Toung Hunters 



five heads, the larger birds, such as whip- 

 poor-wills and nighthawks two heads each, 

 the wary crows three, and bob-whites three. 

 But all the blessed company of mere songbirds, 

 warblers, robins, thrushes, orioles, with nut- 

 hatches, chickadees, blue jays, woodpeckers, 

 etc., counted only one head each. The heads 

 of the birds were hastily wrung off and thrust 

 into the game-bags to be counted, saving the 

 bodies only of what were called game, the 

 larger squirrels, bob-whites, partridges, etc. 

 The blood-stained bags of the best slayers 

 were soon bulging full. Then at a given hour 

 all had to stop and repair to the town, empty 

 their dripping sacks, count the heads, and go 

 rejoicing to their dinner. Although, like other 

 wild boys, I was fond of shooting, I never had 

 anything to do with these abominable head- 

 hunts. And now the farmers having learned 

 that birds are their friends wholesale slaughter 

 has been abolished. 



We seldom saw deer, though their tracks 

 were common. The Yankee explained that 

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