192 KRIDER'S SPORTING ANECDOTES. 



at the report, tumbling from bough to bough to 

 our feet, where he lay on his back displaying 

 his spotted belly, barred tail, and sharp talons, 

 with the remains of a hen partridge in his grip. 

 Adam jumped off his horse and examined him 

 with curious attention. 



" Be danged, Mister," said he, pointing to the 

 bird's neck which was partially bare, " but his 

 head has been in one of my steel traps ; the 

 teeth caught in the bait and saved him that 

 time ; my boys found the trap sprung and the 

 feathers lying near, and right glad they'll be 

 to see the thief nailed to the side of the barn." 



"Ay." said I, "we dare say, but Mr. T. and 

 I must be off;" and bidding the old man good 

 morning, we started for a neighboring copse, in 

 which we suspected the covey had flown, after 

 having been surprised and scattered by the 

 hawk. However, we hunted it through and 

 through without obtaining a single point, and 

 after trying an old stubble thickly overgrown 

 with Indian grass, were about to push on in 

 search of another covey, when, as we approached 

 a hollow in which heaps of brush had accumu- 

 lated, the old dog drew suddenly up with Dash 

 close in his rear, and, "here they are," said T., 

 measuring the distance from the tree on which 



