Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-15
WALK IN C0RBIN PARK
WHAT ONE MAY SEE IN THAT
BIG pREsEavE.
A Rainy Afternoon N the New Hamp-
shire Woods-Eqk, Deer and
Wild Bears.

Written for The Evening Star.
There was wild weather in this part of
New Hampshire yesterday afternoon. A
strong. gusty wind from the east tossed
the big trees until they seemed to be spin
ming. Kissed through the long grass which
fled over the ground before it. and dashed
occasional showers of singing rain into my
face. as I started northward through the
Corbin big game preserve. Dark rain clouds
were drifting across Croydon mountain and
speeding away to the west, and there was
every indication that we should get
heavy downpour before evening.
The frosty nights of the past two weeks
had wrought change in the appearance of
the landscape. The great stretches of ferns
were no longer green; some Of the fronds
were shriveled and black and others were in
beautiful shades Of yellow. red or brown.
The apple trees were brave sight, laden,
as they were. with their red or golden
fruH which dotted every twig and weighed
the outer branches to the ground. These
apples are not destined to be picked by
men, but not one of them will be wasted
for they are favorite food of buffalo and
boar, of elk and white-tailed deer. and of
many another smaller creature to whose
welfare we seldom give a thought
Soon l left the open country and entered
a spruce wood, where there was compare
tive shelter from the wind which sang
through the tree-tops, drowning all other
sounds. Now and then there came lull,
and then could be heard another, fainter
sound the steady tinking Of spruce needles
upon the floor of the forest, and upon the
dead and resonant twfgs which everywhere
projected from the trunks OF the trees. ana
speaking of these twigs reminds me OF a
beautiful experiment recently tried by
scientist whom 1 visited some weeks ago.
few days before he had had as his guest
ore of the great vtolinsts VINO, at ms
hosts request took his instrument out to
a lovely pine wood near the house. Here
he hid himself and played with an apan
don in keeping with his surroundings, ana
the strains of the violin were caught ana
taken up by myriad resonant twigs, unui
the woods were filled with strange, WHO
music such as his host had never heard. 1t
was the idea of poet. and Its possibilities
are infinite.
Animal Life.
All afternoon I walked sometimes in the
dense woods and sometimes In the open'
hut animal life seemed scarce. To be sure,
l saw a red squirrel who might have been
the owner of the entire reservation If one
could take his word for it.n
With the exception of a snow -shoe RAD
bit, which leaped across my path In the
woods and a flock of robins, which were
swept past Ike leaves before the strong
wind, l saw no other living creatures oii
my outward walk.
1t was nearly six o'clock and growing
dark when 1 turned toward home me
prospect of the homeward journey was q
pleasant one. There was a ten-mtle walk
and in the uncertain light and with the
sound of ones footsteps drowned by the
rushing of the wind, there was no telling
what one might have a chance to see. Inc
route l chose was not quite new one;
had been over it once with a guide morths
ago. by daylight, but much OF 1t looked
new enough in the cleaning.
For time the trail lay to the westward,
UP long grassy hill, theftop Of which was
outlined sharply on the sky Suddenly l
saw a picture Up oyer the ridge appeared
the head of a doe elk, black upon a gray
ground and Immediately, 1t was followed by
the body as the great beast STROBE along the
top of the hill Behind it came another,
and another, and .another, until six elk,
four does and two fawns, were marching In
Indian file, clearcut against the sky. Save
that it lacked the glowing color, 1t re-
minded me of the paintings, of somebody
who makes speciality of depicting camels,
marching across the desert. in silhouette
against the sunset. In a moment they got
my wind and the outlines of the black
figures changed, as the animals paused and
turned their noses toward me. Then, one
and all, they wheeled, and the whole band
were galloping down the far side of the
hill, while / ran as hard as l could to the
summit to get the last glimpse of them.
Then 1 saw that one of the fawns, was
lame and was limping far in the rear. What
lynx had struck, but missed his kill; posi-
bly, a stray bullet from some hunters rifle
had found him out. l. stroye to overtake
him, but, cripple as Yheg was. over ground
uprooted by boars and strewn with stones
and bushes, he soon left me far behind.
Now it began to rain. a cold, driving.
soaking rain, which not only penetrated
the clothing from without. but beating into
ones neck. ran down into ones boots in
tickling rivulets. Down in hollow saw
two deer in their brown winter coats, which
rendered them SO fnconSpicuouS that
should have passed them by had it not
been for their white-bordered tails which
they twitched nervousy. back and forth.
They saw me. but not well enough per-
haps. to satisfy their curiosity, for they
stood until 1 was very close, before they
moved. Even then they did not run away;
they simply made jump or two, and stood
staring as before. A rain-soaked khaki
suit is not conspicuous at any time and in
the gathering darkness these deer were
evidently puzzled by it. and they seemed
so curious that 1t looked as though should
have to drive them away. At last how
ever, when they were within thirty feet,
first one and then the other moved off but
reluctantly. as though they were not yet
satisfied that there was anything worth
running away from
Group of Wild Bears.
The next animals I saw were a group OF
wild boars roofing In an orchard, where
they had probably been attracted by the
fallen apples. The wind was blowing hard
toward me. so they could not get my scent,
and / was very near them before either of
us was aware of 1t. A grunt was the first
intimation l had of the presence of these
Wild pigs, but 1t was not the grunt which
indicates fear. and the boar which made it
went on with his roofing AS yet do not
know the habits of boars sufficiently well
to take liberties with them so 1 did not
venture to crowd this Old fellow, but waited
for him to make the first move. He turned
and saw me and then gave one loud grunt
which started every pig In the orchard on
its very best pace for the woods. Three of
them. including the one had first seen,
filed past close to me. and, dim as was the
light. could see that the third was an
albino. And l knew what his fate would
be the first time he met one of the guides
who have orders to shoot on sight every
pig which shows even a patch of white
The rest of the Journey lay chiefly
through dense woodland, and / felt rather
than saw my way. There was not a sound
to be heard except the roaring of the wind
IN the tree tops. and in the occasional lulls.
the splashing of water as It dripped from
the branches. But eventually 1 saw a cir
Gle or ilght which mSsisad the spot where
the tran left the woods and 1t served me as
a guide Before reaching the edge OF the
woods stopped to look back into the for
est. and when turned again I saw against
the light. and In a black frame the pieantic
ngure OF q stag elk with -, = eH~~