Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-10-18
EVENING STAR.
wEDNESDAY.. october Is. ls-s.
: BOB w aIrEr


HE cWoii shooting se1soa-The Bjras
ErersUhere abundant.
room Will be heard, over mesdow "A
80 , Ish i1rest The call OF the sportsin "a 10
us uos, aoo ols hearty hsilos IS be aunouu.
CTS 10 bis brother sporusmen the dronoing -,
some game bird before mis- unerrtng -,
LIE quar- are everywhere abundant. Toe
IRON the valley OF the Connecticut Z, IN.
savsnpabs OF the Southern States the s.ns
GOOD tldings come TO US. While horse Cos
have occupied the sportsmans atteatioa Ar
summer, "Bob White" has been whistlins
away In the corn ields, and raising his happy
brood OF young birds for the amusement OF
the October sports, while lazily througn this
long season our pointers have lounged around
the shady corners, dreaming OF the happy
DAY which has just come.
Until now Boo White had but little dread,
except the fox at night, sneak Ing along the
size OF the stubole. For weeks past bus
little ones have been SAFE enough for the
hawk since he and ais brown wife have
Taught them 10 ny 10 the gray stones, and to
nice In Tue tangled tnickes, where they
But now this prince OF the festhered trioe
mas observed That he Ia GO longer secure, for
wbile III IL yet early dawn there Is q sounf
Town the vsiiey-thst OF human voice;
hsither IMAM Tue bittern's cry, aud to the
wild ereatur. . ear dir r than the shrill Dark
al the prowling fox. At this Disturbing
sound the old cock draws his head from un-
der his wing, and runs With fsitaful pateraal
solcitude from his lonely sleeping noox
scuttl ng under avenues of vines OF tue Wild
pea and running dew berry, Till he reaches tue
nursery.
The "gude wife" hiss meanwhile heard the
awful warning for herself, aud with neck
perked up TO its utmost she peeps with aux
Ie es The ~ s ans must wresohlng IN tue vat
nrst one wing and then another and run
ming their slender toss through their dew
sprinkled plumNge TO get ready for the
mornings night Two young cocks aIe quar-
relIing over a tempting morsel, spsrring at
each other as n already conscious of their
right TO be REGARDED game" A short, quick
cluck from the mother bird brings them all
together In instructive obedience 10 her side.
She has observed emerging from the mist
Dot q sheep, nor even her old enemy the fox,
but an animal worse than either, but never
seen on the hillside since last winter. IL il
old Remus, the brown setter, aud he crosses
perpetually 10 and fro, coming nearer aad
nearer At every range.
AS q young bird OF last season the mother
men retains vivid memory OF such q crea-
ture appearing just before q most awful mo-
menI, when, after q sudden alarm, some
blue cloud. and both her parents dropped
beside her In the etubble. Tue creature with
the great waving tail has not yet come as
high upon the hillside as the spot where they
are crouching; he is passing below, aud will
soon be beyond them. A snarp pecK TO the
young COCKS, who foolishly want to see what
quiet as the field-mouse under the gray
stones.
The dog is almost clear OF their sanctuary
when the wind betrsys them. Down the
gentle slope goes whiting the morning air;
which, In Its way, ruffies the top knot OF the
old cock, plays with the tail and wings of the
hen and little ones, and then passes straight
TO the keen muzzle OF old Remus. He
catches IL with nostrils expanded aud foot
suspended In the air, draws round TO get IL
full and sure, comes straight up a little ID
make certain OF the scent, till the breeze
says, "Birds! birds! BIRDS" as pIainly as N
bis keen eye saw them. And now what
shall the poor birds do, as The s tier stands
with tail straight out at one end AMI neck
rigid at the other? With quail, as with
women, to hesitate is TO be lost-they hesi-
tate, and only crouch little closer. Rem US
does not m0ve-why then should they STOW
themselves? IL they do he may turn into a
winged monster and snap them 40 In the air
But Frank has seen Rsmus and bacKs him
n np Witn new pair OF hungry eyes aud red
while the sportsman below has marked the
dogs and Is coming up the hillside. Measure
less terror now enforces what prude nee be-
fore counseled-the birds dare not move,
though the marksmaa approaches nearer
and still more near. Tue field mouse hears
his footsteps and darts into his hole, glad
wishes he was field mouse, but still thinks
1t best to c9wer. Quail flesh and blood,
however, cal Tot stand any more of this
strain when, with q wave of the maud,
Remus is set free to move and comes straight
tow ards his hiding place.
With an excited volley OF loud parental
"clucks," the old cock is of with q wnir-r-r,
and whst with his startling way OF getting
wing, his noisy cries, and his cunning turn
upwind the minute he gets started, hs feels
the shot 60 harmless by him, and is saved.
But the hen sees her brood well before she
goes, and then, last OF the flight, hears once
again that remembered thunder and marks
the lightning flash from the little blue cloud.
Perhaps the frst bird OF the season 10 bagged;
perhaps not. for the nrst shot is often little
unktt ady, and the whirr OF big bevy early In
the season is sometimes too much for the
unseasoned nerves.