Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-03-03

taking deep draughts. Having finish
ed. he hoped back inIo the thicket.
After a short period of waiting, |
heard in the chapparal behind me the
/ soft coo. COO of a quail plotting his
flock. Presently he emerged from the
underground about Is feet away, and
Immediately discovered me. He cock
ed his eye at me and uttered a warn
+ ing cheep, cheep. l sat perfectly still.
He moved a few feet away and took
another look at me. A number OF
others now Joined him, and all care
fully surveyed the intruder. Curiosity
satisfied. the whole bevy descended the
bank to the spring, leaving a picket on
a nearby limb Meanwhile two other
bevies were approaching the drinking
place from different directions. Two
or three skirmishers were always in
advance. and nothing escaped their
vigilant eyes.
The dry waterway was some 40
yards broad and was dotted here and
there with a small clump of unGer
growth or cottonwood tree which in
terfered but little with my view. With
in 80 minutes there gathered within
my view between $50 and 400 quail, of
whom only Is or 20 could drink at one
time. The thirsty waited their turn
with Impotence, and frequently two
cocks would meet near the water and
fly at each other precisely like couple
of bantams. While intent upon this
scene, suddenly 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 20 feet from him,
screened by some weeds, large-sized
powerfully built wildcat Just before
reaching the water the hare stopped,
reared up and looked carefully in every
direction. The cat lay perfectly stin,
glued to the earth The intensity Of
its emotion was displayed by blood
comfortable tremor of the short,
stumpy tail. The hare, seeing no dan
ger, went forward and began to drink
In few seconds he hoped away few
, feet. and again scrurinized 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. /
was so interested in the spectacle that
| spoke, involuntarily, Nov 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,
returned the way he came, with the
cat pursuing him behind the screen Of
weeds. In about five minutes the cat
returned, evidently disappointed of his
quarry, and crouched in the edge of a
thicket near the spring
The quail now began to emerge from
their hiding places. l expected the cat
to stalk them, but he paid no attention
whatever to them. At this juncture |
suddenly lost interest in both cat and
quail, as on the opposite side of the
canyon, some hundreds of yards away,
saw deer cross a narrow opening in
the high brush. His direction was to-
ward the spring, and after 10 or Is
minutes he crossed another opening
some 200 yards away VIII wards
nearer he exposed himself Fl -
fired my little 1880 Carl Hs
turned and plunged along the hillside.
giving me another shot After a
couple of jumps he stopped. collapsed
and rolled heavily down the steep hill
side into buckeye thic1et.