The Washington herald., 1913-11-09

great herds OF elk, which are shyer than
the smaller beasts. In April We found the
elk weak after the short commons and
hard living OF winter.
Once without much difficulty regularly
rounded up a big band Of them, so that
John Burroughs could look at them. |
90 not think. however, that he cared 70
see them as much as ! did. The birds
interested him more, especially tiny
owl the size Of a robin which we saw
perched on the top OF tree in mid-aft-
ernoon entirely uniniuenced by the sun
and making queer noise like q cork
being pulled from a bottle. was rather
ashamed to find how much better his
eyes were than mine in seeing the birds
and grasping their differences
Famous Dinner Recalled.
When wolf-hunting in Texas. and when
oear-hunting in Louisiana and Missis-
sippi, was not only enthralled by the
sport, but also by the strange new birds
and other Great. res. and the trees and
nowers 1 had not known before. By
the way, there was one feast at the
White House which stands above all 9TH
ere In my -nemory-even above the time
when i lured Joel Chandler Harris
thither for a night. deed in which TO
triumph, as all who knew that invet-
erately shy recluse will testify. This
was ''the bear hunters dinner" had
been treated so kindly by my friends on
these hunts, and they were such fine
fellows, men whom / was SO proud to
think Of as Americans. that / set my
heart on having them at a hunters din
ner at the White House. One December
1 succeeded: there were twenty or thirty
Of them, all told, as good hunters. as
daring riders. as first-class citizens as
could be found anywhere; no finer set
OF guests ever sat at meat in the White
House; and among other game on the
table was black bear, itself contrib
uted by one of these same guests.
When / first visited California IL was
my good fortune to sec the big trees"
the Sequoias, and then TO travel down
into the Yosemite with John Muir. OF
course, Of all people in the world he
was the one with whom It was best
worth while thus to see the Yosemite.
He told me that when Emerson came 70
California he tried to get him to come
out and camp with him, for that was
the only way in which 10 see at their
best the majesty and charm OF the
Sierraa But at the time Emerson was
getting old and could not 90.
Hermit Thrushes Sang.
John Muir met me with a couple OF
packers and two mules to carry our
tent. bedding, and food for a three days
trip. The first night was clear, and we
lay down In the darkening isles Of the
great SeQuoia grove. The majestic
trunks, beautiful In color and In SYM
metry, rose round US like the pillars OF
a mightier cathedral than ever was con-
csiyed even by the fervor Of the MID
die Ages. Hermit thrushes sang beau
tifuliy In the evening, and again, with
a burst of wonderful music. at dawn.
] was interested and a little surprised
TO lind that. unlike John Burroughs. John
Muir cared little for birds or bird songs
and knew little about them. The hermit
meant nothing TO him, the
trees and the flowers and the cliffs
everything. The only birds he noticed
or cared for were some that were very
such as the water ousels-
always particular fayorites of mine, too.
The second night We camped in a snow
storm on the edge Of the canyon walls,
under the spreading limbs of a grove of
mighty silver frs; and next day VIC went
down into the wonderland of the valley
itself. I shall always be glad that ! was
in the Yosemite with John Muir and in
the Yellowstone with John Burroughs.
Like most Americans interested in birds
and books. know a good 6eal about Eng
Ish birds rs they appear in books l
know the lark OF Shakespeare and Shell
ey and the Ettrick Shepherd: know the
of Milton and Keats; know
cuckoo; I know mayis and
merle singing in the merry green wood
1f the old ballads; I know Jenny Wren
and Cock Robin OF the nursery books. |
Therefore I had always much desired to