrel-if they come back tonight" !"
 We at once set at work, though had little idea what Ben was intend ing to do. The clearing was full of stumps three or four feet in height, and not far from the man camp stood a large, gnarled yellow birch, with widely projecting branches, which had been left standing when the other trees were felled.
 Ben rolled the pork barrel with the gnawed head out to this tree, and then with the warping line put q moose round the barrel just beloW5the large ashen hoops at the gnawed end. This done, he threw the other end of the line over one of the projecting limbs of the birch by the help of