Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1914-09-24

was growing TO De more alr,1 uIvre
part of the forest every day. When
ever needed anything | simply went
and hunted for it. 1t was always wait
ing for me somewhere
Even the mental side was losing it's
grip on me-
was. in truth, a primitive man.
had gone back from the land Of civil
cation to the forest of antiquity.
Sometimes We accomplish things be-
fore we realize it. The story of my
getting a deer is very much like this.
The incident happened just before
dark while | was walking along little
trail close to the shore of small pond.
Suddenly | heard noise in the wa
ter ahead of me. ! stopped still and
presently heard the noise again. Then
walked on toward the shore until
reached an old spruce tree, whose roots
were growing up on one side of the
trail OF course. any game going
through the water to drink had to
avoid these roots.
All around me was thicket o.
spruce and cedar. From where stood
could see quite an opening down to
ward the water First | noticed rip
pies on the water, and then a little
farther ont saw young spike horn
buck feeding ON the bottom grass.
When first saw him did not have
the slightest idea of catching him
The thought never entered my head.
/ knew that if the deer were fright
ened he would run in the opposite di
rection from the sound that startled
him. The wind was blowing from him
to me, so he could not get my scent.
picked up a piece of spruce root and
threw it out over the deer's back into
the water The animal threw up his
head. looked around in all directions
and then started out Of the water up
the trail toward me.
/ picked up a stone and threw this
out into the water, the second splash
starting him along farther toward the
root behind which was hiding.
Carefully judging the time and dis
lance, as soon as got opposite me
caught him by the forward feet, and
down he fell in the trail Then |
caught him by the horns, and, with
my weight on his back, got control
of him. / gave a quick twist and
broke his neck.
want to apologize for killing the
deer in that manner, but under the cir
cumstances it was the only way ! had,
needed the skin badly.
1t was so dark now decided not to
skin him that night. pulled the body
up little to one side of the trail and
left it there until morning.
Back at my camp that night stirred
up my banked fire and sat down to
think. | didn't give the deer much
thought I said to myself, Now I've
got another skin" 1t was a small
deer, but if | didn't waste too much
of the skin making mOccasins I would
have enough, with bearskin and deer
skin I had taken from the wildcats, to
cover myself completely.
The next day | went and got this
skin. Besides it took some meat and
all the sinew back to my camp Some
OF the meat ate. some | dried, and
some kept In the spring for several
days where it would be cold.
Then | started to work making my
wilderness suit of clothes. First |
made nay buckskin chaps. doubled
the skin and wound it around my thigh
to see if it would be big enough to go
around. found that it would, but
that it would not be quite long enough.
However. with the other deerskin l
could add pieces to lengthen Ii.
AFTER shaping the chaps I put the
skins on to a piece of wood and began
punching holes along the edge with
the sharp point OF a deer horn These
laced together with strips of rawhide.
made my moccasinS by first wet
ting the rawhide and putting my foot
on it to get the length. used two
pieces for each mOccasin, turning the
bottom piece up little and stitching
it to the top piece while it vas on my
foot. This raised the stitching above
the ground where it would not wear
out Wher the wet rawhide dried
they were a perfect fit
Whenever | wore the bearskin
slung it over my shoulder and held it
together in front with thongs
There was nothing wonderful about
killing that deer Many people have
seemed to marvel about that incident,
and some, not understanding the