leu, i : 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



105 



MARK COCK : 



i:v i'AUl, PASlSrOK, 



AUGUST'S fi istyntghta andsul rydnys, like opposite lev- 

 ers prying away incessantly at old earth, haVe loosened 

 no v the intense summery vigor ot her frame, her glossy 

 locks begin to Fade, her limbs droop with the burden of the 

 harvest, her mailed e'oak of green grows scant ami lusty 

 in places, P i ranerabli mother has passed an- 



other aeason'f I is 1 ^ting toward her annual decay. 



Bui - - ardent sportsman tor the sentiment of 



:ism; All summer long, while nature was in her bloom, 

 While al ce fi-tsh and rank in field and wood, and 



cheerily voiced the holiday of the year, he has been 

 languishing, whether at to. I or play, whether chained to the 

 Urban desk or stretched at length beneath the shade oi sou 

 i. ishlDgatld pining for the sound of bis 



beloved breech-loader, and the indescribable aroma of acloud 

 of gun saiok ■ ! Hard it was to wart - irder still to solatro 

 himself with the li tie conciliatory pasting s and diversions 

 allotted to the summer months, lie has east aud trailed the 

 Various seduciive baits of the fisherman with passable Suc- 

 re a :i;iii occasional zest, but then, us he v: , i sens ly re- 

 marks, fishing would be a somewhat better apology for sport 

 if die two ends of the pole could be a little j&ore- equitably 

 balanced, lie has flirted, and read, and slept, and eaten. But 

 his principal baa been to dream— dream of The 



go d time coming , when the heat and the la-v would fall off 

 ih' i like a aeamle&s gariiient and he would be free to 

 enter the forbidden land— 



'•The realm oi Sweet desire." 



And now at las' the first of September has come : the eat- 

 like, sneaking sc gts thai infest ihecoverts n hopes of "bag- 

 ging" an unwary and impatient sportsman, have folded their 

 tenia liki the and as silently stolen away. Nothing 



prevents; 'a is a charming Crisp-aired day— shall we not, pay 

 our respects to that prin.ee of the covert, the woodcock ? Yes': 

 yes, by all means ! Our breeeh-loader is in tbe best of trim, 

 aud fairly aching for a duel at i li I sue w tb da are Echo ; our 

 shells are freahlj loaded with keen tittle No. :i. our luncheon 

 is pul Up, mi team stands waiting at. thedoorq in fact, as 

 the reader has donbtless? e this suspected, we nave been get- 

 ting ready this week past for the first day of September. Wc 

 have been meditating a grand initiatory descent upon the lit- 

 re brown piinee of the wood. Tue hour has come, our 

 heart bounds with expee a'ion— we are off 1 



We rattle briskly through the town, and stop at, the house 

 of that best friend and follow sportsman without whom « 

 day at gunning • iuld u almost tame. He is in readiness 

 and waiting. Beautiful Itver-COlored "Quand," the queen of 

 'cocker spaniels, leaps nervously at his side. ''Charge!" 

 Lake a uFODZS statue she is-frozen to the earth. My friend 

 mounts up aud takes his seat b side me. We commence ti 

 move away. There lies Quand pitifully staunch, but with 

 bright, pathetic eyes pleading as no tongue can plead. See 

 hoA the beautiful creatui'e trembles in every limb! A mo- 

 ment more of trial, and Ihea the word is given. "Come!" 

 And she comes ! — Jike a cross-bolt out of a bow ; like an ar- 

 row drawn to tbe heal. A few minutes' ecstatic scamper, 

 aud then we take hi r into the team, for Charlie aud 1 are not 



: mg the number of those humane sportsmen whose hearts 

 Suffer iherrj to hie on a blown, panting and dust-choked dog 

 into a sultry cover, 



Wc agree, as we ride along, to make the very most of the 

 day. We must visit all our favorite covens aud keep the 

 upper baud of our nerves— no pottering shots to-day. 



