The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-10-05

say to myself, and am drawing near the
outskirts, when "croak ! croak % just be.
yond me; and there are the three brown
gentlemen, with fourth, picked by the
the way, swinging in from their circle over
the prairie to their favorite field again.
They are coming right in our teeth; now
is your time, Messrs. Parker, if you want
to see what your beautiful little 12-gauge
breech-loader can do. / mustn't stir a
finger to change my shot. Down to the
ground; and make myself as much corn
blade as l can. Blessings on this hunting
coat that my wife made me in July out of
my old army shelter, just the tint of the
faded corn Not breath, now; not a
wink of the eye. Alas three bear off
just enough to make it hopeless for the No.
4. But the oldest chap of all says, "Come
an explosion; and, crumpled up and rid
died, with the jeer in his very jaws, he
comes heavily down. Not the blue marsh
heron, man of the East, that you call a
habit and lurking place, with the figure
when dead, of the reptiles he feeds on; but
the whooping crane, with body like a tur-
key, and wings like swan, that delights
in the clean corn of the field and, in a gale
that would throw a frigate on her beam
ends, sweeps up, in very sport, into the
empyrean, and for long hours sails in grand
circles in the sunshine, a mile high; ever
and anon trumpeting forth his joy in the
cry that gives him his name and which
just reaches the ears of the pigmy race he
looks down upon.
| What is that we see, far out on the black
ened surface of the burnt prairie? One of
the praire's most singular sights. We
have read of the Spanish soldiers in Cuba
installing distant row of the scarlet fam
ingoes for a British army of invasion; but
who would have thought of company of
Shakers choosing that black, lonely plain
for one of their dances! More than dozen
of them; grave, formal fellows, leaping in
the air. first from one foot, then from the
other, then from both; now to partner,
now by themselves; and evidently enjoy
ing the whole thing. 1t is but troop of
cranes, executing one of the most ludic-
rous and prepostelous games that can be
seen among the whole feathered race. And
this they will do for hours together.
Our ride has now brought US to beauti-
full creek, the Beaver. Along its banks,
where the ravages of the annual prairie
fires have been stayed, fine oaks lift them
selves in their Redeemed foliage, in beauti-
full relief against the background of the
rising prairie. Just as sure as oaks bear
acorns, and as there is water under the
oaks, just so sure are there woods-ducks
feeding on them, and lying around in the
sun, on bank and stream, lazily digesting
them. Stealing along the bank, I peer
over; and there in basin of the creek at
least thirty wood duck are floating, preen-
ing themselves in the sun. Did ever eye
rest on creatures more beautiful "Anas
sponsa," the Bridal Duck, poetical old Lin.
macs dubbed this fowl: and no ieweler
could furnish forth bride with gems to
excel the array in which Nature has deck
ed these gorgeous birds. Every color and
shade of color, between glossy black and
stainless white; all that the prism can give
of distinct hue or blending of hues, exists
here in perfection. AS l change one Of
my No. cartridges for one of No. 8, for a
sitting shot, the other nature within me
almosts relents. To tell the truth, have
always preferred fair shots at single birds
to shots at focks. In the first case, if yon
miss, you miss; if you hit, you kill. But
at flocks, for one bird that you get, you
send more away to sicken and die with
wounds not Immediately fatal. I cannot,
therefore, sympathze in the wonted say
ing of friend Of mine, 81 just like to
NOW 'em ~ do not The clean, single
shot for me, where the whole matter is
with the bird l fire at; not with those
which mere chance and stray pellets lay
out with the others, or send crippled and
suffering away. But something else is
more potent, in this case, than the better
nature. In the act of raising my gun,
"buzz, whirr, chitter," at my very feet,
and on every side of me, hundred quail
flirt up, and the gentry Of the gorgeous
crests, taking the alarm, spring from the
water, and are off in an instant. fire at
laggard and bring him down; another
quail springs up from my toes; in sheer
vexation and disgust, let 60 the No. at
him, and blow him forward ten feet in his
fall.
Cold as this September water is, Bess
plunges from the bank, and soon brings to
my hand the duck that had fallen. For
the next thirty rods, at least three hundred
quail arise from the bushes one continual
whirr in my path, and hundred plaintive
calls on every side of me. l see no more
difficulty in setting one hundred and fifty
in an afternoon than in getting dozen;
but when one is after wood-dnck, pinnat-
ed grouse, brant and geese, he does not
lose his time on dear little Perdrix. {" Cru
XXX! cra-k-k!' and up spring two fine
Gr3keS, dS tlcul oh sttSh, L Sub ohC
down; the bushes hide the other; and he
passes away. A moment for my cartridge
then a look over the bank. He is wing
broken. If show myself, or let Bess
after him, ten to one, he will dive, as his
habit is, seize root or stalk. hold on
and drown. More than once have reach
ed down to my shoulder, in clear water,
and pulled them off, dead; this fellow
might never see. No, let him skulk in,
Just under the water as he is, near that
log by the shore; now! l fire, and he
turns over beside the log; l have but to
step out and secure him. To Bess. tho
whole procedure is unscientific, and out
side the rules.
At the report of my gun, a rustic and
scratching on a tree, little ahead, and a
fine fox:squirrel just whisks into his hole.
There is certain lady in my home with
whom the squirrel is the favorite Of all
game; and never pass one by. Inserting
a BIB cartridge, l fire into the hole, and