Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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25 their possession an untagged deer, and the game warden may ap- pear at any moment. There are many tales, too, of other hurtters claiming to have shot your deer; feelings can run high about such a situation deep in the woods. The deer tagged, the next step is to approach the fallen buck or doe, always from behind, because a spasmodic movement of hoofs with razor-sharp edges can lay you open. The hunting knife cuts the throat in a soft spot and, after the animal has bled, it has to be woods-dressed which means cutting open the abdomen and removing the entrails leaving liver, lungs and heart. A moun- tain brook may be h ndy but meat wiped with a dry cloth, untouched by water, tastes better. Finally the ignominious end to one of the weeds most attractive animals begins — a drag to a car and, when the fast stiffening carcase is fastened to a running board open to view and accompanied by owner as required by the law, it soon loses any semblance, to the lively beauty of a few hours previous. Ultimately venison cut three and a half inches thick, grilled over charcoal, then finished off in an oven is all that remains to remind one of the expedition which began by drinking coffee in someone ' s kitchen before dawn, a chase of from seven to fifteen miles through almost impenetrable woods, rotting leaves punched with deer tracks, deer tracks in swamps, in moss, in mud, scrambles up and down and over ledges, through hemlock thickets, numb fingers and cold feet alternating with sweating from the excessive exercise. One never forgets either the glow at the end of the day, the hot bath or the drink before an open fire surrounded by ready listeners to the tale of the hunt. The Aeroplane Club The Aeroplane Club was begun just before Christmas by Bill Griffith and shortly thereafter I was chosen as the Master-in-Charge. After several meetings of a very unaeronautical nature, the equip- ment ordered by Griffith from the States arrived and the actual business of the club began. The models were of a very unusual design, being made from solid balsa wood hollowed out to make room for the controls and engine. These craft were flown with ground controls attached to the plane by wires. With these wires, the aeroplane could be put through various up and down man- oeuvres, but were restricted to a purely circular flight. It was not until about the middle of the Easter term that any of these craft finally took to the air. For the most part they did not get much higher than the average ostrich, with the exception of

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24 Another common saying comes to mind — if you jump a deer it ' s not your deer, and with this consoling thought you resume the chase eventually rather pleased that your timing and distance covered were well-judged because your hunter is where he said he would be carrying a ruffed grouse shot with a rifle! I thought I ' d got over the ridge and down the other side, you say, but it was explained that that couldn ' t happen without I would have crossed your tracks. The instinct to hunt is as old as man and one should bear in mind that an instinct to protect itself against danger is just as old in a deer. The game of deer hunting is a fair one when a man goes alone into the woods with a rifle. Every sense of the animal is more highly developed than that of man. The deer is speedier. To counter-balance these assets man has a mechanical weapon and, if he is a hunter of some experience, a knoweldge of the habits of deer; that a deer feeds at night, perhaps in orchards or gardens; that he goes up at day-break from swampy land to ridges in the mountains to bed down for a morning nap. If he is jumped he will travel higher, perhaps to a ledge, then lie down facing his tracks so that he should be circled and approached from behind; that a deer is curious and will halt to peer down and see what is going on. One is aware when moving through the appar- ently empty woods that in a thicket 50 yards away, invisible to man ' s eye, a creature may be watching. The deer will know the minute your eye catches sight of him and be off. And if something moves you must first wait to see head and feet in order to avoid the chances of firing at another hunter thereby putting yourself in the trigger-happy category and newspaper headlines. Safety catch removed you take aim behind the foreleg in order not to damage the head because you might wish to mount it. Your heart is racing. Perhaps by the time you get coordinated the deer is off. You may only wound him. A deer with a broken leg can get away. If there is snow on the ground you may trace him but often a poor shot means a wounded creature disappearing to die in the woods. Or he may fall, after running a few yards, shot through the heart. Then, trembling with excitement, you realize you ' ve got your one deer of the season which the law allows. Most people carry a flask when hunting but few need stimulants at this stage. And some in the excitement of the moment forget the most import- ant formality of all — to tag the deer immediately. Pinned on your red hunting cap plainly visible as required by the law, in a metal case, is a licence, for which as a non-resident you paid fifteen dollars. In this is a coupon to be filled in with name and date which must be attached to the deer. No one is allowed to have in

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26 Griffith ' s plane which flew quite well several times and attained a speed of about 60 mph on one occasion. He had some difficulty landing the plane, however, and was forced into some lengthy repairs. The design had considerable influence on the flight quali- ties. Most of the accidents seemed to have been caused by too heavy wing loading and high speed. If the boys in the club learned nothing else, they had some practice in doing things with their hands and considerable patience was required just to get the engine started. E. W. ALLEN. Mr C L Newcomb Talks to Saltus Boys On Thursday afternoon the boys of Saltus Grammar School listened to an interesting and informative talk about the crusade against tuberculosis given by Mr. C. L. Newcomb, Director of the Christmas Seals Association of the United States of America. Mr. Newcomb traced the history of the national movement from its inception in the United States in 1904, and of its later ex- pansion into an international crusade under the Cross of Lorraine. The idea of the selling of Christmas seals to raise funds for the campaign was originated by an American postmaster in 1907, he said, and had become international in its scope. Boys could help the movement while following the fascinating hobby of col- lecting the seals issued by the forty-two countries composing the In- ternational Union Against Tuberculosis. Mr. Newcomb went on to give a general idea of the incidence of the tuberculosis scourge, and of modern methods of diagnosis by means of X-ray films and photographs. The lecturer was introduced by Mr. Ernest Astwood, President of the Bermuda Tuberculosis Association. The Library There is little change to report regarding the Library this year. We have had several gifts of books, in particular from Major Welch, when he left us to return to his home in Scotland. David Lawrey, an old boy and former Librarian, upon leaving us to make his home in the U.S.A., presented the Library with a number of school books for the School Reference section, also some fiction suitable for most of the classes. The remainder was iven by the boys of the school and the Old Boys ' Association, to whom we extend our thanks for these much appreciated donations. For we are always glad to obtain more books in order to please the varied tastes of the members of the school.