The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-07
WHAT PARTR|DGES THINK OF HUNTERS Daudet Tells How the Birds
 Feel FIRST EXPERIENCE Gives Feelings and Emotions of Youthful Members of Feathered Tribe When He Hears
 the Guns
FIRST EXPERIENCE

Translated from Alphonse Daudet, in the
 Hartford Courant.
 Everybody knows that cartridges trav-
 el about in foclSs and hide together in
 the bottom of furrows and that they fly out at the least suspicion of danger
 scattering in ther flight like 8 handful
 of grain thrown from the sower's hand Our band is a gay crowd, with many members. which has settled in a level
 field near the edge of a big wood. There
 is some booty there and, what Is more,
 the best of shelter on two sides.
 Since I have known how to run and got
 well feathered out. I am enjoying life very much. But there is one thing that | bothers me a little. It Is this wonderful opening of the hunt of which our moth- CTS have begun to talk among them selves in low voices. An old bird in our 1 flock used always to say to me when ever this subject came up: Don't be 1 afraid, Rouget," that's what they call me because my bill and feet are red, Don't be afraid, Rouget, I'll take you along with me the first day of the hunt | ing season and I am sure that nothing will happen to you.
 He Is wicked old bird, very old but still lively although he has half circle already on his breast, and some white feathers here and there When he was quite young he got charge of lead in one wing which made him a little slow, so that he thinks twice before flying. Often he led me with him to the edge of the wood. There was out there an odd little house, fin a chestnut grove, si- lent as an empty burrow and always shut
 Look long and earnestly at this house, little one," said the old one to me- When you see smoke coming out of the roof, the ooor and the windows open, that bodes us ill.,.
 I trusted myself to him. as I knew that this was by no means his first opening of the hunting season.
 . One morning not long ago, just as 1t was getting light, I heard someone call ing me in a whisper. "Rouget, Rouget." It was my old friend His eyes stuck out in funny way. Come quick, and do just as 1 do,' he said. l followed him. half asleep, slipping along among the Jumps of earth. without flying or even jumping, for all the world like n mouse. We kept going toward the woods. saw as l went by that there was smoke in the chimney of the .little house, that the windows were open and that before the big open door there were some hunt CTS all ready to start out. with dogs leaping all around them. As we passed, one of the hunters yelled, Let us do the fields this morning and the woods after breakfast
 Then I understood why my old friend was taking us first to the woods, But my heart began to beat fast, especially when 1 thought of all my friends. Here Came the Dogs Suddenly, just as we were getting to the edge of the wood, the dogs began to run toward us. Get yourself out of sight" said my friend in a faint whis- per. Just then. ten steps from us. frightened quail opened wide it's wings and mouth, flew off with a cry of fear. I heard a dreadful noise and we were covered with dust that smelled queer and was white and warm feeling, although the sun was hardly up. I was so afraid that could not run any more. It was lucky thing that we got into the woods at this time. My companion got himself out of sight behind a little oak. and I sat down beside him, and we both stayed there. hidden up, and peck ed through the leaves.
 Out in the field there was an awful fir ing Every time q gun went off I shut up my eyes tight and felt as if ] was dying. Then when I managed to open them I saw the great bare. level field, the dogs running, looking into clumps of grass, running round and round as if mad Behind them hunters were swear ing and shouting. The guns were shin ing in the sunlight. Once In 8 little cloud of smoke l thought I saw, although there wasn't any tree around, something like falling leaves. But my old friend hut feathers-and only too true; little way in front of us fine, gray partridge fell in the burrow. turning back his bleeding head.
 When the sun got very hot the firing stopped suddenly, The hunters came back to the little house. where we heard soon a huge fire cracking. They talked among themselves, guns on their shoul- ders, discussing the shots, while their dogs Jagged on behind, with tongues hanging out. "They are going to have breakfast" said my comrade. Let us do the same" We went into the field of buckwheat. which was near the wood, a big field, white with the flowers and black with the seeds and smelling like almond. Some beautiful pheasants, with reddish brown plumage. were pecbing' there too. keeping their red erests low for fear they would be seen. My. they were far from being as proud as they generally arel As they ate they asked us what the news was and if any of their number had been killed. All the while the breakfast of the hunters which | had begun quietly became louder and louder. We heard glasses clnking and oorks flying out of the bottles. My old
 friend said that it was time to get back
 to our hiding place.
 Seemed To Re Sleeping
 | It seemed as if the wood was sleeping. | The little pond where the deer go to drink was not stirred by the tapping of a single tongue There was not rabbit nose visible in the thyme of the rabbit preserve. The only sound was a myste- rious shudderng, as if every leaf, every | spear of grass sheltered q threatene | life. The game in the woods has so l many places to hide, burrows. thickets. l piles of wood, brush, and then the ditches. ! those little wooden ditches, which hold the water such a long time after it has 1 rained. l own up that 1 should like to 1 have been at the very bottom of one of | these holes, but my companion wished 1 to stay out in the open and to have I plenty of room to see off and breathe