THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 133 



to seek them. But I'll go to the hut with my own 

 game, for I wouldn't touch one of the harmless 

 things tliat cover the ground here, looking up with 

 their eyes to me, as if they only wanted tongues to 

 say their thoughts." 



"With this sentiment in his mouth, Leather Stock- 

 ing threw his rifle over his arm, and followed by his 

 dogs stepped' across the clearing with great caution, 

 taking care not to tread on one of the wounded birds 

 in his path. He soon entered the bushes on the mar- 

 gin of the lake, and was hid from view. 



"Whatever impression the morality of Natty made 

 on the Judge, it was utterly lost on Richard. He 

 availed himself of the gathering of sportsmen, to lay 

 a plan for one fell swoop of destruction. The musket 

 men were drawn up in battle array, in a line extend- 

 ing on each side of his artillery, with orders to await 

 the signal of firing from himself. 



"Some millions of pigeons were supposed to have 

 already passed], that morning, over the valley of Tem- 

 pleton, but nothing like the flock that was now 

 approaching had been seen before. It extended 

 from mountain to mountain in one solid blue mass, 

 and the eye looked in vain over the southern hills, to 

 find its termination. The front of this living column 

 was distinctly marked by a line but very slightly 

 indented, so regular and even was the flight. Even 

 Marmaduke forgot the morality of Leather Stocking 

 as it approached, and, in common with the rest, 

 brought his musket to a poise. 



