Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-21

outspread, its plumage harmonizing
closely with the dead brown leaves th
IL seemed part of them. We fouY
in tnat Dqt one shot had hit it. but tn
- was In the neck at the base of the bill
breaking no bones, but cutting a vel
that bled it to death. w
From here we crossed an open spas
le grown up with weeds and bushes. tn
dogs flushing one bird that went inf
tne woods, fyingalong place that ha
peen cleared OF timber, and a rail fenc
"a QUILT. AS was some distance neare
70 the fence than Dave, went after th,
pird, and presently looking back, saw
MN following. Forty rods down th,
renee walked almost right on the bird
IL rose within four feet OF me, and few
uack oetween me and tree, so close
snat struck at it with my gun. This
delayed my shooting, and by the time j
nad turned about and was about to mil
! the trigger, remembered that Dave
, was back there, but immediately noted
that the bird was twelve feet hich. and
pave would be safe. By this time the
pro was under full headway, but the
snot was a good one. The bird
folded its wing and fell dead without a
struggle. Dave stepped out of a fence
corner and said: "When your gun
pointed this way, I got into that fence
corner pretty quick. Just as the bird
was opposite me / saw the feathers
knocked out of it. Look where If lies
and 1t was not over twelve feet bipb
when it was hit" 1t was thirtv-fiye
steps to where it hit the ground. It
seems incredible that bird can fiy 40
swiftly and safely through ouch thick
brush, but they do it, and have often
done it in the night. too.
! we next went into tract of several
nundred acres that had borne MANY
large white oak trees. They had been
cut down the year before when tba
leaves were on. The bodies of the trees
had been hauled away. but the ieafv
tops still dotted the ground and wera
excellent cover for the birds. Wild
rose berries, black hawks and the seeds
OF various weeds furnished abundant
food. One of the dogs pointed at the
edge OF thicket and I saw the bird |
standlng on a log not ten feet away.
~ Come over here, Dave" said ].
there's one on that log"
said Dave. 1 ~
"Oh, I'll kill him with club. ;, sa;d
l. Look out nowW And / ssei
stick that flushed the bird. We ehot
three times at him, but for all I know
ne is good bird yet.
Ihe next find was in one of the big
OAK tops. We stationed ourselves one
on each side and urged the dog to 90 in.
put ne DID not like to, and stood alter.
nately looking at US and at the leafy ton !,
that hid the bird. After a good deal Of ..
urging ne ran to the butt end of the
Top got on big limb six feet above the
ground, walked out on it till he got di-
RRsfd RRsffdtiyt ytfs tffSsn66hfad 6ffd. ods Dame two IN
mighty hurry. There were two shots.
two clouds of feathers floating In the air
and two birds futtering on the dead
leaves. The dog came out OF the top
and looked as though he had very grave ;
doubts about that being the proper way !,
to do it, and wondering whether he
would be switched or praised. He was i,
patted on the head and told to fetch the /,
dead birds, and after that, was fully
satisfied that it was all right, because
We said it was. He had also got the
idea that the birds were all in these
tops, and put in the rest of the day run
ming from one top to another, always
Going on the lee side, generally running
right by if there was nothing there, put
would occasionally stop and take snltf
or two to make sure he had not over
looked bird, and soon got very willing
to 90 in and scare the birds out.
At noon we lay on the dead grass IN
the warm sunshine and ate the lunch
that our host had slipped into our
shooting coats, and afterwards tried TO
take nap, but our minds were to fuli
of the sport we had had and OF the sport
to come, and the dog wagged bis tail
and whined, go we were soon aneio
again. -.
chilly. but still we tramped the woods,
and The faithful dog ran from top to top.
and our gums cracked and the birds tiew
away or were killed, till at last the dark
came on and the woods were LETT to the
owls and the coons and the foxes. IL
the day had been longer the sport
would have lasted longer, but we feit
that we had had enough,
review of the days incidents
showed that we had flushed sixty-five
birds. shot at forty-two of them and had
haooed twenty-one. OF course, we did
see sixty-five different birds, as quite
number were flushed more than once,
and more than fifty shot were fired, as
both of us frequently shot at the same
bird. - It'll
| Did the days enjoyment emu Will
the dav? By no means. 1t was enjoy,
ment to see the interest OF wife and
children as they unpacked the pirdS anu
counted them, and admired their plum
AGE. and asked how they lived and now
we got them. 1t was enjoyment TO siS
down 10 the luscious feast they mace,
TO eat them and to see the loved ones
eat them. 1t was enjoyment 70
Law one nice young bird in the hands
Of an invalid friend, and to be
told how he had been longing for just
one pheasant's breast. 1t was enjoy
ment to read the letter from city
friend to whom some of the birds were
! sent-a letter that said the birds made
. him smell the autumn leaves ana see
!. the smoky Indian summer, and endeC
= by complimenting the skill that baggee
3 40 many of such wary and swift'winge9
q birds, Neither was all this the END 0
q that days enjoyment. for the DAY ma
g been lived over again in memory nun
q dred times, and will be hundred time
e AGAIN. And further yet, that day an
a others like it have kept my body stron
., and NV mind clear from many wear
cares, and made warm friends ior me.
.. o. III. HAMPTON.
OF
.nj Eve's Daughters.
rv Marion Harland, on page lob and 445 OF ny
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