First in order is the river-bottom. We must take that, in 

 the cool of the day, for it is so hemmed iu with hills that by 

 neon the pools will fairly steam. We leave our team in a 

 eoul glade above the interval aud plunge down I lie bank as 

 excitedly as two SCUO >l-I)Oj s. Here we are, right in the thick 

 of it. Wo must gO carefully now and Quand must be en- 

 couraged to work close, for it will be like shooting stars be- 

 tween two living clouds to bit the brown whistlers here. We 

 move on, about two rods apart, and Quand quarters back nnd 

 forth in front of us. Steady, now ! That bog looks fairly 

 proline. Quand is gingerly working around the edge. See ! 

 the spell is upon her— the witching spell of the scent. She's 

 all alert; her little docked tail vibrates excitedly; she bab- 

 bles aud UP goes the cock. Place your sportsman— your 

 capital wing shot— in an emergency and note his lightning- 

 like decision, his quick, clean action, his splendid self pos- 

 session. H= re is where he learned it, and hers he needs it all, 

 and needs it now. A ihird of a second to will, a third of a 

 second to do— two-thirds of a second and it is all over. Time 

 is ueve» quit- so valuable and so significant as just after the 

 whistle of a flushing cock. 



We are comparatively in the open and that saves our cred- 

 it. ThetWOreporU are almost iu-tantaneous. The cock turns 

 in the air and drifts sidewise down, deflected by the force of 

 the shot. "Dead bird, Qiiunic! — bring it." Quand, who 

 has been i - faStl 11] since the cock flushed, now fol- 

 lows the finger of her master and her own sharp nose, and 

 soon emerges from the thick ferns hearing her prize as ten- 

 derly as if it weir- a lad\ 's glove. The bird is pretty badly 

 torn with shot, SO we amicably conclude that we both hit it 

 and thus enjoy the luxury of being generous and selfish at 

 the same time. 



Fun now has fairly commenced. Qnand hassinelWI blood, 

 and we have smelled powder. The thicket opens a little, and 

 we drift farther apart, whistling occasionally wheu the leaves 

 hide US from each < iher's sight. Pretty soou 1 catch sight of 

 Qllind on a dead point | Her little body is stiff and QlOtiOn- 

 ; SI her lail stands out straight, one of her forefeet is slight- 

 ly raised, and she is drinking in the electric aroma of the 

 game. At first I am inclined to call Charlie, that he too 

 may wonder at the beautiful and unusual maneeuvre ; but 

 slight signs — perhap-Iskould rather call them premonitions— 

 of a break ou Quanu's part causes me to chauge my intention. 

 1 throw myself and gun into uu attitude of readiness, none 

 fcBS a lightning-like dash, aud, scarce 

 three feet in Ineii a lier, flushes a magnificent cock. Bang! 

 bang! Nothing but leaves, I declare ! Not even a feather 

 floats down, Just then Charlie's gun cracks, out to the left 

 and a little in advance, and presently 1 hear him calliug, 

 "Here, Quanie ! (had bird! dead bird 1" Quand is "up 

 and away " in an instant and I know thather mouth is water- 

 ing over my lost bird. Charlie and I exchange halloos and 

 then move on again. Ere long the silliness is broken by my 

 friend's quicki clear cry: ".Mark cock!" 1 know be has 

 i a bird, Dot toj some reason or other been unable to get 

 B shot ai it. f keep my eyes and ears open, and am rewarded 

 by hearing a bird whistle through the top of the undergrowth 



and dive down a few rods ui advance of me, Quand comes 

 dashing after, but a cautionary signal puts h- r on her guard, 

 and she ehuiges to await further 'ins' ructions. As soon as I 

 QOme abreast Of the Intelligent little creature, 1 imjie.le 

 bv a wave of my hand the course I wish her to pursue. She 

 takes it all in at a gDnce, and when 1 give the word Sails in. 

 I ion standing iu a sort of glade comparatively open, but bound- 

 ed on both sides by thick covert, On the siile opposite from 

 me the coekappearstoliavedropped. Somewhere in that thick 

 brush he must be hiding. Quand goes through it like a mos- 

 quito through a window netting. She glides through thorny 

 apertures, wuiek would hardly admit the nose of a pointer Of 

 a setter. She works as if she were made of rubber and steel. 

 No plunging or crashing, no changing of her course toavo id dis- 

 agreeable situations. Silently, swiftly, faithfully she can vassiS 

 tb it copse, and puts me up the cock right where 1 want him. 

