The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-01-27

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keys. Others use loops. Some are crue
enough to ta'e the saw-mouth rat traps
chain EN- to tree and set 'em, covered
with corn. These tramps clamp q tur
keys leg clean through to the bone
There's no fun in it. A sportin' mar
wants to shoe a gobbler and see hin
tumble. I've had 'em fall so hard that
they split clean open on the breast. Lis
+ TEMP
There was whirr through clump OF
cedars beyond the clearing.
"rhem's UNI again. Got two of that
flock while ago. Follow me-"
| The party advanced slowly to COM
manding position behind fallen tree
drifted with leaves and snow.
"See 'em feedin'? They're pretty
birds, amt they? Very game. Thirteen
of em, three old ones Aim for their
heads, body shooting won't do. All
ready? Fire.
Two turkeys dropped bleeding, and pi-
routed over the snow in their death agon-
les. The old man was quickly on the
spot. He cut their throats and held
them under his heel until they were
dead.
"a mighty strong pair Of birds,
these" he said. "Warch the rest of 'em
sailing away over yonder against the
sky. A body would believe they'd never
again come back this way, but you go
bet they'll be here tomorrow. Now you
go down to the level and across that
string of fields yonder. You youngsters
can busy yourselves shooting rabbits
and partrldges until I take tramp. The
path is too long that I'm goin'! Think
not? Come along then"
Indian file the party went miles over
the great spur of the Blue hills over
looking the coal country.
1--WE got some traps set up this
ravine," said the old man, pointing to a
rocky gulch to the northward. I'm
after great hawk that's the boss
chicken. thief in all this country round.
He roosts somewhere up here
Whir r-r-r-r, went through the scrub
oak.
"Be-gosh there's three turkeys sailing
down toward Sugar spring. exclaimed
the old man. They were out OF reach.
A hundred yards up the ravine on a level
shale were three inspiring hawk traps
covered with bits OF frozen chicken used
as bait.
"They'rs all right the old man said.
''That hawk amt been round here yet.
I'll get him, though, and if l don't, he'll
be the first one l ever missed that L
wanted very bad" Looking down into
the valley. he shaded his eyes and ex-
claimed: "Look at the rascal. There
he is. Sailing circle over Heinly's
barn mile OF two off toward the river.
That's that hawk. I'll bet my rifle he
measures six feet from tip to tip. That
feilow'll carry off seven-pound Shang-
hal as easy as you bite off the end of a
cigar. Get in ere behind this boulder
where the snow hasn't drifted. He's
changed his course and is sailing before
the wind up this way. He's coming like
a clipper ship.
The party bent low down out OF
sight as the bird of prey careened III the
icy wind.
well get shot at him yet. boys.
Don't mind the cold" said the old man,
cheerfully.
But the hawk veered away, and was
soon out of sight. Another turkey was
captured during the afternoon, and the
party, weary, cold, hungry and footsore,
were glad when the old man piloted
them back to his comfortable cabin.
Pipes were pulled after supper, and an
extra backlog put in. The weath' was
extraordinarily cold. The old man said
he never before experienced such a
severe winter. Two hours of talk de-
scriptive of life in the mountains follow
ed. The hunters at times have been
showed in for weeks. Occasionally bears
are heard bowling at night, but they are
rarely killed. Deer are to be found
further west, although once in while
they are shot hereabouts. Correll bad
much to say until one by one his
guests curled up by the fire, when the
old man put on another log, barred the
door, patted his dogs and himself turned
in.
Another days chase on the mountains
produced two more turkeys, both splen-
did gobblers, and we left the old noun
taineer. A day later he sent word that
the big turkey had at last been shot by
Kiesewetter. but that he himself had cap
tured the old hawk. Kiesewetter divided
the turkey with the old man. New
York Sun.
The Prairie Farmer SAYS: The urgency