The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-20
A DAY IN CALIFORNIA
Some Things Which Happened at n
Water Hole.
San Francisco Letter to Forest and
Steam.

San Francisco Letter to Forest and
Steam.
Beginning near Monterey in Central
California and running eastward is a
relatively arid strip or territory; the
his quarry, and crouched in the edge
Clusively to the winter months aver
aging about nine or ten inches. From
Aug. l until November water is eX-
ceedingly scarce, in consequence of
which all wild birds and animals con-
centrate in the neighborhood of the
infrequent water holes and springs.
I killed my first deer in this region
nearly forty years ago. At that time
this game was very abundant, and the
hunter was liable at any time to run
across a grizzly. Now, however, the
bear is only a memory, and deer are
scarce. Small game, such as quail,
cottontails and hare, are yet album
dant. l have recently returned from
a deer hunt in this belt, whittier l
went in company with H., my COM
panion of many hunting trips. Break
fasting very early one morning on this
last trip, 1 suggested to H. that
would go up the canyon and secret
myself near a water hole with the
hope that a buck might call to get
drink before lying down for the day.
H. decided to go in the opposite di-
rection after cottontails. as the quail
season was not yet open.
l got to the water hole at daybreak
and found a comfortable hiding place
on a high bank about thirty yards
from the water hole. The latter was
of about the dimensions of an ordinary
hand wash basin, and was situated at
the roots of a clump of willows near
the center of dry waterway. 1 had
sat probably ten minutes, when out
of a brief thicket near by there hop
ped a dainty little cottontail. who made
direct for the water. Before begin
ming to drink he sat up and looked
quickly around. He then applied his
muzzle to the water, and, to my as
constituent, kept it there more than
full minute, taking deep draughts.
Having finished, he hoped back into
the thicket After a short period of
waiting, l heard in the chapparal be-
hind me the soft coo, coo of a quail
plotting his flock. Presently he
emerged from the underground about
fifteen feet away, and Immediately dis
covered me. He cooked his eye at me
and uttered warning cheep, cheep.
I sat perfectly still. He moved a
few feet away and took another look
at me. A number of others now join
ed him, and all carefully surveyed the
intruder. Curiosity satisfied, the whole
bevy descended the bank to the spring,
Meanwhile two other bevies were 9p-
preaching the drinking place from diff
ferent directions. Two or three Skin
mishers were always in advance, and
nothing escaped their vigilant eyes.
The dry waterway was some forty
yards broad, and was dotted here and
there with a small clump of under
growth or cottonwood tree which in
terfered but little with my view. With
in thirty minutes there gathered with
in my view between $50 and 400 quail,
of whom only fifteen or twenty could
drink at one time. The thirsty wait
ed their turn with Impotence, and fire.
quently two cocks would meet near
the water and fly at each other pre-
cisely like couple of bantams While
intent upon this scene, suddenly a
picket, perched near the spring, uttered
a quick note of alarm, and the whole
bevy ran for cover. simultaneously
there appeared, first, a hare making
cautiously for the water hole, and
about twenty feet from him, screened
by some weeds, large-sized, pow
erfully built wildcat. Just before
reaching the water the hare stopped,
reared up and looked carefully in ev-
cry direction. The cat lay perfectly
still, glued to the earth. The intensi-
ty of its emotion was displayed by a
bloodthirsty glitter of the eye, and an
uncomfortable tremor or the short,
stumpy tail The hare, seeing no dam
ger, went forward and began to drink.
In a few seconds he hoped away a
few feet, and again scrutinized the sur
roundings A second time he returned
to the water, this time with his rump
directly toward the cat. Feeling per-
fectly safe, he drank long and deep.
I was so interested in the spectacle
that 1 spoke involuntarily, Now, Bob,
is your chance" But the stupid cat
spoiled the play. He lay hugging the
ground instead of advancing and
springing. The hare, having finished,