Part 3

The next autumn came and we were in fine spirits. We all came back to our old camps on the North Platte. The weather was lovely The cottonwood leaves were turning brown and in the height of my glory I roped out my favorite horse saddled up and started for the Lormie Mountains. I was hungry for deer, and plenty of them roamed in that vacinity. As I was riding allong the foot hills my horse suddenly shyed off as if scared; i gathered up in the saddle and peeked over some sage brush and behold there was Old Ephraim in the form of a monster silver tip. The old elephant arose on his feet as big as Goliah and roared out his challenge to me. I drew aim hastily and fired a five hundred grain ball through his chest. this was just an eye-opener for his class. My horse at the crack of the gun leaped and fled down the hill in spite of all my protest; you should have seen the horse put distance between us and the bear. I finally got the horse stopped I dismounted and hurried back to the scene. The bear had followed us quite a ways and was under a cottonwood licking his wound He did not see me till I fired so I had a good chance to pick my spot and I sent another ball one journey crashing through his shoulders; this brought him to the ground helpless; and I approached and finished up his hash.

There are four distinct species of Grizzlies. And are more or less sprinkled throughout The rocky mountains in Mexico, U.S. and British Columbia. The Silver tipp. Bald face, The great Grizzly and the Kodiak Grizzly. The silver tipp scarcely ever has more than one cub and lives on roots and grass, when he cannot get meat. The great Grizzley loves colts and sheep, they cannot get a deer for the reason that they smell so fowl that a deer can smell them too far. The bald face is much like a great Grizzley only smaller and more alert. The Kodiak Grizzly, lives further north than any of the rest and is at least as big and twice as agressive as the other kind. They inhabit the wilderness from B.C. To Gnome Alaska. All of these bear are bold and genuine bluffers. they never snoop. they depend upon their size and name to carry them through. seldom do hunters kill them untill they have emptied tha last load.

I then went back to my horse--or; to where I left him; but he had given me the French leave--I had tied him;--as Cow-punchers say--"To the ground." And he had taken advantage of his liberty, and ran into camp ten miles away. I had on high heel boots; and they walk bad--considerable worse than they look,--so the road was a long one.

After while we broke camp and went up the medicine bow river; to the North Platte; and here set our traps. Now we have what we call the low-lines--and the high-lines. The lowlines we set on low wet soil for water animals. To give you an idea how much work is implied in setting such a mass of traps as we carried I will describe a bout how far apart we had learned to set traps. Where rat are thick one hundred might be set in a single mile. Where mink are thick not over sixteen should be set per mile. Where coon are thick about twenty per mile. Where beaver are thick about forty per mile and where otter are thick about ten traps per mile. The Muskrat--is the most interesting of all animals that live in water. The beaver Black, Blue, Brown, White, Gray not excepted.

The Rat lives on flags and water mussels. He never kills small ducks as has been stated by some folks who never saw one. The Rat builds his house out of rushes from five to six feet broad sometimes much broader, and about three feet high. About a dozen rats live in a house. Their bed is from two six inches from the surface. They have feeding rooms in the house, and feed on the walls of the rooms, eventually eating the house up which is often the case in cold climates. They also have a bank hole in addition to the house hole. When frightened they go to the bank hole. They also have air holes covered very cunningly two or three inches deep on the way to the bank and water. These air-holes are overlaid loosely with flags and other light materials.

In this we began to be very successful trappers. Lewis and Clarke were successful because first we spared no labor nor hardships; to set traps or find a favorable location; secondly because we bought the best guns and traps in the U.S. Thirdly because we put our money and time all back in the business; and fourthly because we had had the best kind of training in all kinds of common furs. I had been well educated for my profession. My teachers were such men as Frank Johnson who was the best bear trapper in the country. Charley Mackintosh the noted beaver trapper of the States. William S. Walker who no doubt was the best trapper in any country. he specialized on Bear, Lynx, Marten and Mountain Lion. Henry Grey was a specialist on Marten he taught me the art of taking that shy game. And this Same Henry Grey was great a mixer of Compounds; Joe Whitecup schooled me in Mink except his bait. Shopnegon taught me the crafts of Camping and sleeping without catching cold, how to travel without a compass by the stars; and when it was dark and cloudy how to keep from circling around. he taught me how to skin all kinds of game, and how to make sinew for thred, and awls to sew with and explained roots for indigestion; and leaves for constipation. Long Knife taught me how to trap skunks, and weasels, and above all he put me next to rat so I never need ask any other man the nature of that animal. Chief Broken Bow taught me to walk, shoot, and run, how to exercise and how to get allong with Indians. How to know when I was in danger, and above all how to keep cool which is the greatest lesson any man or indian ever learned, either in the woods, on the plains, over the sea; or in the busy cities. This lesson has saved my life scores of times. I have often wished that Chief Broken-Bow could have had some successor to continue this teaching, for all the world suffers and even those who have been to school and college come forth polished as a lizzard--but the first wave of unexpected excitement, or adverse passion completely distroys them.