 Her blood is up now, aud as with the previous bird, she flies 

 after him through the air in a succession of glorious leaps— 

 herself averitable witch of the wood, her feathered ears living, 

 her bright eyes glistening like stars. For a moment t watch 

 her. Tbe sigh' is too lovely to disregard; it is fairly fascinat- 

 ing. Then, fenring to shoot lest 1 may down the wrong 

 bird, I cry out sharply: ' Gknrgc .'" She drop<asifI had 

 shot her ! Ah, lr re is a creature that is fearfully and wonder- 

 rully trained ! I lose the cock, but I gain a" spectacle that is 

 worth a bag full of them. 



But time and space fly. I cannot stop to tell you iu de- 

 tail lev, v we finished ihe river bottom, and how 1 retrieved 

 my reputation by bagging half a dozen birds in six straight 

 Shots, for 1 have no more right to trespass on the choice pre- 

 serves of ihe Foi.est AST) Stream outlying the proper 

 bounds of this artie'e than I have to sna'eh the first 

 shootiug in my neighhor's "posted" grouud. But I must tell 

 you in conclusion how we crowned our day's sport. 



It was drawing toward sunset, aud, hot aud tired, Charlie 

 and 1 and Quand were making our way back to the team 

 across a wide meadow. We had just been all the way round 

 Half-Moon Cove, and were discouraged at not having flushed 

 a single bird in that remarkably promising cover. A large 

 patctT of corn lay right in our path, and at one comer of the 

 corn was a small 6 x 9 birch covert — as you might dtscrit e it. 

 Into this we sent Quand as a last resort, and before she came 

 out we wished we had resorted their earlier, dock after 

 cock came whistliug out over the coin so fast that wc 

 couldn't possibly get a shot at all of them. The westering 

 sun shone in our faces ; we were somewhat fagged and acr- 

 vous with the day's work, and, all in all, 1 suppose we could 

 have done better. As it was, however, we bagged nine cock 

 out of thatllttle birch covert 1 -Although they were all shots iu 

 the open, tbe birds flew with compensating swiftness, i 

 have never seen cocks so active ou the wing. I magine your- 

 self facing a blaze of western glory, your eyes still fun her 

 blinded with boiling perspiration, and somebody of strong 

 aim flinging good-sized potatoes across the sunlight with al 

 his strength, and you will have some idea how those wood- 

 cocks flew, and the difficulty of cutting them down iu good 

 shape. I say we got nine, i do not know how many flushed 

 out of the covert— I should judge about fifteen. All the 

 feathered population of Half-Moon Cove seemed lo have ad- 

 journed to that little grove for a caucus or a picnic, or some- 

 tbiug else of equal interest. 



When we reached home our combined bag yielded up 

 twenty-three of the brown beauties, so i do not think we dis- 

 graced ourselves. 



My parting advice to the ama'eur woodcock shooter (and 

 such I c junt myself) is this : Go buy thee a Brat-ctass cocker 

 spaniel, and that right quickly. 



"PODGER'S" PUTS A MOTION. 



Down East, August 25. 

 OINCE writing you last, wherein I gave my "'speriem-e'' 

 O OB the snake question, 1 have carefully perused the last 

 number of the Forest and Stream, which abounds iu addi- 

 tional evidence on snake gymnastics, and I see that the gen- 

 eral weight of testimony is that snakes do climb, and that 

 they go straight up. I stated that those I h id seen climbing 

 had ascended with a spiral movement. 1 should have quali- 

 fied the statement by saying that 1 had only seen them as- 

 cending small trees, and before some one sails into me and 

 proves firstly, that I never was a boy; secondly, never "got 

 licked," and thirdly, never saw a snake, 1 want to concede 

 that snakes may go straight up, and if they prefer that 

 method it is their business not mine, and I hasten to admit 

 that they go straight up head foremost or lail foremost, or 

 any other way that suits them best — they can take their 

 choice. This concession to the general verdict I trust will 

 save me from being "sat upon" by some hypercritical coi res- 

 pondent disposed to prove that I don't know anytning about 

 suakes. You evidently have a large number of readers who 

 have snake on the brain, in their boots and everywhere else. 

 Can't we pasa the snake dispute, and take up crows and their 

 peculiarity to feed on fish? We have exhausted 'possum, 

 skunk bites, [and woodchucks andsnakes: now crows have the 

 floor. 1 move that crows have a chance, or let us go back to 

 dog stories, a much more interesting subject. I bar the pre- 

 vious question on theabove subjects including that of whether 

 trout flop the fly into their mouths with their tails.' Strikes 

 me you -will have to limit the latitude of discus-ion on any 

 subject, for the varied experiences of your numerous readers 

 on every known topic or query that arises is wonderful, aud 

 shows how extensively the Forest and Stream is read. 



