THE WILD PIGEON. 233 



their language like a native, we one day drove over 400 

 Indians out of the nesting, and their retreat back to their 

 farms would have rivaled Bull Run. Five hundred more 

 were met on the road to the nesting, and turned back. 

 The number of pigeons these two hordes would have 

 destroyed would have been incalculable. Noticing a 

 handsome bow in the hands of a young Indian, who 

 proved to be a son of the old chief Petoskey, a piece of 

 silver caused its transfer to us, with the remark, ' Keene, 

 kensau mene sic ' (Now you can go and shoot pigeons), 

 which dusky joke seemed to be appreciated by the rest 

 of the young chief s companions. 



" There are in the United States about 5,000 men who 

 pursue pigeons year after year as a business. Pigeon- 

 hunters with whom we conversed, incognito, stated that 

 of this number there were between 400 and 500 at the 

 Petoskey nesting, plying their vocation with as many 

 nets, and more arriving upon every train from all parts 

 of the United States. When it is remembered that the 

 village was alive with pigeoners, that nearly every house 

 in the vast area of territory covered by the nesting shel- 

 tered one to six pigeon-men, and that many camped out 

 in the woods, the figures will not seem improbable. 

 Every homesteader in the country, who owned or could 

 hire an ox-team or pair of horses, was engaged in haul- 

 ing birds to Petoskey for shipment, for which they 

 received $4 per wagon-load. To 4 keep peace in the 

 family,' and avoid complaint, the pigeon-men fitted up 

 many of the settlers with nets, and instructed them in 

 the art of trapping. Added to these were the buyers, 

 shippers, packers, Indians, and boys, making not less 

 than 2,000 persons (some placed it at 2,500) engaged in 

 the traffic at this one nesting. Fully fifty teams were 

 engaged in hauling birds to the railroad station. The 

 road was carpeted with feathers, and the wings and f eath- 



