Lost on the Prairie. 



a dark line of timber. That I knew was the grove in which our 

 tent was pitched. I kept my general course toward this land- 

 mark, working out to the right and left to take in as many 

 stubble fields as possible, but the birds seemed to have all left 

 the country. 



Just before sundown I noticed a large flock of chickens 

 coming down from the lake, and, about a half mile ahead of 

 me they set their wings and dropped down into an old dry 

 slough locally called the "peat bed." It seemed that my hard 

 day's work was to be rewarded with success. Everything 

 pointed to the best hour's sport that I had ever enjoyed on 

 chickens. Before me in the tall grass was a flock of several 

 hundred full-grown birds ; the wind was just right for working 

 over the ground ; the dew was falling and the birds were sure 

 to hold well in such good cover so late in the day. Old Don, 

 like myself, had grown pretty well discouraged, and, when he 

 struck the edge of the tall grass, was ranging close in and about 

 ready to quit on the least encouragement from me. When he 

 caught the scent of the covey he stopped as though paralyzed, 

 his nostrils began to quiver and he looked back to see if I was 

 on hand ; then, worked cautiously forward into the tall grass, 

 and stiffened out on a beautiful point. Three birds got up from 

 under his nose, and I knocked down two of them. The old dog 

 worked up a few steps and came to another point. Four birds 

 got up and two of them let go, at the crack of the little l'?-bore. 

 Thus the sport went on until it grew so dark that I had to drop 

 on my knees in order to get a better light on the rising birds. 

 Darkness at last put an end to the shooting, and taking the last 

 bird from Don's mouth, I slipped it into my pocket and looked 

 off to the northward for my landmark. It had disappeared in 

 the gathering gloom of night, and I was alone on the prairie. 

 This did not worry me much at the time, for, I was sure that 

 I knew the locality and could lay my course straight for camp. 

 Arranging my heavy load so it would carry easy, I struck off 

 across the prairie with a heavy bag and a light heart. The night 

 had shut down very suddenly and very dark. The wind was 



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