A BIRD HUNT IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



"Just our luck, Theo., another rainy 

 day. I am very much afraid the fates 

 are against our taking the long-talked- 

 of hunt. A few more postponements 

 will settle it until next October. I say 

 go, rain or shine. We can leave on the 

 11.45 train to-night; this will give us 

 Sunday in Danville, a splendid oppor- 

 tunity to get all the points, talk dog 

 and do various other things which 

 ought to be done in order to make this 

 the 'boss' hunt of the season. Dr. G — 

 can tell us the exact location of every 

 covey of birds in Pittsylvania and Cass- 

 well counties, and how many birds in 

 each covey. Now let it be distinctly 

 understood that we go to-night." 



' ' Say, Bob, go up to the baggage- 

 room and see if you can find Mr. Theo. 

 Taylor; he promised to meet me here 

 at eleven o'clock. It is now half-past 

 and I don't see anything of him. Hold 

 on, Bob, here comes a carriage, and I 

 am sure it's Theo. Sure enough it's 

 him ; out come the dogs, and there is 

 the old man." 



"What are you looking so sorry 

 about, Theo. ? I have just had a talk 

 with the conductor and he tells me it 

 will clear off during the night and that 

 we will have a splendid week for our 

 hunt. No more complaints about the 

 gfround being too dry for the dogs to 

 hunt. Of course he knows what he is 

 talking about, so that settles the 

 weather question. Put the dogs in a 

 comfortable place ; it's as cold as blazes 

 and they must be snugly fixed before 

 we turn in." 



"All aboard," and we are off for the 

 old "tar heel" State, though from the 

 pelting on the tin roof of the car it 



seems that the predictions of our 

 worthy conductor are without any 

 foundation, and made us hope when 

 we had no ground to do anything so 

 thoroughly unsportsmanlike. Still we 

 are on the train and must make the best 

 of it. As we are not due in Danville 

 until 5.45 in the morning think it 

 would be sensible to turn two seats and 

 take a little snooze. 



" Get up, Theo., no time to be lost, 

 you look after the dogs, and I'll attend 

 to everything else ; think we had better 

 go to old man Wade's; there isn't as 

 much style as you get at the Arlington, 

 but the dogs can be made more com- 

 fortable." 



" How do you do. Uncle Pete ? Still 

 driving for Mr. Wade, I see. Any 

 show for the dogs inside; too muddy 

 for them to run up ? " 



" 'Fraid dar aint no show, boss; the 

 bus is chuck full and lots uv baggage 

 to cum up here wid me; howsomever 

 dar aint no ladies inside and you 

 mought crowd de men folks a little." 



Just so, and in the dogs go ; it's only 

 a few minutes' ride to the hotel, so the 

 " cussing " is of short duration. A big 

 log fire in the office is decidedly cheer- 

 ing, though the old gentleman's predic- 

 tions are anything but pleasant to listen 

 to. He thinks it has set in for a "long 

 rainy spell," and that we might as well 

 make ourselves comfortable with him 

 until it clears up. Another thing, he 

 knew all the streams were up and we 

 couldn't find a man in Danville who 

 would be willing to cross "Pump- 

 kin's " creek. 



As soon as breakfast was over we 

 borrowed two umbrellas and started 