I see by your last number that bass seem to be troubled 

 with worms. It must necessarily be the augle worms. I 

 waut to suggest that your correspondents give their statis- 

 i •: I experience as to how many squirms and contortions to 

 the square iuch can be got out of a stale Boston lobster. 

 After all have banded in their evidence I want a show, 

 and when I have given my experience if I can he out- 

 squirmed I am ready to go to jail. 



I may not be quite as sound as some of your correspond- 



: "Q snakes, but oh, Jerusalem! what 'an experience I 



have got in my mind— the result of misplaced confidence in 



a Boston restaurant's bill of fare. Give me a show when the 



time comes. 



Speaking of the readers of the Forest and Stream I must 

 fell .you what a time I had in Bost m to of your 



last issue. I went to every news-stand I could hear of. to 

 every place where papers were sold his was on Monday, 

 and blazing- hot at that), and in every instance the answer 

 was, " Not one 1 ft." I could eotflnd a copy in the town. At 

 last. I espied its familiar green cover projecting fiotn under a 

 pile of papers at a hotel stand kepi by a Teuton, aud when I 

 raked it out to his view after he had denied having a copy, 

 he remarked, "By Slmrge ! I did not know nunings about 

 dot oue, 1 could have sold him six times ago." All of 



which goes to show the popularity of and great demand for 

 the paper. But don't get conceited or put on any airs ; it is 

 your correspondence that is doing if, uud it is not a bad ielea 

 to invite an interchange of views and ideas even on skunks 

 and woodchucks. We follows will write up your paper Cor 

 you every week if we are let loose, aud the observations of a 

 sportsman are often instructive as well as interesting, bung- 

 ing to light as if. does many peculiarities of game animals 

 aud birds) ami a copy of the 'Forest AND Stream is about a3 

 interesting reading as you can find iu a day's journey. 



I observe that your nautical editor has got to have his 

 Comb cut a little. He has been let alone so long that he 

 fancies he has things all his own way, and the way he is 

 sailing in on deep 'water models rentiers if very necessary 

 that we fiat -bottomed fellows should come to lb.e rescue ; and 

 now that this English cutter "Madge" has comeover, lucre's 

 nc living with him. I won't admit that he bin got us under, 

 and we must stand up as out models do, aud lake a litl Ol 

 the conceit out of him, I, for one, am not g 'ing to be "sal 

 on this question either. Eight tons of lead on the keel of a 

 little craft of thirty-eight feet, forsooth] He can't prove 

 that we want auy such craft in our shallow bays by me. 

 Not being amphibious, I prefer staying on top of the water. 

 If I have' time I will go one. for his noli next week, are I 

 my experience of a Utile cruise I had dowu Fast rci entry in 

 a deep boat, by jingo ! It is all very well to call our craft 

 "tubs," but a tub possesses the merit of being able to 

 on its bottom when the tide goes out. fun is fun, bul, f 

 don't see auy in a mud bath. There is a "pint" beyond 

 Which, etc. Lastly, as the long-winded pi cachers say, and 



should say everlastingly. I want to make a a.: 



brother sportsmen, and that is to show up in all o unuiuuiea- 

 tions the impositions by " SongC and Swrndltf' (6 m't print 

 it George and Swindle this time) ou all our fraternity. 

 Whenever a sportsman is gouged by swindle and. Swindled. 

 by gouge; show bim up. When railroad officials are im- 

 pertinent and unaccommodating, give examp'es. I propose 

 that we, the great body of Bptrtsmen, do form ourselves in'o 

 society for the general reformation of all people whom we, 

 the sportsmen, are, by virtue, of our pureuits, thrown in 

 contact with. We will go for the man that kicks our dog 

 (pretty likely to do that on the spot) and Ihe baggage- 

 smasher that slams out guns and things Jri unci, and the 

 fellows that put up rates on our boats and tents. ItwOuJd 

 not take three mon'hs to bring about a lovely state of things. 

 Let us not forget eilher to give credit and praise where due. 

 Who seconds this motion ? Podoisks. 



