The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-11

hearing. Their when the fire burned low
and the last pipe was smoked, all turned In
with a sigh or contentment.
This was a representative camp. Night
4 after night we found some beautiful island
or some glade on either bank where we
failed Us. For water pure. cold springs were
often found. and when these were wanting
we would seek the well at some farm
house or boil the river water for our coffee.
We soon learned to do very well without
drinking cold water and often would travel
through the hottest day with no beverage
except a cup Of lemonade at noon We had
a wholesome, though possibly excessive fear
or malaria and typhoid fever. and therefore
avoided using water except from unques-
For provisions we carried some canned
meats and fruits, and for the rest foraged
on the country The farm people treated
US well in spite of our appearance, which
speedily approached and passed the limit OF
disreputability, selling us chickens and
most reasonable prices. Our fly rods yielded
Us a fine bass now and then. while the rife
brought down not a few unfortunate squir-
rels and ducks. Altogether we lived on the
fat Of the land and when Hayes's joints
began to pain him he declared he could. not
be sure whether it was rheumatism or govt
that allied him. We all gained flesh.
TO ESCAPE MOSQUITOES.
Mosquitoes were troublesome at night,
and TO some of US their singing and sting
ing were intolerable. AT last the bright sug-
cNSNlOn was III NAaN We SACCR III q
No sooner said than done. A bed was laid
in the bottom with brush, or straw when
We could get 1t, and on this the canoeist
lay wrapped in his blankets, with a strip
of canvas laid over to prevent saturation
of the bedding by heavy dews. The expert
ment was a complete success. The noxious
insects would not come near us when we
were moored in midstream, and the only
drawback to complete enjoyment OF the sit
uation was the fact that the canoes were
crank, and 1t proved necessary TO wake
up whenever one desired to turn in bed, for
fear of capsiZing. This was a small mat
ter, however, and from that time we slept
in our boats every night, except when a
heavy rain drove us to the shelter OF the
tent.
sunday was passed quietly in camp. King
had made a serviceable hammock of can
vas, which proved a very comfortable place
for ~lounging and reading. and the rest or
the party made diligent use OF blankets and
other appliances. The news of our coming
must have been spread by some species of
telepathy, for visitors began TO come early
in the morning, and before night all the
boys for miles around had viewed US and
our belongings to their hearts content. One
~half-grown youth was made the victim OF
an innocent practical joke by Way. We
had a chicken to stew for dinner, and, not
knowing how long a time the process re-
CURED: Way asked the guileless young man;
Kings waterproof clothes-bag with. evident
interest. He didn't know. Couldn't you
go ana ask your mother Tor u.s.! asked
Way, as If it were the simplest and most
natural thing in the world. The boy said
nothing but soon disappeared. We had for
gotten him entirely when two or three
hours later he lounged into camp again,
and, having adjusted himself carefully to
a tree for support, drawled out, Mother
hours if it is tough" The roar of laughter
which greeted this report so startled the
youth tina he took to his heels and van
fshed before Way could fittingly express
his thanks. We saw him no more, but the
information he had brought us at the cost
OF a four-mile walk under the MONDAY sun.
with the mercury near 100 degrees, proved
accurate and helpful. The chicken was very
good, indeed, in spite of the fact that just
as Pap had finished cleaning it Hayes
emptied a pipe of burnt tobacco upon 1t,
thus requiring a second rinSing.
That same dinner underwent other viciS-
STUDIES. A batch of beans was set to boil
ing, and toward the middle of the after
noon King was left alone in camp with
special and emphatic instructions not to
let those beans boil dry. He promised the
greatest care, and retired to his hammock
with a book. An hour later. when the
others returned. they were greeted by an
odor indescribable. Are those beans burn
ing?" yelled Hayes, making toward the
fire with seven-foot strides. "Oh, no. re-
piled King. nonchalantly. 'at least not
side" (Which slider" fercely demanded
Hayes. as he jerked off the lid and glared
kettie~"Which side?' 1T must be the OUT
side. I guess was Kings soft answer,
which. while IL could not restore the beans,
did serve to turn away wrath and raise
a laugh.
The upper Tippecanoe, except for the log
jams already mentioned. and occasional
wire fences which threaten TO trip up the
unwary canoeist, is comparatively clear
sailing; but from Winamac down are met
many rock DAMS These were made by
early settlers, who carried or rolled stones
of all sizes into place and so constructed a
sort of rude dam entirely across the
stream. At low water these dams are ex-
DAnA1 - Ian hrf rho the - rn rfcnG
they are covered and their presence is re-
vealed only by the extraordinary rougn-
through them. They are found always on a
rifle where the current is swift and
strong. In each dam the builders left a
narrow gap through which fish going up
trapped or shot. 1t is a nice problem some
times for the canoeist to discover this gap
rocks. Approaching the dam rapidly from
above he sees the tumbling, seething water:
dashed into foam as it pours along, and
Germs a black triangle of swift. smooth
water, its apex down stream. II he can
strike this triangle bow on he will slip
through smoothly; IL not he is morally
sure to bump. may capsize and probably
viii stick between two rocks and swamp
his boat. We had several such experiences.
but I'm time learned to locate the gap al
most infallibly and glide through without
touching. This became a matter of pride
was most successful, and not fnfrequentiy
while one or more of US was stuck or
swamped, or had just touched a rock with
the bow and been forced to shoot the
rifle stern first because the current had
swept us around. he would be riding at
ease I'm the slack water a hundred yards be-
low, coolly watching US and shouting ironi-
cal encouragement and advice. He had an
advantage not possessed by the rest of the
party in that his legs were so long that he
could sit in the middle of his canoe with a
foot out on either side and walk" his boat
through the shallower rifles.
DISTRACTIONS NET WITH.
Besides these rock dams we encountered
five of more familiar construction-one each
at Bloomingsburg, Pulaski and Norway, and
two at Monticello. There is also a diminu-
tive dam a mile or so below Oswego, soon
after the river leaves the lake, where every
thing is On a %liuputian scale. The dam at
Bloomingsburg Is built of logs. and 1t is very
easy to lift the boats down over it. AT
Pulaski We portrayed" At Norway we
made our way around through the old mill
race. which since has been closed. Both of
the remaining dams are provided with FISH
ladders"-a sort of covered trough or sluice
a few feet wide, through which the water
pOurs down. and up which the fish are sup
posed to make their way to the upper river.
Down these inclined planes We slid our
canoes, making the passage in a few min
utes.
Many duckings and minor casualties be-
fell us, but nothing that promised serious
-A..Ie- 4ll $500 - e