The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1910-08-26

prove him a scrub hunter, at least
we may be sure that Roosevelt, the
plainsman, the fair-stalker, the para
gon of woodsmen, must have been
griecously tempted to take a shot at
his guide instead of at the wounded
and helpless quarry. No Western
hunter would have made that mis-
take. No man of spirit, anywhere,
but must know that slaughter is
not sport and that the motive. the
excuse and the zest of hunting, lie
in manlike matching OF courage,
cunning, skill and patience against
the native advantages and incalcul-
able devices of the wild creatures
hunted.
But, il there is reason for pride as
we'll as stock for the harder in a
well-stalked buck and a fair-sent
shot, it is yet sure that the chief
recompense lies beyond and above
these selfish considerations.
Nimrods priceless secret remain
always a riddle to half mankind
One of these keen autumn days,
take your rifle and go alone into
the primeval wilderness and sit on
a dry log beneath some stalwart
oak that is gray and ghostly and
vague above your head. How still
the world is and, as you watch, how
the dimnness of morning twilight
drives like a fog before the breeze
and the glow that comes up from
the east As the day comes stir
ring, you hear a scramble aloft and an
acorn drops in the dead leaves at
your feet. Across a shadowy, brown
aisle in the woods you see a squirrel
scampcr Don't stir. lie has seen
you and you are curious animal,
far more curious to him than he
is to you lie has disappeared be
hind the trunk of a wide tree, and
more acorns are falling Look
quietly aloft and see them-three-
four bright-eycd, flirting, busy,
brown-furred fox-squirrels Early
risers, these little husbandmen of
the wilds, for they are laying in
their winter stores of nuts and
acorns. They are watching you out
Of their beady, black eyes, but they
are too busy to stop work
Raise your rifle now, raise i. ever
so cautiously See them scamper
for safety, letting their fallen NOR
sells rain about you! 1t is not so
easy after all. to catch them un-
awares, these pretty little fellows
who murder nothing, meddle not
with man and work SO hard There
is no need to get up. 1t is useless
TO walk around the tree. They will
scramble around the trce-trunk much
faster than you can run about its
base Sit still and hold your rifle
ready, if you can They want 10
see you. You are an immensely
monster OF course they
are afraid of you. just as YOU are
afraid Of a grizzly bear, of a man
eating tiger, but they can't resist
The temptation 10 stare at you. Some
orowling crows hail, slanting in
through the trcc-tops and perch
swaying in a high spar How pur-
pie they look as the rising sun
shines on their gli,tcniug plumagcl
The squirrels are reassurcd now.
They see the crows sitting seattle
less above you. One OF them
.hrusts his lean head across a bare
imb and peers nj you Now is
.our chance! I'm the eye, mind
.oa'
At the crack of your rifle a splinter
lies from the limb just beside your
argct There's q scratching scurry
& little clawed feet There goes a
fg silver gray lcaping from tree
o tree, Nonder go a dozen flashes
rowu-rcd fox-squirrgls. You have
missed You hear the clutter of
.uy. padded feet among the leaves
nd You sit still. looking up and
WAY where the frightened crows
urtle off in the sunlight. How
lmiuOus are the colors that now