The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-03-05
A Hunting Parrot.
He Lures Game 20 his Master and De-
~ lHl 20 lights In tire sport e1NN Hf

He Lures Game TO his Master and De-
~ 24i 40 lights In the sport. elNN ht
as A correspondent of the Little Rock
(Ark.) GuSette sends that paper the fol- 4
lowing account of .comrson poll-par-
rot which has not only been trained to
hunt, but which has learned to take
great delight in the chase ..L
The owner and trainer Of this hunt
ing parrot is boatman who formerly
piled between Little Rock and New Or
leans, but who some years since gave
up the business of boating and has
since led the life of hunter, living in
snug cabin at the jttdction of Big
Mammelle creek with the Arkansas
river. This hunter hermit, whose name
is Nathan Lask, brought with him from
New Orleans, on making his last trip to
that city, a fine young parrot, to which
he soon became more attached than any
other thing on earth. Others did not
share his high regard for his pet, and
not few fights did he have with those
who saw fit to abuse what they called
ga squawking nuisance Loving his
pet more than all the world beside, and,
above all, desiring to live in peace, Nat.
Lask took up his residence in the out
of-the-way place mentioned above, his
parrot being his constant companion.
Here he may be said to have led the
life of a hermit, for few and short were
the visits he received from his kind at
his lone cabin. His bird was all in all
| to him. All the love that he would
have lavished on wife and weans it re-
| ceived. Seated on his shoulders, the
parrot attended him in oil his walks.
To train the bird and talk to it was al
most his sole occupation. With the
careful training of so loving q master,
added to it's great natural talent for, ,imi-
tating all manner of cries of birds and
animals, this bird had become marvel
of cunning, and great wonder in its
way. Taken into the hills bordering
Big Mammelle creek, and the signal be.
ing given at intervals, it utters the cry
of the turkey SO perfectly as to deceive
the Oldest and most astute gobbler that
ever strutted. On being answered by
a gobbler, the parrot proceeds to lure
him to death in the most fendishly CO.
quetish manner imaginable. Seated on
his masters shoulders, charity and coy
ly the parrot replies. Once he has fully
attracted the attention of the vain and
anxious gobbler, often allowing him to
call in a fretful tone twice or thrice be-
fore deigning to answer, he then, in a
few low and tender notes, lures the
proud bird of the forest within range of
the hunters deadly rifle. Seeing the
turkey struggling in the agonies of
death fills the parrot with the most
fiendish delight, to which he gives ut
terance in succession of blood-chill-
ing "ha, has" in all manner of dia-
bolical tones and keys. Should the
hunter miss his aim, however, the par
rot ruffles his feathers, croaks and
scolds, pulls his masters hair and long
refuses to be pacifed. .a--
Duck hunting in Forche and Meto
Bayous is, however, the parrots chief
delight. Seated inthe bow of his mas
ter's boat, snugly ensconced in patch
of tall bullrushes, the parrot bursts
forth into such "quack, quacking l''
and general duck gabble that there
seems to be in the vicinity whole flock
of these birds, all enjoying themselves
immensely. Thus are many passing
focks of ducks lured within range OF
the gun of the hunter.
Geese are in the same way called ur
by this wonderful parrot also, many
other wild fowl and even deer, as the
bird initiates the plaintive bleating of 6
: fawn or doe to q nicety. No money
/, would buy the bird, and Nat. Lask
seen strolling through the woods, gur
in hand, and with his almost inseparablt
companion seated on his left shoulder
? seems second Robidson Crusoe. AL
though,so perfect in his limitations O
all manner of birds and animals, tn,
! parrot is not great talker indeed hi
vocabulary is limited to a few word
and one or two short phrases. He vii
:. sometimes sing out, " Nat, you lub
,ber!" and when Dan flanagan &
brother boatman of Mats living at th,
! head of Bayou Forche and almost hi
only visitor), in his dug-out, is seen pad
ding in towards the mouth of BIZ
, Mammelle creek, the parrot-whos
! name we forgot to say is "Bobby"-wil
! shout, flanagan, ahoy |! flanagan
a-a-hoy p The moment Bobby see
! his master take down his gun he is in
y y great futter. Hecocks his head on on
= : side, his great red eyes sparkling wit
! delight, and in low, inquiring tone
: says: "Turkcy? turkey ?'' No
i i Bobby" Nat will perhaps say, ''no
!, turkey to-day" Bobby cocks his hea'
4 4 the other way and softly says, "Quack
a quack, quack ?" "Yes, Bobby" say
J Nat, "quack ! quack p Bobby the
y bursts into loud cha ha ha p ant
y y cries, "Nat, you lubber-quack quacB
4 quack p Then he ha has till the Who'll
!, cabin rings again.