The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-03-07

~
agreed to joyously by my young
companions. Preparations were in
stantly set on foot; weapons ana
provisions provided; the two elder
boys carrying guns, while they
gave me charge of the water
flask and a small Ratchet.
Leaving everything in as gooo
order. as we could at the tent we
proceeded toward the stream, ac-
companied by the dogs. Turk, who
had accompanied you on your flrst
expedition, seemed Immediately to
understand that we wished to pur-
she the same route, and proudly
led the way.
GAS | looked at my two young
sons, each with his gun, and con-
sidered how much the safety oil
the party depended on these lit
tie fellows, l felt grateful to you,
dear husband, for having acqua1nt-
ed them in childhood with the use
of firearms.
"Filling our Watering, we eros
sed the stream, and went on to
the height, from whence, as you
described a lovely prospect is OBJ
tanned, at the sight of which a
Measurable sensation of buoyant
hope, to which l had long been a
stranger, awoke within my breast
"a pretty little wood in the
distance attracted my notice par
ticularly, and thither we directed
our course But soon finding 1t
impossible to force our way
through the tall, strong grass,
which grew in dense luxuriance
higher than the children's heads,
we turned toward the open beach
on u left, and following it, we
reached a point much nearer the
little wood, when, quitting the
strand, we made toward it.
"We had not entirely escaped
the tall grass, however, and with
the utmost fatigue and difficulty,
were struggling through the reeds,
when suddenly a great rushing
noise terrified us all dreadfully. A
very large and powerful bird
sprang upward on the wing. Both
boys attempted to take aim, but
the bird was far away before they
were ready to fire.
"'Oh, dear, what a pity! eX-
claimed Ernest; now if had only
had my light gun, and if the bird
had not flown quite so fast,
should have brought him down di-
rectly!'
ooh yes said l, no doubt you
would be a capital sportsman, IL
only your game would always
give you time to make ready
comfortably
"But l had no notion that any
thing was going to fly up just at
our feet like that cried he.
ga good shot I replied, must
be prepared for surprises; Meth.
er wild birds nor wild beasts will
send you notice that they are
about to fly or to run
sWha sort Of bird can 1t
have been?' inquired Jack.
ooh, it certainly must have
haen an eagle answered little
Franz, it was so very big!'
".Just as if every big bird must
be an eagle!' replied Ernest, IN
a tone of derision.
"Let's see where he was sit
ting. at all eventsi' said |.
"Jack sprang toward the place,
and instantly a second bird, rath'
er larger than the first, rushed
upward into the air, with a most
startling noise.
"The boys stood staring upward
perfectly s~tupefied, while | laugh
ed heartily, saying, Well, you are
~first-rate sportmen, to be sure!
You certainly will keep my lard
err famously we'll supplied
"At this, Ernest colored up, and
looked inclined to cry, while Jack
put on a comical face, pulled of
his cap, and with a low bow,
called after the fugitive:
"tAdieu for the present, sir! ]
live in hopes of another meeting!'
"On searching the ground care
fully, we discovered a rude sor'
Of nest made untidily of dry grass.
1t was empty, although we per
ceived broken egg shells at no
great distance, and concluded that
the young brood had escaped
among the grass, which, in fact,
we could see was waving at a
little distance, as the little birds
ran through it.
CHOW look here, Franz said
Ernest presently, just consider
| how this bird could by any pos
sibility have been an eagle. Eagles
! never build on the ground, Meth
err can their young leave the
nest and run as soon as they are
out of the egg. That is a peculi-
arity of the gallinaceous tribe OF
| birds alone, to which then these
must belong. The species, l think
is indicated by the white belly
and dull red color of the wing
coverts which | observed in these