The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-12-15
THE MOOSE CALL.
THARr L. WoopcocK IN MAINE WooDs.]

TART L. WOODCOCk IN mAANI "ooDS'1
It,was the harvest moon, hi and glow
ing, and the pines, trunk and branch,
drew beautiful and fantastic traceries
across it as # stole silently up into sight
from amid the tangle of spruce and hem
lock along the shore and sent glorious
pathway across the dark waters of the
lake. -, :,
p Have YOU ever experienced 1.-THE
grand solitude of night in the woods?
The stiffness is appalling. inspiring. The
GOODNESS settles down about you delic-
iously. The air is damp and heavy, rich
with the fragrance of the woods. All
sound is in perfect harmony with the
softly heard and distant,
as if in fear of harshly disturbing the
sacred silence of the night. Have you
ever experienced condition like this?
Have you ever been upon lake deep in
the Maine woods in the hours of silence
and darkness? An inland lake? By this
/ mean place, maybe, nestled lovingly
amid the hills, deep in the wilderness.
Not in the country where you get
flashes of light from farm house win
dows, hear the tinkle Of bells on the
cattle as they slowly plod homeward
through the cleaning, hear the barking
of dogs and the calls of men, but lake
way, way back, amid the protecting re-
Elections of overhanging mountains,
where you drift, drift, drift over the
black, silky waters, and the only sounds
heard are those of nature in her wild and
natural state. Where the forest, dark
and solemn, fearsome, almost, in its 81
lence, comes sweeping down to the wat
er's edge with the grand bulk of the
mountains towering above.
Now your canoe glides through a
growth of reeds, and they give soft,
swishing sound as they rub along the
sides OF the canvas boat.
-intenty you listen-way off in
the gloom and darkness Of the forest
you hear a sharp gushing whistle-it is
repeated. You have startled big buck
and he is sounding his alarm. By nature
he is curious, so possibly is now tremb-
lingly watching you glide by. The fall
of paddle or movement may send him
in alarm crashing through the under
Now the lily pads are caressing the
side of the boat with soft and gentle
touch.
Again you listen - ho-hoo- wa ho-o-o
o-ho-h-o-o- -ho-o-oo! 1t is big gray
owl. You hear him but family over back
in the high land, but he is coming nearer
now, and soon his dismal call sounds out
answer and he calls in return, repeating
and you paddle on.
The stars shine peacefully above and
their reflections rock and waver over the
limpid surface to your very hands as you
drag them idly through the cool water.
And the air, oh! such air, can its equal
be found elsewhere on earth? So cool,
bracing and fragrant, scented as it is
with spruce and balsam.
1t is grand experience, certainly, of
which it seems one can never tire. At
least so thought the inmates of a large
canoe which was slowly making it's way
through the night over beautiful little
lake lying deep in the wood close under
Moxie. Saturated with the beauty of it
all, they padded on-God's own country
Gods own it surely was, and they fully
realized it.
LISTEN" said Wescott, rising and
shading his eyes with his hand to secure
a clearer view of the distant Shore
'There goes another" he cried, as
mighty splashing sounded ahead under
the bank and a deer went snorting and
plunging out of the water into the woods.
"GeeH' he exclaimed, "But they have
put them in thick in this side of the pond
What do you say, Bill, to coming over
here in the morning? This chance GER
tainly looks good to me-
"Sure thing" replied his companion,
"But give you this tip, we must be in
here by daybreak; they will be feeding
along here them
"What do you say, grille, want to come
too?" Wescott added, addressing young
sitting in the center of the canoe.
Nov hear that man talk" laughed
The girl. 1.-The idea! Of course, | do,
but l think l see you giving me the
"Why?"
g Too, many skirts in the way-too
slow, you will say when the time comes.
1t will be in camp a-getting breakfast
for me, l guess
A week before the party had packed
INTO this region and appropriated some
abandoned numbering camps near the
axe and, being most comfortably located
therein, were having the time of their
young lives, doing their cooking and de-
pending largely upon their skill as hunt
ers and fishermen for the wherewithal to
eat. They were all good sportsmen.
Even Mrs. Wescott was crack shot
With the rifle, an accomplishment of
which she was duly proud.
Owing to the extremely dry weather,
t was hard hunting, and until now they
lad met with poor success. In fact, the
securing of but one small doe had so far
'ewarded their efforts. The ground was
;hickly covered with fallen leaves and
wigs, which rustled and snapped under
;oot, making it almost impossible to steal
INTO deer. There was game enough
about. Absolutely fresh signs were to
,e seen at almost every step, and to Sc
cure it they needed only damp weather
10 soften things up bit, and so stop the
noise. \
'1t is like hunting with drum corps
grumbled Bill, "And any
ieer in its senses would never think of
blowing a hunter within shooting dis
ance."
Nevertheless, the men kept on going
Ill the time, coming in each night tired,
| little cross and good deal hungry,
always telling discouraging tales of
jumping deer, giving them but fleeting
glimpse of the white flag as they disap-
oeared. And to make a bad matter
worse, the doe was almost gone, and
hey needed more meat badly.
ooh, for some rain,' they grumbled.
"Oh, for some rain," laughed the wo-
nan, 'If that would keep you better
,atured.' Rut the nerfect evening in