Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-01-24

cut work OF this dog l can appreciate
the truth of the suggestion made by
an old sportsman when he said, Give
me a $4Oo dog and a SO gun rather
than a costly weapon and cheap
dog
Now to the shooting. Tuesday came
and duly equipped We three men and
the dog with another handsome young
Gordon bitch walked out of the town
limits about mile, and in a stubble
next to thy broad pike, a small covey
rose wild, out of which we got two
birds later; one over a stylish point
Of Belle, the only one the dogs found
so scattered was the entire covey; the
other bird was walked up. Here |
saw sample of the kind of men with
whom l was in company; when Belle
struck this bird, was invited to step
up and take the shot, courtesy Of
fered many times afterwards and am
afraid too often taken advantage of.
The next covey was found in an
adjoining field in some tall grass and
q heartv if was. Both dogs stood
handsomely and trio of birds fell
when the covey rose. Here we were
joined by two other gentlemen; and
not having dogs, they were alsoin
to take their turn as our dogs pointed.
Hunting over this farm we passed
over ground where no less than five
coveys had been located besides those
we did find and not a feather could
we strike; it was rather warm, one
dog, the Gordon, became sick, and
Belle was just recovering from Sc
we're cut in one foot, so that having
enough birds to give us taste each 1t
was decided to return home shortly
after lunch and hunt another direction
the next day we went after birds.
Wednesday had been appointed for
a grand rabbit hunt in what was known
as Scrabble Woods" About three
o'clock on the morning of that day,
two gentlemen from some distance back
in the country drove up to our house
and naturally when we found who they
were it was an easy task to get up and
ioin them about the stove. These
were two brothers by the name of
Henry and two better men never
stepped in shoe leather Full Of fun,
fond of hunting, especially Brer Rab-
bit, it did not take longt to get acquaint-
ed and time flew until the hour ar
rived to start. 1t was something OF a
drive to get to our destination but 1t
was well worth a longer drive.
Picture a piece of pines and scrub
oak and rocks and general rough coun-
try, wild as though man was unknown,
stretch perhaps three miles long and
half as wide, full Of a picturesque kind
of place called "sink holes, and the
reader can get a sort of idea of "Scrab-
bic Woods" This was a notorious
place FOR bunny and we struck enough
trails to warrant the fact of game be-
ing there; but we were handicapped
somewhat in having two Of my pack
with us, both straight-legged dogs and
good samples of chain lightning; the
other three were bassets and two slow
where my dogs were too fast, so such
rabbits as were started were run into
sink holes before gun could do much
damage.
Later in the day we got into a Sec
ton where the dogs had a better
chance and killed six before we took
up for home. Inquiry at the place
where we left our horses developed
the fact that thirty-fve rabbits had
been killed in this woods the day be-
fore by a party from Martinsburg
which was some excuse for our bao
luck there being no law on rabbits IL
this county they are hunted from Sep
tember to March, and only the nun
erous places of refuge save them from
determination.
Thursday my friend and l had i
all to ourselves, our other friend be
ing unable to get away from his busl
ness; his dog was quite sick so Bell
was our only dependence, and nobly
did she get down to her work. Gu
first point of departure was larg
stubble where at least one covey wa
known to be, and Belle struck 1t al
most before we were ready for it W
took five birds from this covey an'
while looking for stragglers the bItct
roaded up to another which paid tol
and dropped into small woods thes
were followed up and some found bu
the large majority seemed to hay
evaporated. Taking to the field agaI
to look up one bird marked down, W
found another tremendous covey tha