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 birds of the 

 seven which we marked settled at this particular spot, bu 

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

 We leisurely pursued our hunt through the field, and coming 

 up to Keller's branch we rested at a small spring 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 tm> 

 Partridges, apparently sounding as if they came from the 

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

 panions to go back with me to the small clump of poke 

 bushes again, which they both readily assented to. We 

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

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

 culled to Etike 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 \ve 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 throe 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 seven birds when 

 the covey first sprang, and the three birds we found on re- 

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

 evidently were a part of the seven birds which we 

 marked settled at this particular spot, Why they were not 

 found on first going up to the poke bushes is easily ac- 

 counted for. Not by supposing the birds were still quietly 

 at the spot where they alighted, withholding their scent 



