The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-11-29

ride forth into a veldt with friend
and a brace of pointers, with the
blessed feeling that you have not a
care In the world beyond the march OF
your wagon to tho next water; to be
absolutely certain of some pretty
shooting in wild country innocent OF
farms and fences; to return to camp to-
ward evening with perhaps ten or
twelve braces of birds and small
buck-tnese things, to the average
healthy male, seem as near perfection
as may be found in this vale Of tears.
1t Is 8 o'clock on bright April
morning in South Bechuanaland. The
air Is full Of light, brisk and wonder
fully exhilarating. Four gunners have
just breakfasted under the lee OF their
wagon. Now, having mounted their
ponies-the average South African
horse is seldom more than fourteen
hands, they ride quietly down the
hither side of the shallow valley,
"laagte," it is called in these parts,
wherein they were 'tspanned, and
climbed the farther ri
1t is picturesq, scene. The
slopes are clothed with long growth
OF waving grass, now greenish yellow
after the rains, amid which great
boulders of dark-red rock crop up
Here and there small patches OF blue
green bush start out from the grassy
veldt. Beyond, browning the valley,
begins a thickish woodland OF short
trees-bastard yellow wood, the Beers
| call them-which extends for some
miles in front, till the great open
plains are again reached. AS the gun
ners ride Up the further slope, their
| wagon Is already in motion behind
them, starting upon its days trek
seventeen niles to the next water.
Through the cloar, nimble air come the
| crack of the drivers great whip and
his shrill cries, hurled at the oxen, and
| the unwieldly home on wheels brushes
slowly through the yielding sand. But
| now the gunners have spread out In
line and the pointers are already busy,
Near some boulders one Of the dogs
| feathers a little, then stands rigid as
figure of bronze. The two nearest
gunners dismount. They already carry
their guns and bandoliers, and ride, as
men do in the veldt, in their flannel
shirts with their sleeves well rolled up
the arms. There is little to incumber
| their movements. Brooches, CATERS
and stout boots, shirt and a shady
hat, are all that man needs in At
! RIGA.
The reins are thrown over the pom
les necks and hang in front of them
and the stays will stand quietly for
hours. Now the gunners are close
upon the pointer, still standing with
rigid tail and outstretched neck. These
| francolin lie close in the long grass.
Where the deuce-!' on sudden up
spring three brown birds within five
feet of the sportsmen. Twenty yards
of law, the guns are up, two light re-
ports from smokeless cartridges and
brace Of birds hit the earth. Almost
instantly a third report follows and
the rear gunner has secured his right
and leftt-not difficult matter with
these francolin. But the pointer is not
vet content. Another brace of birds
| Is found and brought to bag within
thirty yards,
The cartridges are now gathered.
They prove to be the small Coqui fran
colin-"N'swimbi" the natives call
! them-perhaps the most beautiful
game birds in the world. AS one OF
| them lies in the gunners palm for a
| few moments the bright nank-in-yel-
low and orange of the head, the clear,
hawk-like markings of the breast and
the beautiful shape and feathering
mark this partridge of Africa as
gem among its fellows. The birds are
bestowed in a saddle bag and the gun
ners mount and ride into forest on the
| right-hand side of the wagon road.
Meanwhile, their comrades have en-
tered the woodland moro to the left
hand and their guns can be heard al
ready going.
For two hours the sportsmen quietly
walk their horses through the forest,
moving due west. Once their pointer
gets into a small troop Of guinea fowl
Gelving for bulbs, and, after a smart
chase, drives three of them into a tree,
whence, as they fly off. the gunners Sc
cure them easily enough.
At length, after picking up a few
butterflies in the forest clearihgs, for
they carry a net, our gunners emerge
upon broad, rolling, sun-drenched
plains, covered witb long pale yellow
grass. Through these they ride stead
lily hour after, picking up every now
and again head OF two of game. Now
It Is brace of big red-wing partridge
| ,Orange river francolin); now one c.
these annoying, yet handsome, game
birds, the black and white bustard-
,wart koorhaan, the Beers call him
whose very noisy and Gliding ways
are familiar everywhere In open veldt
in South Africa. Now, after keenest
search, leash of tiny bush quail are
| lushed and secured, one after the
,ther having literally to be kicked up
4 hare and solitary "dikkop"-thick-
snee plover--are added to the growing
'ng.