YOUTHFUL SPOETSMEX. 269 



he was a growing lad, and therefore hungry, and in 

 time his breakfast had greater charms for him than 

 my clean gun. 



Having cleaned my gun again, and finding that it 

 had happily escaped all dauger at the hands of Solomon 

 junior, I made a better breakfast than a short time 

 before I had hoped to do. The meal ended, I started 

 with my pointer, accompanied by three or four of the 

 boys, who thrust their services upon me. 



One would have been necessary to show me where 

 it was likely for me to find game, as I was a stranger 

 to the country, but the others I could readily have 

 dispensed with. Eushing about the prairie as wildly as 

 mustangs, one flushed a prairie hen, the first living 

 one I had ever seen, and though it was a very lono* 

 way off, I fired, being very desirous of killing it. 

 The legs dropped, but it continued its flight as I fol- 

 lowed it with my eyes. 



' Can you hit 'em a-flying, stranger ?' said one lad. 



' Don't seem like it I ' said another, who had not 

 noticed that the bird was hard hit. 



Presently the bird shot straight up into the air 

 ' towering,' then fell headlong to the prairie grass. My 

 dog presently pointed the dead bird, and I took ad- 

 vantage of my chance shot to drill my too forward 

 followers into a little better discipbne; and, as I had 

 w^on their respect in some slight degree, I succeeded. 



In the long grass outside some mezquite-bushes. 



