The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-09

COPYRIGHT, 1907, BY William J. Long.
One afternoon Simmo and / ran our canoe
ashore at a grove OF btrches on one OF the
suuatuk lakes. in the New Brunswick
wilderness. 1t was a pretty spot and In
SANITY we decided to camp there. When
my little tent was up and Simmo's com
moosie built ! left him getting supper while
followed a game path that had been beck
oning me ever since we landed,
1t lei me first 70 q secluded bay full OF
lily pN;s where a lot OF big frogs seemed
to be camping, and / sat down to watch
them until dark. There were SCORES of
them, perfectly natural and unafraid,
for probably no other man had ever seen
them, or ever found the place.
Now a frog does not look particularly
interesting; he has a way OF sitting for
hours apparently doing absolutely moth
ing, and 8 you get easily d~iscoura Red
trying to get anything out OF him. Like
every other wild creature. however. he has
his points. and you have only to watch
him long enough and he will surely make
your eyes open. I stayed ten DAYS in that
camp. until Simmo grew rebellious, and
the chief OF many interests during that
IlllIC "oS luSb bCNNhlk oSluuulNVu WIN 'iV
frogs.
In the first place I found to my surprise
that Chigwooltz is a hunter and a gorlr-
mand. He likes a bonnie bovchfe as we'll
RS a fox. and his strong hold Is not sitting
st.lt ~ II seems. but following his game
FRI catching II.
Resides his regular diet Of flies. beetles
ard water grubs. which come to him easilv,
he goes hunting regularly after crawhsh,
young frogs and turtles. az occasional
sparrow or ducklinQ and fish Of everv kind.
II you have never happened to see him at
this big game hunting, the contents OF a
large bullfrog's stomach has as many sur
prises as a boys pocket,
7 used often to watch the frogs from the
shore or from my canoe at twilight. just
outside the lily pads a shoal of minnows
would begin playing, or small trout would
rise freely for the frst night insects. Then
IL you watched sharply YOU would see
cleaning points OF light, the ewes OF CHG
wooltz, stealing along with barely a ripple
to the edge OF the pads.
When a big trout came in to feed and drove
the minnows or small fry close In there
would be a sudden heavy plunge from the
shadow Of the pads. Then you would
hear ChiRwooltz splashinG IL his Ash were
a larger one than he expected.
That is whv small frogs get into a panic
il YOU take them outside the fringe OF lily
ids. Thew seem to know that hungry
tout feed in from the deeps and that big
f'Hgs. aware cannibals every me. watch
ort from the shadowy fringe Of water
p'ants.
II you drop a little frog in clear water he
VII shoot In as fast as his frightened legs
VII drive him. swimming first on top TO
avoid fish, diving deep as he reaches the
RAIDS to avoid his hungry relatives, and 40
f. to shallow water and thick stems. where
Ie can dodge about and the big frogs can
not follow.
An sorts and conditions OF frogs lived
in that little bay. There was one inquisi-
I've fellow who always came out OF the
rads and swan az near as he could get
rhenever I apneared on the shore. Another
would sit In his favorite snot, under a
stranded log. and let me come as close as
would: bat the ome I dangled a red
his fly in front Of him he would disappear
Ike a wink and not show himself again.
Another would follow the fly in a wild
J sngsroo dance over the lily RAIDS, going
round and round the canoe az II bewitched.
and would do his hest to climb in after the
bit Of color when I pulled it no slowly over
the bark. He afforded me so much good
fTn that I would not catch him, though
| always STOPPED to give him a dance
whenever I ven fishing for other frogs
iust like him.
Further along shore lived another, a
, arfaat enrn- ,, ill A.. 7 1z-ll xo,,u.
latch him, who ~strangled or drowned
two frogs as big as himself, to my certain
knowledge. And then one night when |
was trying to find my canoe. which / had
lost in the darkness, I came upon a frog
migration, dozens and dozens Of them, all
hopping briskly in the same direction.
They had left the water, driven by some
strange instinct. just like rats or squirrels,
and were going through the woods TO the
unknown destination.
The most curious bit Of their strange
life came out at night, when they were
fascinated by my light. | used sometimes
I, set a candle on a piece Of board for a
Host, and place II in the water close to
shore, where the ripples would set il dane
ing gently.
On the shore end Of the float ! would
fasten a screen Of birch bark and sit down
behind it in darkness. Presently two
points o light would begin 10 shine, then
10 scintillate, out among the lily pads; and
Chigwooltz would come stealing in, his
eyes growing bigger and brighter with
wonder.
He would place his forearms on the edge
81 the hoat and lift himself up. like a little
old man, and stare steadfastly at the light;
and there he would stay as long az | let
him, just staring and blinking,
Soon two other points Of light would
come stealing In from the other side. and
another frog would set his paws on the
float and stare hard across at the first
conner. And then two more shining points.
and two more, till twelve o. atteen frogs
we're gathered about my beacon, az thick
as they could find elbow room on the float.
all staring and blinking, like 90 many strange
water owls Dome up from the bottom TO
debate weighty things. with q little flicker
ing wil-o'-the-wisp In the midst OF them.
But never a word was spoken; the silence
was perfect.
sometimes one, more fascinated or more
curious than the others. would climb upon
the Goat. and put his nose solemnly into the