478 



RECREA TION. 



brought our traps in out of the rain. In the 

 meantime Dennis had a fire going and some 

 choice steaks and tender loins in the frying 

 pan. 



All day the rain poured down, and all day 

 we cooked and ate and drank tea. 



We were deeply grateful to Dennis for 

 his perseverance and determination, for al- 

 though in a game country we should have 

 been in this dismal storm several days with- 

 out food, but for his skill. 



For 3 days the storm raged, and then 

 came cool, bright weather and we left camp 

 for our first hunt in the Etsezas. 



Climbing a high ridge that skirted the 

 main canyon, we sat down to take a short 

 rest and to look over the country with my 

 field glass; for in hunting big horn your 

 eyes are as useful as your legs. I was 

 sweeping a high, level stretch of country, 

 on the opposite side of the canyon, when I 

 caught the faint outlines of a moving ob- 

 ject. Watching closely I saw it was the 

 game we were after. In another moment 

 a second animal came in sight, and hand- 

 ing Ed the glasses he discovered a third. 



It was impossible to cross the canyon, at 

 this point and we decided to go farther up 

 and at the same time to get the wind in 

 our favor. 



The route was a long one, the task a 

 hard one, and although we sighted the 

 game at 9 a.m., it was . 2 p.m. when we 

 reached the high levels on the opposite side 

 and we yet had some travelling to do. 



Supposing the game had worked back 

 from the canyon, we made a long detour in 

 a direction I thought most likely to locate 

 them. We finally sighted the 3 sheep feed- 

 ing leisurely, about a half mile away. 



Making another circuit, we approached 

 a ledge of rock that was several feet above 

 the ground. I was just a little surprised 

 when I peered over the ledge and saw our 

 sheep not more than 100 yards from us, in 

 a little green basin. