, 1881-01-21


keys. Others use loops. Some are cruel
enough to take the sawmouth rat traps,
chain 'em to tree and set 'em, covered
with corn. These tramps champ tur
Keys leg clean through to the bone,
There's no fun in it. \ sportu' man
wants to shoe gobbler and see him
tumble. I've had 'em fall so hard that
they split clean open on the breast Lis
ten!"
There was whirr through clump of
cedars beyond the clearing,
"Ihem's UNI again. Got two of that
flock while ago. Follow me-"
The party advanced slowly to a COM
manding position behind fallen tree
driftcd with leaves and snow.
'See 'em feedin'? They're pretty
birds, amt they? Very game. Thirteen
of 'em, three old ones. Aim Gor their
heads, body shooting Won't do. All
ready? Fire"
Two turkeys dropped bleeding, and pi-
routed over the snow in theirdeath agon-
les. The old man was quickly on the
spot. He cut their throats and held
them under his heel until they We're
dead.
"a mighty strong pair Of birds,
these, he said Watch the rest of EN-
sailing away over yonder against the
sky. A body would believe they'd never
again come back this way, but you so
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 L take tramp. The
path is too long that Tn goin'! Think
not? Come along then"
Indian file the party went miles ovor
the great spur Of the Blue hills over
looking tho coal country.
1--WE got some traps set up this
ravine," said the old man, pointing to n
rocky gulch to the northward. "I'm
after a 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 rayino on level
shale We're three unsprung 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 don't, he'll
be the first one / ever missed that |
wanted very bad" Looking down into
the valley, he shaded his eyes and eX-
claimed: "Look at the rascal There
he is. Sailing u circle over Heinly's
barn mile or two off toward the river.
That's that hawk. I'll bet my rifle he
measures six feet from tip to tip. That
fellow'll carry off II seven-pound Shang-
hal az easy as you bite off the end of
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
u clipper ship"
The party bent low down out Of
sight as the bird of prey careened in the
icy wind.
We'll get a shot at him yet, boys.
Don't mind the cold, said the old man,
cheerfully.
But the hawk veored 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 pufied after supper, and an
extra backlog put in. The wealth, + 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, bnt they are
rarely killed. Deer are to be found
further west, although once in while
they are shot hereabouts. Corrcll had
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
turod the old hawk. Kiosewetter divided
the turkey with the old man, New
York Sun.