The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-09-26

Ry z. K. MuNKIrTRIcK.

ing vacantly out OF the window. said
to the stranger who sat beside him:
"I'm glad some Of the woods are
left. tell you, these fine houses with
cupolas, and cast-iron animals on
the grass, are the things that give
these regions setback
"How so7r inquired the other,
with look OF surprise.
why. because they spoil the hunt
ing. There used to be time that
the game was so plentiful around
here that there really wasn't any fun
in shooting 1t. 1t seemed cruel.
Sometimes l have seen two part
ridges sitting on rail fence, but /
would't shoot at them direct, because
II didn't seem sportsmanlike. would
put bullet in the gun and fire at
rock and try to carrom on the birds.
Sometimes would fire against a
rock and have the ball come back
and kill bird behind me. It took
some practice, OF course. but finally
got so / could do 1t without much
chance of missing. Those draw
shots I was always proud Of"
"The game must have been abund
ant" said the. other.
Indeed 1t was. / have seen quail
sitting In strings on the pump
handle, and once a hawk swooped
down on the brass rooster on the
weather-vane, and was split as for
the grill Why, 1t got so that the
cats would not kill the birds, and |
have frequently set rat-traps for
woodcock because they became
nuisance, but made fine fertilizer.
Sometimes they would fly into the
rooms, like June-bugs, and we had to
keep tennis rackets handy to knock
them down with. All kinds of birds
became so monotonous on the table
that corned beef was developed into
real luxury. One day l was out
driving when big thunder storm
came up, and great cloud of birds
was moving over me and In the same
direction. They kept the rain off.
and not a drop touched me, while
many Of the birds dropped to the
earth, drowned"
The man of hunting "reminiscences
paused for breath and wiped away
tear of regret regret for the changed
condition of things-when the other
said:
"You must notice the change
greatly"
Indeed / do" replied the hunter.
ut is getting so that 1t all you can do
to find game in the market. / keep
retriever now, but he doesn't know
what his mission on earth is. We
use him to retrieve the tennis balls
that are Knocked beyond the bound
ary line. In the olden days my re-
triever would watch the birds skim
ming close to the grass in circles, and
he would circle in the same way until
the birds thought he was only play
Ing, like themcelves. Then he would
reverse suddenly, meet a bird and
capture it on the fly"
did you have any other game be-
sides birds?" asked the stranger.
"We did; we had wild cats that
used to destroy everything, But they
made fine sport. We used to stalk
them. We would sit in the dining
room in easy chairs, and put the tiger
skin rug out on the grass The wild
cats would be attracted to it, and
then we would blaze away. But now
these fine houses and roads and
things have driven all the game away.
and that's why / am down on pro-
gress. In order to keep the birds
out of the garden I used a number
of stuffed snakes. You see, the birds
were afraid of being charmed and
eaten, so they kept away, and gave
me chance to go shooting without
sitting down to 1t on the back stoop.
Now one day when the stuffed snake
had frightened a plover into hyster.
les, looked and happened to notice
the leopard skin rug, and what do
you think? One of the sheep that
had strayed in went scampering off,
terror stricken, and l noticed then
that the leopard rug was changing
its spots"
The hunter paused for a moment,
and the stranger, feeling that he must
say something to fill the gap, asked.
What did you do then?"
Il just sat and watched" replied
the old hunter; "and what do you
think-the spots began to change
into stripes, and then into checks,
and from one to the other. till II
looked like kaleidoscope tiger, and
] got frightened and fed. I tell you,
this building and improving amt no
good when it interferts with hunt
ing. and there ought TO be a game