The sun., 1903-03-22
Winter Sport Still to Be
Had in the Woods.
A GULF COAST SQUIRREL HUNT.
Quick Shooting Needed to Kill
Quails at This Season.
DifYerent Behavior Of the Red and the Gray
squirrels-Tactics OF the sportsman
Who wants TO Dag Them-Re markable
Exhibition by Dos on the Scent OF
QuaiI-Pickerei shooting Interesting
Though lnlawful--The Quails in spring

Exhibition by . Dos on the scent OF
QuaiI-Pickerei shooting Interesting
Though lniawful-The Quails in spring
Alphonse had come up from the hold OF
the houseboat Skeeter with dozen green
winged teals which had been lying upon
ice for ten DAYS. He purposed TO stew
these whole in pot with pod OF green
pepper, an onion. some potatoes and just
q suspicion Of garlic. The Farmer saw
the ducks az the old cook passed with them
and remarked:
I'm getting little tired OF fowl Seems
10 me that can feel feathers growing out
under my shoulder blades. Suppose We
try the squirrels. There's nothing better
than young squirrels, fried. baked or
stewed, and it's fun getting them
SO they tramped up the left bank OF
Bayou Marie. the pine hills looming dark
TO the northward Even SO early tender
sprigs Of grass had forced themselves
through the brown earth 40 that all the
surface had simmer Of green.
Spring was in the air. which was soft
and warm, with fresh smell. A bluebird
Gang from the lowest bough Of blackberry
Hieh I'D two fish-hawks sped to the west
NaTu, IOuOWuk Nilc NooTN '''' @'Ny
were mated and their nest was already
built lust a bundle OF sticks In the hollow
OF bluh.
The surface OF the bayou was dimpled
bv countless little fishes at play. They
made 10000 tiny rings as they darted, and
the Farmer looking at them with wise eye
muttered that in few days at furthest
tarpon would he ripping his fell way up
Ill tNah 10 frnn
Swallows red and blue SKINNED along
the bank. and once they caught, faint, far
and fine. a single call OF the cock quail.
II was a lonely Bob White whistle and the
little fighter that made it was trying merely
to recall his song Of year ago He had
no serious thought Of love just then.
Spring Creek runs down boldly from
the hills to join the waters Of Bayou Marie,
and when they struck it they turned up
I, over rolling land. Ten minutes later
they were moving noisclessly over a thick
carpet of brown pine needles and overhead
the slight breeze made its steady moan,
like, and vet unlike, the far away pound
ing of surf.
The dark, straight. brown boes were all
around them, the sun strove through the
thick branches and made patterns OF gold
on the needles. the air was damp, the earth
redolent OF the pine and a red-headed
woodpecker sounded rat-tat-tat on a dead
hickory like joiner making a coffin.
A coughing chatter sounded near them
They stopped in their tracks and the Farmer
depressing his chin, gave an answering
chatter Dead silence reigned. He waved
his hand and slipped behind a tree. and
they followed his example.
There was a wait Of full minute with no
sound save the breeze whispering. The
Farmer chattered once more. A couple
OF short, angry barks replied to him.
The other men were at a loss to say whence
they came, but the Farmer said, quite as a
matter of course: Hes in that pine over
there pointing 70 a huge tree which stood
twenty yards to the right on the very sum
init OF little rise. 1t was a giant OF the
forest, this tree. Maybe for 500 years II had
been growing, and its topmost branch waved
not less than 200 feet from the ground
That said the Farmer, lis fox squirrel
and as smart as others Of his kind, You'll
notice that he has got the biggest tree
around here and he Il near its top. 20 far
up that a shotgun loaded with squirrel shot
will not take him down. That's why |
brought the rife You fellows get abreast
and move slowly around the tree twenty
yards from its base. I'll see IL ] can't fool
him
The men moved as requested and the
Farmer remained IN hiding behind a stunted
ash Its limbs were bare Of leaves and lac
could see through them
The fox squirrol. his body hAttened
against the trunk ~ the pine and away
up. watched them a. they strolled. liz
had sern the four Of them when b. CAV.
his cough % in-llt ant challsn ge he had
sssen them ~ into hiding nud that had
Amu.ei hm ApS b. saN them com,
out again, or thought that h. ssw them
and his busines- Sas to keep 'h. tree be-.
t~ecn him And them ani occasionally "a
abuse them
lie surrr~i from fiJ.i defect. hr could
not oDuni auv igh'f than ihIor In'
fourth man hai -,"apvd his mnmop
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