Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04

just refuses to be target for either shot, shell
or hurtling arrows Hence If all the bears are
slumbering in their dens when the hunters
call there just isn't any hunting that day-Or
night.
THE tempered bar hunters cruise the Dismal
Swamp in rowboats or canoes as well as on
foot seeking for bear tracks and trails. Always
working against the wind as was noted prev
iously so that bruin will not gain any scent
signal Of their coming and quest. The Potomac
Archers then continued on the George WASH
ingtcn Highway to Deep Creek. Va, motored to
Portsmouth and thence padded in a canvas
canoe to the Dismal Swamp. This canoe Is
owned by Mr.. Moffet, who made it in his base.
ment workshop last Winter. The canoe weighs
but so pounds, collapses into portable bundle
nine by nine inches and six feet long yeteas
strong enough to provide satisfactory trans~
portation for four adults when launched into
the water. 1t is particularly eficient for use
in the Dismal Swamp water, which are replete
in many snags that might damage an ordinary
factory canoe seriously.
Hunting conditions due to the drought are
unusually discouraging this Winter in the
Dismal Swamp It is very difficult for hunters
to determine the age or freshness Of the bear
trails which they find This complicated the
search of the Washington bowmen after they
padded across Lake Drummond and began to
reconnoiter the neighboring canals and the
largest body of water Of its kind In the Old
Dominion, covering an area of approximately
20 square miles. Curious to say although the
water in this lake is almost as black as ink and
favored with sulphur it is suitable for human
consumption. In this respect 1t resembles the
water in the Florida Everglades which is called
"sweet water by the remnant Seminole Indians
Of that region.
The first day in the Dismal Swamp this FAN
the Washington archers studied trails. search-
ing for the approximate whereabouts of bruin
and the most strategic or key points for noe
turnal vigil. 1t is tresome work this business
OF padding a canoe all day when you are not
accus toned to it. BY o'clock in the afters
noon the bowmen decided it was time to estab--
lish themselves ashore in the most commanding
positions on the freshest bear trail that they
could find. Which they did. Visualize if 49,
can what the reed-crowned Jungle Of the
Dismal Swamp looks like as the sun sinks
toward the horizon. The tinge and tingle Of
frosty night making the comfort OF warm
clothing and heavy blankets attractive
Consuming couple Of snacks of cold food,
Moffet and Sisler settled themselves as com.
fortably as they could near the trail nestled
away. so to say, in natural blind such as
might have been used by seasoned duck hunt-
ers. Both knew that the watch might span the
period from sunset until sunrise. And that It
might be both fruitless and futile. But, not
withstanding they decided that watchful watt
each other at one-haf hour intervals througf-
out the night, one to play lookout while the
other rested This they did. The man in the
moon co-operated to the extent of illuminating
the wilderness with the subdued somber Mght
of dank and chilly evening.
Nothing other than the customary siIence Of
the swamp and woodland relieved the monotony
OF the vigil. The archets were keyed to tense-
ness in anticipation of the sudden appearance
of bear at any time. During the early eve.
ming they heard one bear some distance away,
but something frightened the animal so that he
steered course in the opposite direction At
$3.50 Moffet began the last watch as the bow
men after nearly five hours of waiting had
about determined that the bear wouldn't be
on the air" that night. About 10 when they
were preparing to return to camp they heards a.
noise indicative that something was astir M
the adjacent Jungle Whatever was responsible
for the noise was approaching the hiding place
of the archers.
"Be sure it isn't man before you shoot~
Moffet whispered to Sisler as with bows half
drawn the hunters awaited call to action I'VE
dol want to kill anybody away out here in
the iwamp."
As unexpected as the first sound of his COM
ing mad reached their ears, a big bear suddenly
appeared on the trail within easy range of the
hidde1 and excited archers More rapidly than
your correspondent can write what happened