THE GAME BREEDER 19 



ing any signs of the presence of game, yond control at all times. I decided to 



and was about to give it up, when I re- play a trick, and pocketing the dead bird 



membered one more likely meadow, a one of my dogs had brought me, and 



little farther on. vnth the dogs at heel, I started towards 



It was a meadow that bordered on the the southern end of the meadow, and 



Delaware and Raritan canal, between directly away from the birds. I had little 



Trenton and Bordentown. During the hope that my ruse would be a success, 



-summer it was used by its owner to raise but was to be agreeably disappointed 



and harvest hay; and in Autumn as a later on. At the lower end of the mea- 



pasture-meadow for dairy cows. dow, there was a tumble-down old rail 



On the edge of the meadow next to fence, and a row of big water-willows, 

 the canal, is the Trenton and Borden- Beyond these was another wet meadow 

 town branch of the one-time Camden partly grown over with red-maple, shell- 

 and Amboy Railroad, now a part of the bark hickory trees, and swamp-alders. 

 Pennsylvania Railroad Co.'s holdings. Looking back, I saw that the men had 

 Through the centre runs a partly filled- entered the upper-end of the meadow; 

 up ditch, with about fifty feet of low and their dogs were going helter-skelter 

 ground on each side, always moist in over the ground, and once more hope de- 

 Spring and Autumn. serted me. 



The meadow is some three hundred Creeping through the fence and wil- 

 yards long, and nearly the same in width, low hedge ; I started directly towards the 

 On the day mentioned, I was to have a canal, and at right angles to the direc- 

 strange experience right there ; the like tion in which the men were coming. The 

 of which I have never seen before or willows and under-brush were so thick 

 since, and I shall relate the happenings, that they could not see me, or my dogs ; 

 just as they occurred. I entered the and I kept on till near the canal, and 

 meadow on the side farthest from the then stopped to watch them., keeping my- 

 canal, and waved the dogs on. As they self and dogs hidden from their sight, 

 reached the near edge of the low ground For nearly half an hour they walked over 

 side by side, both came to a point. Walk- the meadow, with the dogs racing in 

 ing up to them, I was surprised to flush front, but finding no birds. Of course, 

 3. whisp of ten snipe ; and all but one of there was but one conclusion for me to 

 them flew low, and straight away; the come to, and that was that those nine 

 one bird turning to the right, and then snipe had heard the dogs rushing about, 

 circling around behind me. With the taken warning, and flushed beyond gun- 

 right barrel I dropped one of the range. How provoking to have my sport 

 straight-aways, and then turning quick- spoiled by a lot of untrained dogs, 

 ly, drew trigger on the bird that had As I did not wish to have them join 

 gone behind me ; but, for the first and me, I kept hidden from them. As I 

 only time it ever happened to me with later learned ; they had heard the report 

 that gun, it was a misfire ; and the bird of the one shot fired by me, but not being 

 again circled and joined the others, and near enough, had not seen me ; and sup- 

 then they all alighted quite nearby. It posed that whoever had fired, had either 

 looked as though I would be kept busy killed, or missed, and then gone to some 

 for a little while ; but, as I looked up, I other meadows. 



saw two men with guns, four setters, and Well, I waited till they reached 



three pointers, walking on the railroad, the meadow where I was hidden, 



and evidently intending to come on that saw them get through the fence, and 



same meadow. pass on well to the south. As stated 



Now I am not a bit selfish, and am above, I had no objection to the men, 



always willing for others to get their and had sometimes shot with them ; but, 



share of sport ; but, in this instance, I 1 do most decidedly object to taking out 



knew not only the men, (to whose com- trained dogs, with dogs of no training 



pany there was no objection), but, I whatever. When I was satisfied that 



also knew the dogs they had with them, they had gotten well away, I started for 



as entirely unbroken, and completely be- home across the meadow where I had 



