Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-05-21
CUMMINGS, DEER HUNT.
It Begap In October, 1893, and the Dee1
Il Still TantaIlging Cummings.

Is still TantaliEing Cummings.
The porsistency Of Howard G. Cum
mings has no equal In Waldo county, Me.
He lives at the upper end Of Blanket lane.
a narrow, winding road that stops on q
knoll under two pine trees. Beyond this Is
half township Of unbrokon forest, into
which Cummings Is in the habit of going
for game.
Doer arc scarce in tho tract, but two
years ago last fall Cummings saw ono-a
great horned buck with black stripe
down his back-which was enough to BAN
ish sleep for week. The deer hunt start
cd in October, 1893, and ended ct the close
Of open season, Dec. 81, at which time the
deer was left hiding in tho woods of Unity,
away over on tho borders Of Kcnnebeo
county, some 80 miles from where he was
found. Cummings had hardly hung up
his gun and started to cut his winters
nrewood when no saw that striped buck
door back among tho olearlngs. AS It was
against the law to shoot deer he waited for
open timo to como around.
Meanwhile tho Maine legislature met
and amended the game laws so no deer
could be killed in Waldo county for ten
years. Cummings was so mad when he
read tho now law that he took an onth to
stny away from tho polls while the act
was in force. Then he concentrated his
endeavors toward getting the striped deer.
In order to kill the buck legally Cum
mings know no must do his shooting in
open time and outside Of the county. His
first duty was to drive the deer beyond the
county line. The drive was started In Oc-
tober, 1894, and before December the deer
was safely landed among the hills of Dix
mont Pcnobsoot county. Cummings
camped hore two weeks and saw the deer
three times. On two of these occasions the
buck was far beyond range, and the other
time ho came along when Cummings gun
was not loaded. The next year tho deer
was back In Prospect among his old haunts,
and Cummings drove the buck west in.
stead Of north. In November, 1895, he had
followed the deer clear through Waldo
county and felt himself sure of getting his
venison in Vassalboro, which Is In Kenne-
bec county, but tho deer circled going up
through Fairfield, Benton and thence into
Piscataquis county, where he got mixed
Mount Katahdin.
Cummings returned homo disguised and
nearly discouraged He had shot two deer
on his tramps which are all the law al
lows, but he had the striped deer still h
get. This spring when he was out gather.
ing sap milo back from his house he saw
the same old deer back In tho old place.
He went home and read that new law
carefully. 1t provided Emo Of $40 for ev-
cry deer killed in Waldo county during the
next ten years, but there was nothing said
about deer that com NIT suicide. Tho heart
Of Cummings grew stout with big re-
solve. flo was of on the doer's trail the
next day, driving him east toward the
! Fonobscot river. If be could forco the
deer into the river below Orphans island,
| the buck would DO overcome by cold before
| he could swim "a miles to the Orland
shore Tho deer hung around the river
| for nearly week, nibbling dead grass in
/ the fields and nosing tho seaweed on tho
| rocks.
BY and by, choosing q warm day whom
there was little wind. he plunged in AMI
! began to swim across. Cummings fol-
lowed close behind In borrowed boat, in.
tondng TO head him of and tucker him
out In tho water. Tho boat was on old
water soaked punt, and the deer proved to
b. an excellent swimmer, and In spite OF
Cummings hard pulling the gamo reached
the Orland beach ahead of him and started
for tho woods.
Cummings camo homo without saying
swear word and began to clean up his
gun. The deer Is ia Hancock county
with 1 miles of wator to cross before ho
can get back. When open time comes
around again, Cummings is going to get
that striped deer.-New York Sun.