A BEMINISCENCE OF THE WAIL 



BEADING, some time since, a reminiscence of the late 

 war, put me in the notion of giving to your read is 

 some rtcollections of my adventures and escapades. I am 

 quite sure a great portion of unmarried sportpni n find pleas- 

 ure in making lovetoa pretty girl, almost as much as standing 

 behind a brace of thoroughly broken dog- re dy for the fli'^h. 

 'the troub'es and pleasures 1 am about to sp ak of e.uue to 

 me through my love for a regular old-fashioned Virginia, 

 pointer and his mistress. It was a clear case off love a' lh-i 

 sight and "if you love me, love my dog." It was a truism 

 in this case. I was young then, so young aud yet felt so old. 

 She stood framed in the doorway of her fathers house as I 

 rode up, and when I had dismounted she came with hesitat- 

 ing steps and inquiring gaze to know what 1 wished. Oil' 

 came my forage cap, and as I caught the light of her blue 

 eyes, the deed was done and I was a prisoner. 



The Harris Light Cavalry, of which I was a member, was 

 encamped near Oatlett Sta'ion, aud at the op-ning of my 

 story we were about to break cump and march with other 

 forces on Fredericksburg, some twenly-five miles south, i 

 had not been around the country much during our slay at 

 Catletl's, and it was only some three or four days before the 

 departure of the regiment that I made the acquaintance 

 this blue-eyed and brown-haucd girl. So on this beautiful 

 April morning, 1862, riding some three miles from camp. I 

 came across the comfortable residence of Mr. Josliu; met his 

 youngest daughter, fell in love with her, was introduced to 

 the family, Mrs. Joslin and three daughters— Mary, Lucy, 

 and the young' st (she of ihe blue eyes), Mabel or "Mab." I 

 overstepped the bounds of propriety, lfear, for I stayed fully 

 two hours, and left wi'h many regrets and a most cordial in- 

 vitation to come again. As I was mounting I saw coming v 

 through the gate Miss J., followed by a fine pointer. 1 in- 

 quired if the dog was broken. Miss Mab answered that he 

 was and that his name was Bob. "Did I shoot? Was I a 

 sportsman ? If so I should shoot over her dog and she 

 would go wi»h me, only we could not go until October." Oh, 

 my, what a beastly game law not to allow shooting iu April. 



I rode back to camp in a meditative mood— that is, medi- 

 tating how I should arrange to make another visit to this 

 hospitable roof, I arranged it a couple of days after, and 

 had a charming visit; and howl did pet Hob, aud how he 

 aud his mistress appreciated it. Arriving in camp late in 

 the afternoon, I found we were under marching orders for 

 Friday, the next day but one. 



I st'ayed in camp until after dinner Thursday, then rode 

 out to bid my good friends adieu, possibly never to see them 

 again, for were we uoi going to Richmond", and so on south ? 

 The future was full of possibilities— one was promotion, the 

 other death ; and it was possible that tb feat might destroy 

 us. And so it fell out that as the twilight was coming on I 

 stood in the midst of that family group and Bade them fare- 

 well. I had mounted and was about to turn away, when 

 Miss Lucy handed me a pic'ure case. I opened if and saw 

 the face of a handsome young man in full uniform of gray. 

 Said she, "Mr. Dick, that is Dames Davis: he is serving with 

 Gen. J. E. B. Stuart. Should he ever fall info your hands, 

 be kind to him. Should you ever fall into his hands, he will 

 do all he can for you." I at once drew my own conclusions 

 as to the relation James Davis sustained to the sp aker. 1 

 took a good look at the pic'ure, then returned it, and, put- 

 ting spurs to my horse, I galloped away with a heavy heart 

 in one respect and a light one iu another. 



"Boots and saddles" sounded at five o'clock next morning. 

 Twenty minutes later the Harris Lilo Cavalri were well on 

 the march, the objective points be ng Falmouth and Fred- 

 ericksburg. That day was to sei with 

 the enemy, The battle oi Falmouth Heights, the firs battle 

 if Fredericksburg, aud the occupation of Fredericksburg 

 followed. 



During the summer the cavalry was kept busy d, ing picket 

 duty and raiding in ihe enemy's country. I had manage I, 

 however, to make two visits to my friends. He Bntffi r> 

 sions 1 ran great danger of capture, bul, with my usual aocd 

 fortune escaped by showing a clean pair of heels. In July 

 Gen. McDowell was ordered to join Gen. Bunks in the Yal 



