The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
ON A MASSENA QUAIL HUNT
RARE SPORT IN SHOOTING IN THE
SANTA ROSA MOUNTAINS.

Elaborate Preparation Necessary to Gap
turs These svift-Dartina Birds-The
Buckskin Mules and Their Outht-rhe
Meteor Doxs-A Recent Psrty's Trip.
EAGLE PASS Tex, Dec 9--Tho santa Rosa
Mountains, sixty miles north Of here on the Mex
lean side Of the river furnish the only ground
whereon the Massena or black breasted, quail is 70
bo found In reasonable plenty. The bird exisS
in limited quantity among some Of the West Texan
hills and on the table lands Of New Mexico ana
Arizona, but the bevies arc 90 few that no sport
10 70 be had in hunting them. A man would
hold himself 70 be exceptionally lucky II able 70
make bag Of q half dozen In long day OF ard
work II shooting over the Nueces part Of Kinney
county, Tex, OF In any part Of eastern New Mex
leo In tho Santa Rosas bags Of dozen and
half or even Of two dozens not infrcquont.
The Massona quail 10 Of the exact size Of the or
binary brown quail Of the American fields, In
appearance and In habits II differs widely, IL 10
| Of identical celebration on the back, shoulders
head and upper feathers Of the tail. beginning
however. at the base OF tho throat III ming back
over the breast and belly and carried clear TO the
under side Of tho tail II Is Of most beautiful
velvety glossy black, black 30 pure and free
from hint OF color that placed besideit the Amcri-
can crow seems OF strong blush tint.
Its flosh Is not dsting Unstable from that OF It's
brown cousin. though II Is perhaps less open TO
the charge Of dryness II Is, however Hecter OF
foot and stronger Of wing as well as more cratic
OF flight Tho brown quail when flushed in tho
opon will ordinarily sail away a. straighuy
az the wild bee huns 10 It's nest from a flower
chalice, but the black breasted quail develops a
curve OF wide extent Its power oil Hight Is no
great that II II be forcing its way against nigh
wind II will not inircpuenty assume a corkscrcw
motion. not unlike that OF jacksnipc inns Is
duo solely TO the strong current OF air against
which II Ia driving its breast The ordinary
length OF flight OF the brown quail Is inside OF
quarter OF a mile. though II has been known under
exceptional conditions to cover mile. The
black breasted atiail goes habitually half mile
,.to,. ,,i,.hi,,, and ,,h., fairly friVht,ncd ar
De'"'e p'"h'ns anu "ne ', 'ay 49, ", ~,
slightly wounded, no limit has been iound 10 i's
FIRST flight Among tho mountains IL is often
,,..,h,. 4, watch ON. ot these birds crossing a
p ~. w., y, 49,. ", ,,,,,, s,an an. s,,ono.a,
valley ana " Darts on uhNh oNoh "o s"Ohso''
OF eyes are unable to distinguish II.
Sine. /, e.. excccdingiy fleet of foot, boing in
. , -, 4.
this respect tho equal Of the chapparai cock. it
will not lie well 10 the dog. Indeed there are few
pointers or settlers. unless specially trained TO the
spHI "hch VIII WORK ias' enough 'or o''us n'o'
ing with its rapidiiy. On the contrary, dog
trained 10 work ON the fas, moving Massena
80 =, -, -, r., ,,,.i. h.,.,,.,
Mou'u 20 useless ns"'hS' uioNn qua'S, ,,
,,in.I IN ,his r.,io, 10, b,,cr quail hunting 10
,,'i,,., ., ,ho ,,,ioh,.,.J ,t.,.o, str,in uc,.,,
pointer OF Ho o'iep'A"" Ihero' s""'n .iVe''
was dog owned by Jack Hughes, OF Dallas
| and valued AT 81. 600 All Of his got arc large
| - h..,yi.,v.d h.,dho,J.d and ,.ngv
pony hoS'sI""o' n''u"'"Neu Gnu us,
| with remarkable speed and remarkabio noses
II is tho characteristic of the Meteor dog TO run
al, ot M, time unless saynvcIy held in with a
| al VI 'ie u"'c, u'''esS s',"sV'' h''v III WIN -
| whip In work against black qunls' OF even
against the blue quais Of the chapparol it's speed
LAST week party mao UP "' pam J.. Jones
| Henry Gavin. Jake Wilder and Stump" Hardy
~, . w q h',,, -, -.
lh'y un'eil,d III an ambulance oud' 'oi huh,ihs
purposes This means that the ambulance had
ammunition, blankets, negro driver hOsti,r
and cook, a quarter barrel Of mtscal which Is
tin cups. 1t was drawn by four bucEskn mules
| with black strips down their backs and black
stripes around their legs This IS the same as
| say Ing that II was necessary To tie their heads
| to posts before tho harness could be put on them.
once the harness. Is on the method Of getting
folded, as a bucking horse is bllnd:ollcd, aud
| backed into position While the traces are being
hitchcd the intending passengers take thsIr
| places and shut their teeth down hard Tn,
driver climbs into position, gathers up the reills
and gives ,hc order to Swing cr loose. Slmul,
sSe SyS d iI the mules and in three %SGs1 the
ambulance IS only moving and RAPIDLY dimin-
made without trouble II the heads Of the mules
be pointed north. For some mules the country
il comparatively open and fairly level. II is
the calculation that by the time the vehicle caches
a really dangerous part of the country the buck
skins will have been made amcnnhlc 10 reason
through fatigue. They are permitted to run them.
selves To "A s,antsiil After resting Tor three
minutes they are willing, and able Ia go ahead
and do a days work II is a characteristic Of tho
buckskin mule that it must be "br1kcn' every
time IL Is called upon for service Oncc the ilrs,
mad dash Of rebrlllon Is ended. however there
is mo- animal 80 well fitted for labor in this latitude
aud not one capable Of performing 80 mu,h
upon s. little food
When the Jones party started the programm,
was carried out to the letter Before they climbed
in a large number OF sympathixing friends gath
cred about and offered odds that they would al
| II, dead in Ave minutes Eph Henderson M,
| driver only grinncd as he gathered the rein,
into his huge black paws Jones turned ant
Violently cursed his friends Gavin looked /,
see Thai tho guns were securely dashed 10 til,
cheek nfIec,ionateiy on the kcr OF ricscM anC
grnsped il firmly at each end, determined tha
,b.v would 90 through ali right or hrrnk on,
,"g,,her' Tie NEXT moment Eph, lraning Tor
ward and holding the reins loosely in one hand
had called happy Swing 'er LOOSE the helper.
had droppcd The blinders from tho eyes OF IN,
, | h,..i.'i,,,n 'I.,,'ns ~. .,b,i,,c, III -,