A RETRIEVER USEFUL. 



209 



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To those disposed to follow my advice, and that no 

 mistakes be made in reaching the proper shooting 

 ground, I will now give such information as may be 

 useful. 



From New York (city) proceed to Cincinnati, and 

 from there take train to Vincennes on the Ohio and 

 Mississippi line of railroad. At the last-mentioned 

 town all instructions and brother sportsmen can be 

 found. But even minus these aids, I will put the 

 visitor on his shooting ground without his requiring 

 to seek assistance. 



A quarter of a mile above the hotel, the railroad 

 bridge crosses the Wabash river ; traverse it and 

 follow the iron track for about three miles, when a 

 stock-house will be reached, and close by it will be 

 found a stake indicating that you are 192 miles from 

 Cincinnati. Before you have reached thus far it will 

 be very unusual indeed if you have not had several 

 shots at duck. 



From the stock-house, running east, is a long 

 slough — for you are now well out in the prairie 

 country — which it would be well to shoot the south 

 side of first, and the north side of when returning. 



This slough is four or five miles long, and has an 

 average width of from fifty to one hundred yards of 

 open water. However, north and east innumerable 

 other lagoons exactly similar in characteristics to the 

 om mentioned will be found. The walking is always 

 firm and level, although wet, but nothing more than 

 a good laced ankle boot can resist. Wherever the 

 prairie has been burnt the game will be found most 

 abundant, particularly on such ridges as possess a 

 sparse growth of dwarf persimon brush. However, 

 on the edge of the slough the snipe will lie better, 

 and the sportsman will be rewarded with more shots 

 at wildfowl, which are particularly numerous here and 

 of great variety. 



A retriever, although not absolutely necessary, 



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