WITHHOLDING SCENT. 87 



every inch of ground under the poke bushes. We hunted 

 and kicked the stubbles around and around the spot, at 

 least one half an hour for the three remaining- liirds of the 

 seven which we marked settled at this particular spot, but 

 in vain, and tinally left the grounds in disgust and despair. 

 We leisurely pursued our hunt through the field, and coming 

 u]) to Keller's branch we rested at a small s])ring and ate 

 our lunch, the dogs at the time at our heels. We spent two 

 hours along this branch, and while we were being amused 

 in dissecting a large turtle we had prized out of the mud 

 from its winter quarters, we heard the calling notes of two 

 Partridges, apparentl}' sounding as if they came from the 

 spot we had left two hours before. I asked my two com- 

 ■|)anions to go back with me to the small clump of poke 

 bushes again, which they both readilj' assented to. We 

 took the field, the blue dog Ponto leading the van. On 

 getting up to the poke bushes Ponto made a point. I 

 called to Eake and Rover, who were running wild, and 

 they turned their range, and backed him. Ponto com- 

 menced drawing a little, and the three were soon together 

 circling the clump of poke bushes. We now walked up. 

 As we came within three or four yards of the clump we 

 halted, the dogs were firm as a rock, and true as steel, and 

 under the poke bushes were three Partridges close together, 

 on the bare ground. Two birds arose and were cut down, 

 the third bird remaining perfectly quiet at the spot, and 

 on going up to it, it proved to be dead, and on examining 

 it we found a shot had hit it in the back, and gone through 

 the skin, and ran around and passed through its breast, 

 it evidently being the bird I hit, and out of which the 

 feathers flew from my second shot at the^even birds when 

 the covey first s])rang. and the three birds we found on re- 

 turning to the poke bushes, after the lajise of two hours, 

 evidently were a i)art of the seven birds which we 

 marked settled at this particular spot. Wh}' they were not 

 found on first going up to the poke bushes is easil}' ac- 

 counted for. Not by supposing the birds were still quietly 

 at the spot where the}' alighted, withholding their scent 