I have used the word compound; And I know of no better place to explain myself than in this chapter. Compounds are scents of various kinds. Or more commonly known as Baits. It is used to kill the scent of your traps, and to offset human scent. Baits are more profitably used to draw animals to traps than they are to kill the scent of the traps. Good Baits always serve the double purpose. While the trap without bait, arouses the animal's suspicion and makes it cautious, The trap with the bait arouses the animal's passion and draws it to the trap. Certain odors causes the male to think that a female has frequented the place, and he gets careless and is caught. This is also true with females, and is true with all species.

Animals like human beings like to appear well. They will instinctively follow certain trails, go certain places at certain times; and the trapper who learns what is appealing to an animal is sure of success. The old trappers had to manufacture their own compounds.

They got their meager supply from the wombs, testicles and musk-bags of animals. but they experienced great difficulty in mixing it to bait the several kinds of animals. For a trapper today to try to extract his bait from the animal would be sheer folly. only the unsuccessful ever resort to such a process. Let every man who catches fur bearing animals for a living learn among the earliest lessons, that he must resort to some kind of bait; else he will fare slim. I have never known one identical specialist in any phase of trapping who did not use baits, and the fellow who comes to this imperative, soonest is safe.

I have many friends who deal in baits. And I know that they would like to have me favor them by speaking about, and recommending their commodity; but I am exhibiting for the education of the public, and not for the benefit of dealers; hence I shall refrain from recommending anything that has the least degree of sham about it. I am writing this book to sell, and that on merits and information, so I feel it my duty to fill it with facts, and useful information, So regardless of personal friendships, without fear or favor I shall give the public the benefit.

I have used many kinds of baits, and on many occasions, but after years of testing, and a dozen of different mixtures, I can recommend but one Animal Bait--and that is Manufactured by Funsten Bros, and Co, In their large Fur House at St. Louis Mo. It is also sold exclusively by them. Not as a money maker but to aid their many trappers to succeed; because their success depends upon the trapper.

This compound is the best mixed because Funsten Bros & Co, secured every recipe from old and experienced trappers, paying a large price for each kind. so it was not manufactured by them as they are not trappers but dealers, To go well prepared is to be supplied with excellent baits, and if you have Funsten Animal Baits you have the best.

I have charged you to go well supplied, I should also add that in order to do this Traps should also be considered.--I have suffered severe losses because I secured poor traps, Buy the New House Victor or Jump Traps, advertised in Funsten Bros. & Co Catalogue No. 10 or 11. As these men have the exclusive sale of them, it is enough to warrant their quality. Funsten Bros. & Co at St. Louis Mo. Have the largest Fur House in the world, and in order to be the largest they had to prove to be the best. In all my dealing with them I have been courteously treated, honestly classified, and promptly paid.

It is with pleasure I recommend this house which is an honor to Furriers in America.

Well to return to my narrative,--this was the most excitable and profitable winter we had ever known, we sold our furs after we broke camp and took a very extensive vacation.

The Roving Trapper

I came to a turning point in my career--I was to Travel and specialize: as a roving trapper. Only experts can catch a special kind of fur and make it profitable.

I discharged all my old time laborers; and With The Coyote Kidd set out after Mink--There are three or four distinct species of mink but the Dark are by far the most valuable, these inhabit the colder regions, they are worth between six dolars and fifteen per skin, according to the shade and size. The mink is a keen observer, he lives on meat and eggs, being somewhat like a weasel, also loving blood. The mink is used for collarettes, boas, and ladies coats. A boa made from black water mink is worth about 50 dollars, a collarette about $100,00 and a coat reaching down to the hips would cost about $250,00. We took our way to the old rendavous near the sweet water mountains. While hunting one day I shot a Black tail deer. I was skining him for meat and was very hungry, I heard a limb crack, turned around; and behold a large grizzly was coming after my meat; or myself. I thought best to push the deer forward to him, so I made a rather hasty retreat: and old bruin stopped when he struck the deer. My gun was uncomfortablly near the dead dear, and the live bear, so I had to go home disarmed.

This was a great grizzly, and he was great. I supposed he would tip the scales at about 1,200 lbs. although some have been caught that weighed 2,250, lbs. these great bears live in the rocky mountains from Wyoming to Mexico. Their favorite meat is colts, deer and sheep. Their nails are often found seven inches long, their fur is best in Feb. and March. valued at about 35, dollars apice. their pelts are used for rugs, robes and overcoats.

