AND OTHER HUNTING ADVENTURES. 221 



they lit in the trees amongst which our party was 

 camped. Instantly every rifle was brought forth, 

 and the whole camp was ablaze with burning powder. 

 The smoke floated up amongst the dazed and panic- 

 stricken birds, who fluttered wildly and aimlessly 

 from tree to tree, knocking their wings against each 

 other and the dead limbs, and making a most fright- 

 ful noise. 



The hunters scattered and tongues of flame shot 

 up from every quarter. Volley after volley was 

 fired. The roar of the rifles interspersed with the 

 "thud" and "crash" of falling birds, the shouts of 

 the excited throng, the neighing of terrified horses, 

 the barking of dogs, turned the quiet camp of a few 

 moments ago into a veritable pandemonium. The 

 slaughter went on for, perhaps, twenty minutes, 

 when the more humane became ashamed of them- 

 selves and quit. Finally they prevailed upon their 

 friends to desist, and the dead game was gathered 

 up. Sixty-three of these noble birds had met their 

 death, and the survivors were allowed to sit quietly 

 and watch the camp fires till morning, when they 

 sailed away toward the east. 



In the afternoon of that day, Frank and the 

 journalist were riding in advance of the column 

 across a level, monotonous stretch of country, where 

 there was little to attract attention or excite remark. 

 They had already become warm friends and talked 

 confidentially on many subjects, but Frank had 

 said nothing of his past history, yet his strange 

 demeanor at times had excited in the mind of 

 the newspaper man an anxiety to know what 

 had moved this refined, generous, scholarly young 



