The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-20

vista Of possibilities. and then having
decided he preached the subject to
Abraham Peter.
Now Of guides you meet there are
weird and curious kinds. First there ia
the out and out professional, some
woodsman possessing the essence OF
woodcraft, thrift, energy and push. There
Ia the farmer guide Of the casual happy
60 lucky type. He gets three square
meals. owns his own farm. sends his
kids to school and makes you doubt the
superiority Of the new tangled guns over
those Of the vintage Of ~.
Then there is the under guide Of the
same type. Such was Luke,
There are Of course many Of the shift
less type, whose wives support them
when they are not in Jail.
Finally, there's the Indian or halfbreed.
Tho great majority are quick to size
up the average foreigner from his
Ststson hat Il his Palmer shoepacks.
No more keen. more cunning brain
than theirs ever framed a corporation
charter or planned a political campaign;
but most Of them are good citizens.
and when your ~frankness or some other
qualification has onoe penetrated to their
inner character you will find much to
appreciate and cease to wonder why
some men never 60 West" You would
most ~assuredly had you known Luke
Bedding.
His life had not been a life Of ease.
From his earliest remembrance he had
toiled for his daily bread and the support
Of an ailing sister.
Year after year that sister managed to
drag through the hard winters, each
spring that rasping cough seemed no
better and the village doctor shook Iris
head and pondered long. There must
be a change Of air. he said. "It's too
damp up here"
When Luke heard this final verdict his
lips frightened and his brows met. For
the hundredth time he ran over his earthly
possessions and appraised their value.
Then one morning his. dust covered
Bangor was hitched to the gnawed post
in front OF Seth 'Wishart's store and he
followed it's buster draped owner through
the can decked and whip hung front store,
passed the rake rack in the e "a to the
dusty Office, where insurance calendars,
the glsring advertisements Of a plough
company and q murky green oolored safe
vouchsafed but the most meagre OF well
comes.
As Luke stood with heightened color
and thumb twisted felt hat he came
to the point. There was some pretence
OF an argument over the question Of
interest. then the iron door swung open,
a pen scratched, a pale clerk was sum
moned and Luke strobe out. no longer a
free man but with a cool $1,000 in his
round leather purse.
That was three short years ago, the
sister was almost we'll and the mortgage
fell due that December.
Somehow 1t seemed Us IL the fates were
against its payment. Luke's potatoes
rotted In tho ground. the rain fell in tor
-ents OF the freshly cut hay, a forest fire
destroyed she result OF a winters trap
ping in an hour. He had looked forward
to employment as a guide that fall, but
the tightness in the money market and the
Presidential election caused many sports
men to cancel their engagemehts-and
December was nov but three short months
away.
As Luke and Old Peter from time to
time billed kettle the former spoke Of
his troubles and Old Peter listened. Far
into the night would the old Indian sit
and think. and then one morning he
sounded his companion as to the exact
locality where the big moo had last
been seen that summer The old Indian
was unable to go on a calling trip. but
agreed to take a few days of on the first
on shares.
1t was about September is when Belding
with his meagre pack set out for the
string Of deadwaters lying between Shin
Creek and Hannaberry Bog.
Now the calling season in New Bruns-
wick lasts from about September 10 to
about October IS. You will find many to
dispute this statement, but the fact re-
mains that moose are called up and shot
on both dates mentioned.
During this interval there is a period
of about ten days, %fuctuating from year
to year. when the rutting season is at it's
height. 1t is then that a bull will answer
the challenge Of a rival. that is a big bull.
As a matter Of fact most OF the big bulls
have already mated, and it requires an ex-
pert caller TO bring a moos into the water.
though a moose will take to the water
more readily in New Brunswick than in
the sister province to the east. Even the
best callers at times fail. hence the use Of
the challenge grunt.
In the successful pursuit OF a really big
moose nothing "a be conceded to this
wary child OF the forest, though IL re-
ouires many hunters moons to instil
the truth in some minds.
A COW moose can readily interpret the
signs she encounters. Maybe along the
shore OF a lake every other alder will be
twisted till the white wood shows through
the bark. Here will be a hole dug in the
ground. Approaching from the lee the
nostrils will note a strong musk odor.
Maybe the bull has been paving and
sounding his challenge as the beaver cut
trails to the river. Maybe he has braced
himself with his forefeet and pounded
that hole with his hind quarters. At any
rate the signs are fresh.
There are the fresh tracks on the solid
mud OF the lakes bottom. 1t is here the
bull. for you can tell it Is a bull by the
rounded toe, has come to cool his feet
and the inside Of his hooks where
he carried his scent. Here he has come