Recollections of "Old Timers" 129 



The stool-pigeons were fastened to stools and set on 

 the "bed"; when the net was sprung the birds were 

 under it. The bed over which the net was sprung was 

 the same size as the net, or from thirty to forty feet 

 long by twelve to fifteen feet wide. It was made by 

 clearing the ground of all rubbish, and making it as clean 

 as a garden. Before the net was set it covered the bed. 

 We tied a rope to each of the front corners. On the 

 front side we used two spring stakes fastened in the 

 ground at the ends of the ropes, which were tied to the 

 stake about five feet from the ground. At one of the 

 stakes we built a bough house so that the rope from 

 the net would pass through the house. The back cor- 

 ners were fastened with small, notched stakes which 

 were driven in the ground so that the notches faced the 

 bough house. We used w^hat we called "flying staffs" 

 — small stakes about four feet long and the thickness 

 of a broom handle, with a notch cut in one end. We 

 also used two more small stakes to set the flying staffs 

 against, to hold the net when set. It took two to 

 properly set a net. Each one took a staff, stepped in 

 front, one at each corner, caught hold of the rope, and 

 crowded the front edge back of the back edge about six 

 inches. Then the flying staffs were placed against 

 the small stakes, notch end against the ropes. The net 

 was now crowded to the ground and the staffs slipped 

 into the notches of the stakes to hold the net in 

 place. The slack of the net was laid alongside the rope 



