The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-10-01
HUNTING PLOVER IN TEXAS.

In the gentle springtime the prairies
or Texas, in some parts Of the state,
are covered with flowers and plover.
Nothing more beautiful can be iInag-
ined. When properly broiled the plo-
yer has \ more delicate flavor than
euail on toast, and is a much easier
bird to shoot. The plover is a migra-
tory bird. like the bank cashier. He
travels for his health. In former days
great many birds came to Texas for
The benefit of their health, and they
we're not plover, either.
As soon as it IS known in Austin
that the plover have arrived, great
many people discover that they need
relaxation; so they hire spring wa
gon and having it loaded down behind
with demijohns so that the vehicle tips
up in front, they drive out for days
sport
When the plover see the delegation
cf visiting statesmen approaching they
do not take to themselves wings, like
riches, and fly away. 1t does not oc-
eur 10 the ployer to initiate the quail
and the jack rabbit and flee to the
mountains of Hepsidam, when gen
tlenan comes around with a gun and
denijohn. On the contrary, the plo-
Yer seem to feel that the visit is a COM
pliment to them personally. They
strut about with their heads and their
tails up like militia generals. or as If
they owned the prairie. They, the
ployer, not the militia generals, gaze
as intently at the approaching vehicle
as they intended to have one made
lk, it for their own use.
When the vehicle containing the
demijohns has approached within fifty
yards, the plover huddie up together as
if they were holding Il consultation.
if they were saying to each other: ''How
kind it is for these city gentlemen to
cone out here and visit us. Perhaps
they viii invite US to take a ride with
them for the benefit of our health" "
Q course, | will not assert positively
that the plover use these very words,
but they look as if they were saying
something of that sort. 1t is, however,
q matter of history that the plover do
get into the vehicle and ride home with
The Nimrods- l am anticipating,
as we novehsts say.
The supreme moment has now ar
rived when the crisis can be no longer
ayerted. The plover, being strangers
in The country, do not believe that Tex
ans will shoot. The plover merely
look at each other, raise their eyebrows,
and smile, as if to say: What new
political dodge is this?" They do not
seem to anticipate any sudden change
n the administration. They do not
seem to realize that they stand before
.he country in the light of offensive
Dartisans and that they are liable to be
removed at any moment.
All at once the quietnoss of the prai-
RE is broken by a voliey of musketry,
and then everything is still excepting
the wall of wounded ployer that pro-
ceais to accumulate space between
himself and the visiting statesmen. AS
son as the smoke of the battle has
ben lifted from the scene, the late
plover are seen stretched on the flow
er-bespangled prairie in the cold en-
brace of death. Their remains are
placed in the vehicle, and then the real
object of the expedition is disclosed.
One of the Nimrods winks and says,
er winks back and asks anXiously,
What was it the governor of North
Carolina said to the governor of South
Carolina?'
The large demiohn that looms up
il the back of the wagon like a light
house on a barren island is tilted over,
and
These formalities having been COM
Piled with, the vehicle is driven in the
direction of the next squad of ployer.
Once more the guns are leveled, once
more the plover lie down on their backs
ard hold up their legs in a supplicat-
ing attitude, once more the hunters in
pursuit of relaxation wink ut each 9TH
eE once more the demijohn is tilted up
al the proper angie and
And so it goes on all day long-bang,
bang, tootle, tootie-the latter word
being intended to represent the sound
made by cold water in escaping from
tie neck of a demijohn.
The prosecution OF the plover is not
devoid of the exciting element of dan
ger. ! know a hunter who had piece
OF his hat shot off. He had to pay two
dollars for new hat. As long as the
hibit of Draining wounded plover with
tie butt end of gun that has one bar
rel loaded and cooked is kept up. it
cinnot be said that eliminating pfOver
is not an exciting sport.
The plover is not a vindictive bird.
Ifyou shoot at him with one barrel he
will turn the other also. This last quo
t:tion seems to be little mixed, but
tfat comes from my using the revised
edition of late.
OF course the hunter has the right
ulder the constitution of shooting the
power on the wing, but no true sports
man viii be guilty of any such con-
diet. 1t is positively mean TO take adj
vintage of the bird when he is away up
il the air. 1t is also cruel. for, if the
Sportsman should accidentally hit the
bird it would fall twenty or thirty feet
on the hard ground. l never take any
slch risks. The best way is to get as
cose as possible to the birds, watch
your chance and give them what is
called "a ground wipe with both bar
rsls Then you will be sure to fetch
something. -AIeI. e. SWeet, ia NeW
lork Mercury.
Names of lakes and rivers as they
appear in the writing of the early
French explorers: Lake Ontario was
called Frontenac. Lake Erie, Erike,