We trapped from the Sweetwater to the Atlantic peaks, then westward across Horse creek, to the Colorado desert. then up to Salmon river. We followed salmon river through the seven devil mountains and left our horses at the XL, ranch and started for the Indian war.

Now we were told by a trapper that there was a bad war on in Montana So we intended to go--for we loved an excuse to hunt the cunning game--Indians. But when we reached Mont. the war was in British Columbia. So we sailed up into the cold region and settled at Silver Creek Canada. We began about October the first setting our traps on spruce river. The Tahoo and Blackfeet indians inhabit these parts, they are a very jealous class of indians. owing to the great number of half-breeds. the half breed indian is the smartest, most troublesome of all indians. they ordered us off their grounds but I had been ordered off hunting and trapping grounds so many times by indians that I payed no more attention to their threats than I did to mosquito bites. So they got mad, bristled up, surrounded our camps one night,--well we got away--that is more than some of them did. Moving down the river and overland about one hundred and seventy miles we camped on the Blackwater river about fifty miles from the telegraph range. here I had my first experiences with Work Dogs. we ran out of grub about the tenth of March, and lived the rest of the winter on Big-horn and Moose. We next moved to Mt. Norris Idaho and after trapping there a few weeks we sold out and began to prepare for our long contemplated trip to the Amazon river South America. We sailed from Frisco in July For Brazil Via Cape horn. We landed seventeen days later in the good port Para, and from there reshipped for Obidos and from there fitted out for a new experience. It would be foolish to try to explain the real customs and traits of animals after only having forty days experience for that covers our trapping and hunting in South America. I did learn considerable about that much discussed animal Monkey. I was taught by a native how to trap him, the simple remedy I'll give my reader without any extra cost, although I gave a mexican hat for that recipe. To catch a monky take a ripe cocoa-nut dig out the three eyes and the meat Fill up the unbroken shell with almost any kind of edibles; then tie a cord through the two holes and tie the nut fast to a tree or a stake. The monk sees the nut puts his hand in the tight hole gets a handful of food shuts up his hand this forms a lump so big that it cannot be drawn back, the monk could at any time get away by simply letting go the food, but he never will, and hence is easily taken prisoner--how like man is the monky.

I cut my stay short one day when I came nearly having to shoot the pass of a mammoth Boa constrictor--I concluded I was a fair trapper a common hunter, but no snake charmer--I enjoyed the fruits and foliage of that summer land, but was glad to get back to Galveston, Texas.

Back Among the Rockies

After we arrived from South America we planned on trapping one winter for Bob-cat Civit Cat and Mountain Lion. Providing no catastrophes happened bigger than a cat. We trapped the Arkansa, Big Sandy, Bayou creek and on to poverty flats. Then we crossed over to the Black Hills landing at Buffalo Gap.

Here a Ranchman hired us to kill Black bear which were killing his colts. The Black bear of North America is the most harmless of all bears. His average weight is about four hundred pounds. He lives on honey, grass, berries, weeds, roots, ants, and insects of all kinds. He is the hardest specie to hunt. When a hunter is on his trail he invariably is next to it, and will climb upon all the high roots, and logs and peep back on his track to discern the hunter. It is hard to get a shot at him unless the wind is blowing so you may circle him and shoot from the windward side. He will stuff a bullet hole with moss to prevent the flow of blood and many other cute sagacious tricks. He dens up about the 15teenth of Dec. and comes out about the middle of March, as is usually supposed he comes out poor. But this is a bit of missinformation. On the other hand he usually crawls out after his long snooze fat as mud.

Well as usual we had a lot of work, accompanied with our usual success. we were well paid for our hunt, and moved up to the Musselshell river In Montana.

In Montana we caught fine beaver, The beaver is a very instinctive animal. There are several varieties, The Dam Builder, The Bank Beaver, The Bachelor Beaver and the Drone Beaver. The beaver ranges in color from white to black. I never saw a white one, and but one black one except when I looked in the glass. The Beaver weighs from twenty to thirty pounds in the United States, and from forty to fifty in Alaska. His food is bark, young grass and such foods, They cut timber down and know where it will fall. I ascertained this because I have known them to leave trees alone which leaned the wrong direction for them to use. I saw on the North Platte trees cut down by beaver which were four feet in diameter. They make chips resembling a chopper with a dull ax. He cuts his timber for winter and anchors it down four feet under water with mud useing his tail as a scow and also for a spade.

Beaver dams are great hindrances to the man with a conoe, Beaver meadows are splendid feeding grounds for deer and other animals. I have seen beaver meadows--that is a place where the trees were all cut down and used--covering hundreds of acres.