II 6 WILDFOWL SHOOTING IN THE WESTERN STATES. 



but I recount it to show that the English sports- 

 man, who goes to the West specially to be present 

 when the migrations take place, need not necessarily 

 have "a bad time" if he should arrive a few days 

 before the flights commence to come in. Of course, 

 all will not have their lines cast in such pleasant places 

 as mine were, still there are lots of large influential 

 farmers and ranchers residing in the very heart of the 

 finest wildfowl shooting countries, who will not only 

 be pleased, but delighted to entertain the strange 

 gentleman the visitor must be that ; so democratic 

 are they in Republican America for the sake of his 

 society and conversation. 



Should the intending traveller be a bachelor and 

 not inclined to turn Benedick, my warning is, take 

 care, take care, for some of these prairie flowers are 

 wonderfully seductive blossoms. 



Yes ; no doubt about it ; the western prairie 

 young ladies are " fetching," particularly those 

 sprung from the old stock that settled in Missouri 

 and adjoining states when all the lands thereabouts 

 were Indian territory. This is not to be wondered 

 at, for their mothers were Mexican, therefore 

 Spanish, and their fathers the most venturesome 

 and choice specimens of the Anglo-Saxon race 

 established in the more eastern country. When a 

 young Missourian in the good old times (?) wanted a 

 wife, and he could find two or three companions who 

 were of the same way of thinking, well mounted and 

 armed, they made their way through the Pawnee and 

 Comanche hunting grounds to the borders of the 

 neighbouring republic, where they secreted themselves 

 till they heard of a dance taking place at a neighbour- 

 ing " puebla." When the funcion was at its height 

 they presented themselves, and were immediately 

 made welcome guests by the dark-eyed signoritas. 

 But little time was wanted by the daring adventurers 

 to select the beauties of the assembly. That being 



