The Republican journal., 1896-08-20
My Early RecolIections.


when it had burned down. leaving large
bed OF Goals, we wrapped ourselves in our
blankets and laying down with feet
towards the fire were soon sound asleep.
/ was awakened at four o clock the next
morning by the hoo, hoo, of belated
owl. gave an answering cry that arous-
ed my brothers, and although it was yet
quite dark we decided to get our break
fast and an early start, so while the boys
We're getting it ready went down to the
river and caught four more trout which
with the big one saved over from last night
made us a hearty meal We had for break
fast roast potatoes, broiled trout, hard
tack and coffee, and at five O'clock were
ready to start. We had now an estimated
distance of twenty-five miles with about
six miles against a current and sixteen of
still water OF the lakes. Ii all went we'll we
would be in camp by two o clock Before
starting my brother John got out his rifle,
thinking We might get shot at deer,
as they often come to the river in the early
morning to drink and nibble the lilypads.
Stationing himself in the forward part of
the canoe, with rifle in reach, and enjoin-
ing US to keep sharp lookout, we glded
swiftly and silently up the river. We had
proceeded in this manner for about an
hour when passing by the mouth of a
small inlet, we saw beautiful buck stand
ing in the brush near the edge of the
stream. Before had time to take in the
situation there was ringing report and a
dead buck Oh the river bank with bullet
through his brain. "There's our meat
Tor the next ten days, was the remark of
my eldest brother as we padded our boat
ashore, and he proceeded without further
comment to bleed and disembowel the
deer. l thought it was a good shot and
a remarkably quick one and looked more
than spoke my astonishment, which
brought laugh from each of my brothers.
why, sonny, says John, ''Rolfe (meaning
my eldest brothery would have hit him
with his eyes shut at that distance. But |
didn't get over my establishment until we
had gone a long distance up the river and
entered the quiet waters of the lake
Now, boys" says Rolfe, ''if you will keep
near the south shore l will take my rifle
and change places with John. / think we
ought to get moose to-day; if not we
shall certainly see one before we get to
the head of the lake, and we will be pre-
pared to give him warm reception"
We went on shore at ten O clock; rested an
hour and ate our dinner. We had seen
several deer, but too far away for safe
and certain shot, and my brothers seemed
much elated at the prospect of good hunt
ing. We were still about eight miles from
camp and good cunning all the way. ''But
We were not hunting yet" as one of my
brothers remarked, only we didn't pro-
pose TO run by any venison that might De
in our way.
The wind was now blowing strong up
the lake and we decided to utilize it; so
fastening one Of our blankets to couple
of poles stuck up in the bow of the
canoes. we We're soon sailing along in fine
style before the wind, only using our pad
dies to steer the boat. We proceeded in
this wa. for more than an hour, rapidly
nearing the head of the lake where one of
the camps was situated. We had failed
to sight the promised moose, but felt no
disappointment thereat. We soon sighted
The clearing an. back of it few rods
from the shore the camp located on a
gentle rise, from the front of which one
might get fine view of old Mount ka-
tahdin, We were soon at the landing, un-
Load our canoes and soon had our camp
in running order Even the bean hole be
side the bic fireplace was carefully in
specred and a fire kindled. We proposed
II heat up the oven. as Role express
ed II and have our beans cooking while
We slept, The deer was carefully dressed
and hung up in the store room, reserving
round from which to cut our dinner. 1t
proved rich and Juicy, and when dinner
was finished the boys remarked that to
make that deer hold out the specified
time we should have to make it into
soup, as but little but soup bones was
left OF the first quarter. While the older
boys We're procuring fresh boughs to re-
shingle the hunks l was set t. picking
over beans preparatory to utilizing the
bean hole. | made mp my mind then and
there that before left camp would cook
something beside beans in that hole that
would be even more toothsome though
had l given audible expression to my
ideas should have been laughed at. lit
may be that some of my readers will
hardly understand what is meant by re-
shingling the hunks, 1t is this: In place
ot mattress the bottom of the bunk is
hiled with fine boughs cut from cedar or
silver spruce. The boughs are set stems
down overlapping each other like the
shingles on the roof of building, and
when carefully arranged will make bed,
soft as the best, that will last for long
umeE The work of renewing the beds
being done, the beans parboiled and put
INTO large pot with closely fitting cover,
one OF the boys came in with the infor-
nation that he had found fresh signs of a
bear on the bog not far from the camp.
and proposed getting out the big traps
and try to catch him. This was en-
eoufaglng news to me; as | was to have a
special interest in the bear if we could
only get him into the trap. We had in
camp two bear traps with Jaws at least a
loot long which required the strength of
two men to set. These were got out and
the harslet OF the deer, together with
some fish, were taken along as bait Two
OF the boys were to set the traps, and they
decided that | might 60 with them We
tied the bait to rope and dragged it
after US in case any bears crossed the
trail they might smell the bait and so
follow it up to the traps. We went
about mile from the camp, following
the edge of the bog, until we found a
suitable place to set one of them, which
was against a bluff of ledge. We first cut
down tall spruce tree about ten inches
in diameter. This we cut into lengths
six feet long and carried to the ledge
where we made sort of pen, open at one