The San Francisco call., 1908-08-23

Wild things which live ell about
uH IN the nelds and streams and
feTsSta-
when the world was young every
body was q naturalist Human kind
studied the animals and nshes and
birds because without this knowledge
came starvation
Now that the world is old people
are beginning 20 be ashamed OF kill
inG and are studying how TO save the
furred and fsathersd folk OF the far
&ne near places.
The incidents IN this story are not
taken from books; they were not told
us By Indians or by any one else; they
ere not what we guess e grouse would
de. They are facts. No incident is re-
corded which we have not seen with
cur own eyes.
A TRUE GROUSE STORY
''Pr-r-rrt, pr-r-rrrt pr-r-r-r-rt."
sounded q soft call from beneath q
fallen branch al the foot OF a great
hemlock tree.
It was q June evening in the seldom
visited hills OF northern Idaho, where
ths wild things, undisturbed by man,
are natural and not too much afraid.
We stopped suddenly and stood mo-
tionIess. searching with our eyes for
sight OF the bird. for by that musical
note Of alarm we knew that a rufred
grouse was close at hand.
A CLASSY black bead, two Of them,
close to the deep scanned bark of the
hemlock finally are noticed, and then
we see what had been in plain sight
all the time, q mother grouse upon her
nest.
The soft. white fecked brown of her
beautiful body blended IN perfect har-
rnony with the rough bark of the tree,
the earth and the mottled shadows OF
the last slanung sun rays falling
through the sprays Of needle like leaves
OF the protecting bough above.
Too far away she was for good
photograph. so we cautiously moved
step nearer .P-r-r-r-rt p-r-r-r-rt.
p-r-r-r-rt." protested the grouse and.
rising from her nest, she beat dig
nifed retreat
Near ct hand lay fallen log, and be-
yond this steep bank sloping down
70 q brook
Madame Grouse jumped TO the top
OF this log. looked at US for a mo-
rnent. called "P-r-r-r-rt, p-r-r-r-rt,"
and then hoped down and made her
way out OF sight over the bank.
Gently we lifted q dropping spray OF
tiny branch and studied the nest
Ten beautiful white eggs the size OF
those laid by bantam hen were there
in a rude depression among the brown
needles and dead leaves Of the FIR. ce-
dar. pine and hemlock trees
There was no attempt to make
soft nest. For the most part the eggs
lay on the warm. dry earth.
The camera was swiftly focused, the
bulb pressed and a picture of the nest
and eggs was indellbly transferred to
the plate within. Regretfully we
turned 10 go.
VIII she come back?" whispered my
companion. What picture she would
make on the nest.
we viii watch and see.~ said L
About two rods away we seated our
selves on a fallen cedar and waited.
The sun dipped behind distant peak
and in a moment the cold, gray shad-
ors spoiled our last chance for pic
ture that day.
Three four, FIVE minutes went by
and we were silently reproaching our
selves for having driven the mother
bird away. fearing that the eggs would
GROW cold. when like shadow. and as
noisesess. we saw the mother upon the
log bv the nest. For a few seconds
she stood looking anxiously toward
us. then hoped down and in a second
the nest was blotred out We knew
exactly where she was. but it was
dffcult to see her.
In our dry and comfortable tent OF
vaterproofed silk that night we heard
the beating of a furious rainstorm.
and for six long rainy days we waited
for the sunshine and a chance 70 visit
the nest by the old hemlock.
The morning OF the seventh day
dawned bright and beautiful and by
nnidforenoou. when the hot rays OF the