The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-03-14


the flight commenced just about the time
the red in the east began to turn gray.
They came up the river sometimes, some
times half a dozen and again a larger num-
Der until the sun got up and then they
flew in great numbers. The first flight
We're passing q quarter of mile south of
us; they saw the decoys and honked, our
man answered and they swung around and
came straight for us Before they got with
in range they turned, but he called again
twice. They turned and again came straight
as Il shot, they lowered over the decoys
and began settling. Now said the col
Onel. -Four reports rang out i'll quick sue
cession and out of eleven geese three were
made a zigzag flight across the field and
finally turned and fell dead half Il mile
away. Two of the dead were Of Il knd had
never seen before, the Eutchins goose
(anser conadensis minima). He is about
half the size Of the Canada goose They
fly at great rate and if going across. aim
When WIZ Initiating he 20" tumb be- in lV1 his
fight, much after the manner of the SAND
hill crane. He is a dandy little fellow,
whether you meet him over the dec0ys or
on the board well roasted with
a quantum suflcit of the right
king of sauce and bottle
of extra dry to wash him down with.
The geese quit flying about 9 O'Clock. and
we gathered up the slain seventeen in nur,-
traps and left for home. You want for this
business a heavy No. 10 gun and shells loaded
with four drachns of powder Curtis & Harvey
diamond grains) and 1 IA ounces BB's. Shoot
ing from blind however is mere butchery---
a slaughter of game with every essential ele-
ment Of sport left out. Ii was
very pleasant ride we had
from the Sacramento back to Paio
Alto. Tho old colonel was in the best
OF humorS, and like myself,
was not an enthusiast about game
over decoys. He was a gentleman as we'll
as 4 sportsman, and believed in givinS
everything Il chance for its life. We
stopped Il moment to get some water from
the little spring that guShed from the hill
side, when he called my attention to some
strange sounds coming through the air.
Soft and musical they were, and the effect
so strange that | have never forgotten it.
l could hear the sweet strains Distinctly
but could not see the MINISTRIES. 1t was all
plain enough when he told me it was a
band of swans flying north on their annual
migration.
Five miles from the ranch was what they
called the meadows. There were perhaps
one hundred acres of sure enough meadow
and a couple of miles of prairie just be
yond, with here and there patches of sage
brush and i'll the southern portion, some
scrub 1t WAS here that Miss Jennie raccd
49, B.
place Tor the business. The Jack lablht
had his home here. / had long known the
jack rabbit III Texas, but where | lived we
did not course him with the high-bred grey
hounds. Like all wild animals, he can be
trained until he is Il perfect marvel of speed
and cunning. | have known the gray fox
to be trained until he would defy the best
pack that ever lived to catch him, and l
have known the old field hare that skulks
about the town graveyard to be trained
until he was inyincible. This rule applies
to the jack rabbit and there We're several
of his kind about the meadows or
all the family classed under the
cognomen Of 'ttrer i,abbit none OF them
will compare with this one. He is always
unique and interesting. Sometimes When
he bounccs up before you he don't seem to
care whether he gets ont Of your way or
not. At other times he seems to be little
lame or crippled and n stranger y Guild never
suspect he is The marvel he really is. If YOU
want him TO do You mi lie in a few seconds
put couple OF grcYhOundS behind him and ne
will show it to YOU. lie is always interest
ing find him where you will whether he
be nibbHng the grass in the early morning
for his breakfast or cOmhng his WhiSkers
with his hind foot or lounging about under
the sage brush, he is the same jack rabbit
and the more you study him the better you
like him. have often wondered why I'M
Gle Rcmus never cultivated him, and il the
old gentleman will investigate him he will
be able to impart to his readers something
i'll the way Of rabbit lore they have not
yer dreamed of.
she never allowed but two to be slipped for
Il race. II was unfair she thought and her
word was law. They were all black, of
large size and standard bred. Jet and June
were imported from England Juno was
their PUPPY. They We're black as ravens
and their skin shown like satin.
Tomorrow was to be my last day with my
friends and that we would spend at the
meadows. Bright and early we left and ere
the sun was an hour III the heavens the
mistress Of i'al0 Alto with her father and
her guest and her retinuc of servants were
at the further end of the meadow ready for
the mornings sport. jet and Juno were
carried down in a covered wagon. They
We're so eager for the fray that it was with
difficulty they could be held The beaters
We're sent in the north side of the little
prairie, two men holding the hounds in leash
fifty yards behind them, back of these the
riders. Miss Jennie, the colonel and myself.
Miss Jennie laid down the law. which was
that the heaters proceed III Il line across the
prairie and when the rabbit bounced simply
call look out to the men holding the
until the rabbit has a good start, and slip
both of them at the same time" was also
given. The jack rabbit is not exactly
ubiquitous on the meadows but there are
rather too many for good sport The heaters
had gone couple Of hundred yards from the
starting when Il sharp look OUT was heard
from the front. The hounds knew what 1t
meant and turned sumersaults in mad eff
forts to break loose. The rabbit went away
in his usual style and when the limit OF
the law was reached the hounds were slipped
and away they went The rabbit was in
full view and it looked us if they would
chop him up right there but there's many
a slip" when you don't expect it. Both
hounds made a dive at him, but he was
just about twenty feet from where they
thought he was, when they put their
mouths down for him. Both hounds went
over in a heap and when they recovered
the rabbit quite distance away.
They sighted him in a second, though,
and sped away like arrows from a bow.
This rabbit had been coursed before; he
knew he had work to do and he Just set
tied squarely down to business | had
many Il time before been impressed with
the marvellous speed of the Jack rabbit,
but ! never before witnessed anything like
this. There was Il patch Of scrub and
sage brush something more than a quarter
OF mile off; he struck ber-linc for II
and in spite Of AL the hounds could It"
he made il. We We're well m0"nt,4i, ijuc
when the rabbit and the hounds reached
cover VIC were far in the rear. There
was danger now Of change IL Il trjNA
rabbit as the GREYHOUND hurts only by
sight As WE rode nj tn" hourA> wore
| .1o LII