The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-27

meath his calico hide than You would ever
credit him with possessing.
Our guide always led the way. his fTy-
ing pan and coffee pot jingling at his saddle
az he went. your humble servant IN second
place and the Kentucky Colonel bringing
up the rear with Nancy's ears Hopping
rythmically. keeping time to every sure
footed step abe gave AZ Ne frequently
camped in the tangle Of a wild wood we
always carried jug Of water for drinking
purposes and also TO make coffee when
We halted az noon After mounting and
the guide had called the dogs q smashing
brace Of pointers. one liver and white and
the other as black ~ night. We made q
short detour 40 a. to pass through the
outer fringe Of the orange grove. some
OF the golden beauties We selected for our
luncheon would weigh as much as pound
and half and they we're no cool To the
touch that they were refreshing TO handle.
There isn't a foot Of volusia county.
in which our camp - located. that our
guide DOESN'T know. having lived and
hunted there since mis- childhood. and his
pony seemed TO know by intuition whittier
MS master was going a few minutes
after we had ambled along the sandy
pathway through the pines. the ground
carpeted with needles rustling at the
tread OF our animals feet. There n an
abundance Of quail and IN the season
many snipe within Ave miles Of the house.
ana ottentimes tho former would be found
within a short distance Of home. feeding
in I he woOda.
The bulk Of our shooting. however.
was found amo ng the scrub palmettos
and our dogs were 40 stAnch and held
their points 40 well that We were never
worried or perturbed. but dismounted
IesiureIy and prepared 20 shoot. The
guide. with his years Of experience knew
unerringIy which wav the birds would
Nv ana ne invariably gave ~ directions
when 10 shoot. after which with a warning
OF Careful. boys TO the dogs. he would
walk in slowly anu niIsh the quarry.
The beviea in Florida run pretty large
and they scatter pretty we'll. as there Is
an abundance Of cover. and great caution
mI,ut he exerciaed in handling the dogs.
Preauently three or four birds will get up
on the initial rise. and the impression is
aometimes conveyed that there are no
more birds IN the immediate vicinity,
For that reason our dogs were trained
to move very carefI1y and deliberately
once game was found.
-On one occasion about three weeks
ago We only got up two birds which the
dogs found but within a radius OF 300
feet We baRget an even dONen. The
paIInet'o grows about knee high and the
ground ~ covered With the dead tronds
and the hns fibre which the plant sheds
80 ahundantly 90 certain seasons.
As We were searching for health and
recreation and not Tor meat. ne we're
content u We found half . dozen bevtes
in the morning and ! must confess A. Tar
as 7 was personally concerned the pure
ioy Of being immersed in the rich. mellow
sunshine. listening TO the birds. watch
ing the ears OF my horse a. they played
intelligently. following the range OF the
dogs and being IN the society OF two such
good friends played quite as important
a part in the pleasures Of the dsy A.
shooting the birdH.
$50 inviRnrating ~ the air OF that por-
ton Of Florida 81 which : arm speaking
that we found ourselves consulting the
watches long before the sun had reached
the meridian and Time for lunch. Frank
was a frequent query. We knew when
ever the gu ide headed Tor a shady tree
that there wosild he something appetizing
forthcoming. and that too With a celebrity
that would make the average Chef with
an ZAP 10 date charcoal outfit at his dis
posal rub his eyes in anazesnent.
MY part Of the work was 20 collect some
dead palmettos for FIRE. While ] would
10 gathering theae Frank would cut
some stout switches about four feet long
SHARPENING both ends. Placing the pal
mettos IN q compact bunch these switches
were thirst into the ground i'm pairs
one above the other Immediately behind
them.
Opening the saddle bags a nice steak
or some chops would he taken oUt or per-
haps half dozen quail or a brace 81 yell
low legged chickens. plump as partridges
The frying pan would find a resting place
beneath the switches. tho lower range OF
which was Transformed into improyi~ed
spits. upon which would he impaled the
steak chops. chicken or birds We had
brought along
Upon the upper row. or " we were
having a single steak upon one 81 the
upper rows. Of switches would he trans
fixed a piece 81 bacon which had been
scored with q sharp knife clean 20 the
rind. eaving tho delicious layers not more
than a sixteenth OF an inch IN thickness
still alta ched The TInd side would he
next TO the blaze during the first moments
after the Are had been lighted. The heat
caused a attraction Of the tough hide
and the layers opened under the influence
81 the fire like the leaves Of book.
Pepper and salt having been used to
satisfy the taste and tho frying pan being
in place. the position % tho bacon was
reversed 80 that the juicy strips Of lean
and fa' were close 10 the FIRE. and soon
the DROPS % luscious fat we're Dropping
upon the meat beneath. permeating IL
thoroughly Not a morssi was lost. tho
frying nan catching the drippinGB and
when the word TO sit dowulwas announced
I ny Frank you should 80 IN eat.
SEATED around that frying pan into
which ~ were AZ liberty - dip oar bYead
we had a least tha' would make l.ucullua
weep Napkins, Hardly.
AtteT that there we're the oranges
- many az YOU could eat. and then he
( "oHee ana the cigars. Frank coffee Won
cp,ilfn beat and that old black. battered
con~s pot that you could 600 your face
"a. q had been secured 90 many ttma8I