The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-10-22
HUNTING PLovER IN TEXAS.

Vi IeAdss III sOIno parts Oh In6 SGaC6s
are covered with flowers and plover.
Nothing more beautiful can be imag-
ined. When properly broiled the plo-.
quail on toast. and is ! much easier
bird to shoot The plover is migra-
tory bird, like the bank cashier. Ha
travels for his health. In former days
great many birds came to Texas for
the benefit of their health. and they
were 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 a spring wa
gon. and having it loaded down behind
with demi johns so that the vehicle tips
up in front, they drive out for days
sport !
When the plover see the delegation
OF visiting statesmen approaching they
do not take to themselves wings, like
riches, and fly away. 1t does not oc-
cur to the plover to initiate the quail
and the jack rabbit and feo to the
mountains of Hepsidam, when a gen.;
tleman comes around with gun and O.
demijohu. On the contrary, the plo-
Yer sccm to feel that the visit is COM
pliment to them personally. They
strut about with their heads and their
, tails up like militia generals. or as il
they owned the prairie. They, the
plover. not the militia generals. gaze
as intently at the approaching vehicle
as if they intended to have one made
like it for their own use.
When the vehicle containing the
demijohns has approached within fifty
yards, the ployer huddle up together as;
If they were holding consultation.
They bob their heads up and down as
it they were saying to each other: How
kind it is for these city gentlemen to-
come out here and visit US. Perhaps
they will invite us to take ride with
them Tor the benefit of our health"
OF 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,
a matter of history that the plover do
get into the vehicle and ride homo with
the Nimrods-but l am anticipating,
as we nOvelists say.
The supreme moment has now ar
rived when the crisis can be no longer
ayerted. The plover, being strangers
in the country,d do not believe that Tex
ans will shoot. The plover merely
look ut each other, raise their eyebrows,
and smile, as if to say: What new
political dodge is thisP" They do not
seem to anticipate any sudden change
in the administration. They do NOT
seem to realize that they stand before
the country in the light of offensive
partisans and that they are liable to be
removed at any moment.
All at once the quietness of the prai-
rie is broken by volley of musketry,
and then everything is still excepting
the wall of a wounded plover that pro-
ceeds to accumulate space between
himself and the visiting statesmen. As
soon as the smoke of the battle has
been 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 ara
placed in the vehicle, and then the real
object of the expedition is disclosed.
One of the Nimrods winks and says,
els this temperance picnic" Auoth-
er winks back and asks anxiously,
what was it the governor of North
Carolina said to the governor of South
Carolina?"
The large demijohn that looms up
in the back of the wagon like light
house on q 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 plover.
Once more the guns are leveled, once
more the plover lie down on their backs
and hold up their legs in a supplicat-i
ing attitude, once more the hunters in
pursuit of relaxation wink at each 9TH
er, once more the demijohn is tilted up.
at the proper angle and
And SO it goes on all day long-bang,
bang, tootle, tootle-the latter word
being intended to represent the sound
made by cold water in escaping from
the neck of a demijohn.
The prosecution of the plover is not
devoid of the exciting element of dan
! ger. l know a hunter who had piece
| of his hat shot off. He had to pay two
dollars for a new hat As long as tha
habit of Draining wounded plover with
the butt end OF gun that has one bar
rel loaded and cooked is kept up, it
cannot be said that eliminating plover
is not an exciting sport. 4
The ploVer is not q vindictive bird
If you shoot at him with one barrel ha
will turn the other also. This last quo
tation seems to be little mixed, but
that comes from my using the revised
edition of late.
OF course the hunter has the right
under the constitution of shooting the
plover on the wing, but no true sports
man will be guilty of any such con-
duct. 1t is positively mean to take adj
vantage of the bird when he is away up
in 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. never take any
such risks. The best way is to get as
close as possible to the birds, watch
your chance and give them what is
called "a ground wipe" with both bar
rels. Then you will be sure to fetch
something -Aier. e. Sweet, in Nea
York Nercury.