Arizona republican., 1910-02-06

hunt, but a camping trip and quail hunt combined. We three had been out together before. and had so en- joyed ourselves that we had decided to go again. and planned especially for this trip. profiting. of course. by past experience.
 I worked two whole days making a grub box suitable for the occasion. having also in mind future trips. worked so faithfully and painstak- ingly on it that my wife was moved to say: If l would only do SIS well would accomplish something worth while"
 She is a good wife. and meant well, but then she Is only woman after all, you know.
 We were finally ready to start. I had a team trained to stand fire. or to stand anywhere when they were not going; a borrowed spring wagon loaded with food. bedding. ammuni- tion, and that grub box. If you had seen it's contents you would have said surely we were not going out to starve.
 For besides being filled with regu- lar rations in abundance. AIS wife put in a grape pie. a lot of apples and oranges, and a friend donated a mince pie; things that old hunters and campers taboo, all of which led me to predict that we were too well fixed to have any luck.
 And that was not all. Al had a mattress to sleep on. with regular fao r.tll fn tho lid nf fha grub box was made so that when it was opened it made a table. and we had regular folding chairs to sit on.
 Who ever heard of hunters going out on a trip with an outfit like that? It would do for women and children or tenderfeet. but for regu- lar hunters! Well. as I before re- marked, we were too well fixed to have any luck.
 We went out on the Cave Creek road, crossed Paradise valley. and went over on the Verde river. about eight miles above old Fort Mcdowell.
 We made our first camp about a mile the other side of the Rio Verde canal, in Paradise valley. l call it a canal only by way of courtesy. for the only water it carries comes di- rectly from the clouds.
 As I had predicted. we had no luck. not seeing a quail on the road. although on our former trip over the same ground we had killed enough for our first meal. So Joe and Al decided that the pies must go. and the grape pie went. together with some other things.
 ,& fr nAl fe. a typical Arizona desert, although there are thousands of acres of as good land as the Salt River valley itself can boast, lacking only water to make it a real paradise.
 There is a charm in the desert that comes over one who has travelled and camped in its expanse. and since first crossed it, in~1S74. there have not been many years that l have not taken trip of some kind over it..
 First is was to hunt deer and an-' telope; then to prospect, and now for quail. In the early days antelope roamed it's plains. while the foothills to the north were full of black-tailed deer But they have all passed. and a, deer in that section now would be deemed curiosity. and it has been over twenty years since l saw my last antelope.
 But the lure of the desert remains. the pure atmosphere. coupled with the solemn stiffness that pervades. produces in one feeling of peace and rest. which for one who is run down and worried with the cares of business excels all the tonics and nerve cures of the world
 But to return to our hunt: Tn the we travelled northeast across the desert. Palo verde and ironwood dotted the landscape. The giant Sahuara here and there lifted his head above the surrounding growth. like a grim sentinel ever on the watch. with o-co-ta. which is neither tree, bush or cactus. but ap- parentiy a mixture of all three. his arms skyward. and desert brus and cholla sprinkled lib- | orally between; these are the natural growth of the desert.
 As we passed. an occasional jack l rabbit would sit for a moment on his 1 hind legs. gravely inspecting us. then hurry away in that pe- culiar half lope and half run of his. l Once in while little bunch of | brown. with a white spot in the rear, | would dart across some open place, ! the we'll known cottontail, | ! choice bit of game for the small ! boy and tenderfoot. but ignored by | he true quail hunter.
 Occasionally a hawk would sail | aZily over us. or sitting at a safe f distance on the top of a sahuaro or | ronwood. calmly view our passage.
 Early that morning we flushed a inc covey. which was soon on their | way to distant parts. One that I winged took refuge in a hole. from I which I pulled him. secretly feeling | iorry for the poor bird. but openly f ,oasting over Al and Joe at having II ,agged the first quail on the trip.
 We saw no more, however, until III nearly noon. the boys becoming dis Why! we were seeing lI quail along the road last year." said Toe. T wonder what has become of hem?" said Al. Didn't tell you we II were too we'll fixed?" says I. III
 Al got so nervous that he shot III everal cottontails: even conde- cended to kill one; and l believed Joe hot couple, so desperate had we 'ecome.
 Finally. when we made our noon amp, Joe came in with five quail. II had found one somewhere that ould not get out of his way, and had III