The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-12-28
From the Guides Standpoint.
BY HART L. MoopCoCK.

peaker, a NJ alne gulQe, CateS Dy name,
square, thick-set fellow in a gaudy
oackinaw frock, his trousers tucked into
tout wooden socks, incased in a pair of
l;p-shod moccasins, sat astride chair,
18th broad expanse of back exposed to
he comforting influence of a red hot
t0ye. A cloud of vapor fioated slowly
award from the heavy jacket; the man
.ss soaked. He had come in from
Ye-mile tramp through the dripping
orests, and fine young buck, which he
al toted into camp on his back, was
ing outside the cabin door, showing
at MS days hunting had not been with
ut substantial results.
some Of them make me weary" he
sisted, as with a skill born of long ex-
-u-uce and aided by generous chew
aack plug, he scored bulls eye on a
-5r-ho!e in the floor some eight or ten
way.
'Oa, yes but ah laker de money
re. replied little Frenchman, who
-. curled up with his back against the
lartition at the end of the deacon
H.
sue, the moneys all right" said
--zs. And they are, too, l suppose,
say, wouldn't it jar you some if one
mem fellers really and truly should
something?"
Yez, but da shoots laker hell some
-S, dose sports" insisted Lapoint.
Hg. shoot nothing" retorted the
.a r. They are all right at target
uebby a standing shot, but say,
much Of er chance would any of EN-
at er deer on the jump? and what
- me so mad is the nerve of EN-.
.u. I'll bet that dude | was out with
. is telling them sports up in the
raj cabin right now how he shot
.-st .pike-horn out there, and he'll tell
much that I'm darned if before long
{. won't believe it himself. But say!
Z Was a game sport all right. had to
-a Elm through them swamps at the
.a, # Hall pond and back by the Hun
--as,l chappins through all them old
-5- He was in all over some of the
~ but he come along like little
-. 1idn't zip once, and what do you
aE Kept his head all the time, pointed
--- Way nome dozen times, didn't go
wong once.
"Elmph he sure ought to have a
81. said a long, lean backwoods-
& % spraWled out on one of the hunks.
Most Of 'em can't tell up from down. ;"
sly, drawled Gates, as he slouched
md stuffed more wood into the stove,
a-is1 to all appearances was already
p ng overtime. Have any of you
heads been up around them old
ase fields lately? l never was so al
mad In my life. | went up yester-
gulding them New York fellers. The
ay-s was dry as finder and made such
3 Jacket | knowed it want no use tramp
Them through the woods any longer.
-r could hear a man a blamed sight
Ger than you could see deer. So
-7lsatsd the fields there with them
rs, spotting 'em around in likely
ares, thinking some of US might get
-l at deer if one should come in
before dark. 1t was good chance,
Is u can see where they have tramped
zuiar path around them old apple
--.s. 1t was warm and comfortable
.-h, So We sat there a long time
nJ ike and if anything was NOV
ar0ut we sure could hear it. Finally,
IL the north end of the big field |
rl one coming down through the
wood OF en- the ridge.
q Didn't see it, but believe me, it
@' have been a buster, Cor could
his big feet shuffiing through them
IS and his horns thumped against
branches. Then he stopped short
listened for long time and what
va think that old devil did next? He
ta!r=1 and cJrcled plum around that
fell. 0f course it wasn't long before
.a uu3ei one of US and then ne GER
my d put up holler, He stamped
It all foot of his couple of times
4 -t out a whistle like a locomotive.
settled it all right and we could
him crashing off through the woods.
Il -tampeded two more that was work
INTO the south and we could hear
-.-a going too. Confound him. that's
s=cond time he's snapped that trick
ae this fail, and you hear me, my
he won do that again. I'm going
e .gt some sort of a job on him or my
r- amt Gates. If can only get an
e.s N him once, you bet III make the
-a~ fly some. | amt going to have no
Ting Rufus rub it into me like that
ae time
Just then came the call for supper so
',. MEN slowly pulled themselves up and
-e. out of the cabin, leaving Gates to
rlcse his grievances while he scrubbed
~ the blood with which his arms and
rsa.s were smeared from cleaning the
--r. at sink in the corner.
nee the hunting season has opened
-l- hase Pond Camps in Bingham, Me. !,
-ste been crowded with sportsmen.
Nary mad come in September for the last
-" weeks fishing. Those, as usual,
lave yroved to be the best of the season,
AS result many splendid strings
rsre secured, big fellows. Both trout
salmon have risen freely to fly,
many of them weighing two and three
bounds each. When the hunting season
opened the hunters were equally success
- The first deer of the season to be
9ied down over the Somerset division
Of the Maine Central Railroad from
Bingham were sent from the Chase Pond
amps Consequently the guides have
---a kept on the jump for the past
month. Especially SO as conditions for
mnJng had been simply perfect. Then
came work of the very hardest and most
Hll0g kind.
BY now all the leaves were off the
Ices and dry spell had set them rust
lnder foot, and the twigs snapped
glass, making it almost impossible
one onto game Of any kind. So it
Vas ramp, tramp all the day from sun
f 10 sunset with but little to show fol
The sportsmen were becoming dis
11@Ged and grumbled at the guides,
a, realizing, evidently, that they were
!. long all in their power to secure game.
Gates was a good-natured chap as g