VI Prairie Chicke7is 183 



make the missing of one the probable killing 

 of another. Yes, sir ! the prairie chick'n is the 

 child of civilisation, and suited, providentially, to 

 the relaxed nerves and the shut-eyed shooting of 

 the denizen of great towns, and was scarcely 

 known to the hardy hunter of the Western Plains 

 till some four or five years ago, when one of " our 

 most distinguished citizens " of the territory of 

 Colorado was fined $250 for shooting them — and 

 had to pay up too, you bet ! The sheriff trousered 

 the dollars ! ' 



' The quail does very well on the Southern 

 Prairies, and is not absolutely dependent on wheat. 

 I think he is as sporting a bird as I know ; and 

 when mixed with snipe, which is often the case, 

 most admirable shooting. The Californian quail is 

 nought. 



' I did not " pan out " much on the scatter-gun 

 in the States and Territories, as I have said, nor do 

 I care much for prairie chick'n gunning. I shot 

 them as a duty up north, and got so be-midged 

 and be-bitten by wild flies that I thought the sport 

 hardly worth the powder. Once I had a lively 

 turn with them between Fort Garry and Pembina, 

 when the gentlemanly conductor stopped the public 

 stage whenever he saw a brood, and he and I 

 shot them, turn and turn about, whilst the in- 

 telligent citizens, our fellow-travellers, betted on the 

 result. 



' But if you have no particular business at 



