Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-19

documentary covering and internal ar
rangements as are considered superfuous:
and the hen cock or chicken that gazes
up at you so unsuspfciously as you arrive
at the great house an hour or so later may
be reposing on a platter with his toes
turned up to the ceiling. The smaller fowl.
particularly pigeons and chickens, are gem
orally roasted with their feet on. and as
they lie on their backs in suppicatory pose
they present a most affecting spectacle.
on for Bigger Game.
After refreshing night beneath the mos
quito curtains, at dawn next morning 1
was called for a bath, and then. swallow
ing a biscuit and cup of strong coffee, was
off with my guide for the deer preserve.
Whatever may be the heat of the day In
those islands. the nights and early morn
ings are delightfully."- cool; so We tramped
through the lanes and across the fields to
the woods as vigorously as though taking
a spin in the north. The woods were dense.
and we merely Skirted their borders, Keep
ing well in their shadows; for at that hour
the deer would be feeding mostly in the
open fields. Finally my man pointed eager
ly ahead to bunch of wild cattle grazing
quietly some 800 yards away and ex-
claimed: Look dab. sab: yanders fine
buck. right close t dat ole bull My heart,
what hons he got!' Unfortunately for the
success of my plans. the cur dog with
us, who always logged at our heels when
wanted ahead on the trail. saw or smiled
the deer at the same time, and Immediately
Strengthened out his crooked legs and dart
ed off in the direction of the herd yeiDing
In way that would have walked the dead.
OF course, deer in possession of his
faculties would wait for after that rude
salutation, and there was a lightning-like
stampede, not only of three bucks and does,
which had been feeding unobserved, but
of the wild cattle in whose company they
We're.
We tramped all that morning. sew
eral deer at a distance. and signs Of an
innumerable multitude: but the only real
satisfaction I experienced was when VIII
liam Jack my guide, after hard chase.
captured and 'lambasted dat fool dawg
until he begged for mercy.
A turn in the guinea grounds brought me
three fine fowl. and after an hour or two
at the bull hole where ground and turtle
doves were congregated by hundreds, we
went home, laden with spoil.
Said Mr.. Hopkins the Overseer, as we
sat on the veranda after dinner: Day after
tomorrow is Sunday. and the only day I
have off. Just keep shy Of the parson and
III put you up to bunch of deer that
have never been shot at. But NUNS the
word, my boy"
Said the parson as he lighted me to my
room that night: I've got my sermon fin
ished, and not much to do tomorrow. I'll
take you with me over to the Bat cave.
and If we don't get a fine fat buck, going
or coming back. there will be something
amss."
When the overseer ambling off, an
hour after sunrise. on Saturday morning.
he put his tongue in his cheek and nodded
significantly, as much as to say: Soho.
IL you go with the parson today then you'll
have to attend chapel tomorrow" But he
took 1t good-naturedly. 1t was a most en-
joyable ride, along by the shore to Bat
cave, where the Caribs once camped. and
left their stone implements Of warfare as
tokens of their presence here in the past.
Then we routed and followed for awhile
flock OF wild sheep finally coming to big
ceiba tree in a corner of the wall. where the
shade was grateful and the protection COM
plete.
Causing our attendant to take the horses
back a bit on the trail. the parson asked
me to creep up to the wall and look
through a chink, at the same time making
no noise. I did directed, wonderingly,
but still on the alert: for knew there was
method in his proceedings. and. applying
! my eye to the chink in the wall. 1 saw
something that caused me to tremble most
violently and clutch my gun convulsively.
I glanced at my friend, to assure myself
that this was no joke: for there, in front
Of me, not sixty yards distant from the
wall, was fallow "buck complete as big
and proud any that ever coursed through
English park The wind was from him to
us. SO he had suspected nothing in fact.
could not divest myself of the notion that
he was domesticated animal. and l asked
the parSon with my eyes if should shoot.
He nodded yes, and shoot I did. with the
| result that the spare horse we had brought
| along, and at sight of which Mr.. Hopkins
had nearly laughed himself into convul-
sions. was laden with the biggest buck of
| the season as we returned homeward that
forenoon.
In Grateful Mood.
venison that night for dinner together
with the omnipresent guinea bird and con-
comitants of tropic vegetables and fruits,
made a feast fit for anybody, the remem-
brance of which, even at this distant day,
causes thrill Of happiness to pervade my
frame And the next day not only did l
attend chapel myself but induced the over
seer to go with me, much to the joy of the
parSOn, who was nearly overcome by this
unusual happening.
Monday morning found me still in pur-
suit of the wild fowl, but without greater
| reward than one old bird. In the after
noon, however Mr.. Hopkins took me over
to the sea-grape scrub near the buccaneers
tower, and there loaded ourselves with
the rare white-headed pigeons, migratory
birds, which came here to feed on the fruit
of the sea grapes. This fruit is about as
large as small purple plum and sweet.
The pigeons come from other islands for it
and feed upon it voraciously.
AS we returned that evening we crossed
one of the old fields where the trees We're
scattered, and as we rode beneath one of
them out darted what I thought was a
thunderbolt.
Guinea BIRDS" shouted the overseer.
Get out your gum
l needed second warning. and when
another black projectile shot athwart the
sky fired ahead of it, and three big birds
fell crashing to the ground. That was the
end of my shooting in Barbuda. fof. though
L left there bird and beast in abundance, l
had gone the rounds and was content.