Year: 1874

l
parts of my swans to cooking. 1t was
drawing towards sunset when | observed


the swans were settling in line, extend
ing parallel with the shore as far as could


see either up or down the beach, half a


mile out to sea. BY the time the sun had
sank below the horizon the entire host OF


them seemed to have pitched down, and


had formed snow white belt, just outside


the breakers for miles up and down the


coast. There was no apparent commotion


amongst them: no talking or noise going


on. The white stripe formed by them on


the water was half a mile or more wide,


and was much broader at point a mile Oh


so below my position. 1t was the evening


of the 9TH of April, and it seemed like


every thing but myself knew what was to


take place. All that quacking uproar of a


thousand tribes of the feathered race was


hushed up and perfect silence reigned.


was engaged making my repast on the


well-cooked swan, seasoned with salt


thought it was favored a little too much


like mutton, and little too greasy. 1t


was nevertheless, quite palatable, for it


was the first mouthful had tasted since
early breakfast at Churchwell's. 1t was
near 'clock-deep twilight was done
eating, and was thinking about surprising
those swans before day in the morning.
At that moment the shrill note of small
tin trumpet, down at the broad section in
the drift of swans, waking sleeping echoes,


broke the dismal silence. At the sound
of the second blast the note was repeated
at measured distances, running along that
vast belt of birds beyond the range of my
ear-shot. AT the same moment the thresh-


ing storm of wings commenced, which in
creasing every instant, soon surpassed the
din and uproar of the rushing hurricane


They passed square over at a height of not
exceeding thirty feet. They were five min
utes or more in getting past. | could feel
the conclusion of their wings: and some
how or other they seemed to devitalize the
air. My breathing was painfully oppressed
while the living tornado passed over me.
felt like there wasn't air enough like the
swans were using it all up to fly on.


When they were gone and out of hearing
the disagreeable silence returned, and /
sank to the ground, feeling considerable
exhaustion. | have witnessed the STAN
pede of Thousand buffaloes; at another
time six or eight hundred mustangs. had
a million of wild pigeons pass over in a
few minutes; but they all dwindle to insig-
niticance when compared to that flight of
the southern division Of American swans,
on the Texas gulf coast.


| remained at that camp another day and
night. Early in the morning of the second
day, ate some of my swan and proceeded
down to the beach, taking my fish lines.
thought if l could get them l would try
some saltwater fish. When l came near
the sea shore, at the mouth of bayou that
was the outlet to a large lake, saw signs
of many fish. but found no bait that |
could get. There were, lakewards, where
the creek began to widen, many dark spots
in the water, that were really little clouds
of small fish-roaches. | could see the
hawks and gulls picking them up. 1t was
long time before a gull would oblige me
so far as to fly over the land with his fish.
When one did, fired at him, trying to kill
him. ! didn't do that, but my ball passed
near enough to frighten him, SO that he
dropped the little silver sided fish. baited
a hook with it, and casting it as far out in
the creek as the line would reach, let it
sink to the bottom The banks of the
creek were very low, and fringed with long
grass that hung over in the water yard or
more. l let my hook lie some time, and
not getting bite, | drew it ashore, intend
ing to examine the bait and cast it out
again; but as the bait came up through the
grass, it was taken by strong fish that
darted away toward the lake, until my line
was all paid out. He was soon exhausted
drew him forth and found it to be a large
tiounder-a five or six FOUNDER. / said,
another like that will be enough. | threw
in the same bait, and this time it was taken
as it was going down. ! soon found it was
a fish of a different character to the one |
had caught. He put my small line to the
twanging tension, and made it hiss through
the water like swift moving wire. |
doubted its capacity to hold him for a
while; but he played himself out ulti-
mately, and | brought him ashore and
landed him. 1t was red fish, weighing
about eight pounds. | put the other half
of my roach on the hook, and soon got a
! had enough for half dozen
men; so | strung them up and marched up
to my camp. | tied the sheepshead, In
dian fashion, between split sticks and bar
baCued it on the scaffod, making a good
thing of it. ate of this good fish several
times before slept. Before going to sleep
| buried the red fish deep in the glowing
embers, to have him ready for my break
fast. could do nothing with the founder.
/ made my pallet and lay down, feeling
pretty lonely, there was SO little noise.
The swans, pelicans, white fronted geese.
brants and many of the Canadian geese
had disappeared. 1t was calm time all
at once.


After taking very satisfactory break
fast off of my roasted red fish, proceeded
down the clean, hard beach about fifteen
miles, and finding my path obstructed by
the mouth of the Colorado, | turEed to the
right, and having seen enough of the sea
coast, | concluded to beat back up the
country. l saw some small, short legged
deer, before l had made my way out from
the lakes and marshy lands, and tried to
get one of them, but failed. suppose that
their diminished size was attributable to
the poor pasturage they found there.


After | was clear of the marshes the
prairie opened up before me. 1t was
slightly plain, narrowing towards and ex-
tending up the Colorado side. 1t had
heavy sprnkling of fine looking deer, mus
tangs and thousands of sand-hill cranes,
who, on seeing me on horseback with my
gun, kept up such an incessant whoopng
and shouting warning to their friends, that
every other wild animal was constantly on
the alert. Every thing in a mile or two
were looking at me as rode along. There
were plenty of deer Oh the prairie, and
they seemed to be deeply interested in my
movements. The cranes were evidently
putting themselves to trouble to ensure a
warning to the deer particularly. When
they saw a gang of deer near the line of
my travel in advance of me, they would
get up a big whooping and come flying
over with all the noise they could make,
and passing on 60 over the deer with such
earnest, loud shouts that the deer, becom-
ing alarmed, would be sure to run off.
The cranes did that four times. 1t vexed
me, and | said, Mr.. Crane, You are putting
yourself to useless trouble; have no desire
to shoot your deer at this time of day; but
if any of you come deafenng my ears with
your harsh whooping again, III make you
afraid to try it a second time. | hadn't
travelled far until saw right head and dis
tant not over 4 mile, a remarkably large
drove of deer They were grazing, and
were scattered across my path half a mile
wide At the same time, and more than a
mile to the right, were to be seen ten or
fifteen acres of cranes, busily engaged in
digging bulbous roots. 1t is species of
lily, with which the coast prairie is thickly
set, and at that season Of the year when it
is beginning to sprout, the crane can find
it easily. That perhaps is the cause of the
appearance of such vast numbers of them
on the coast prairies in April. Well, as
way saying, they were digging Dubious
roots away to my right, and as soon as they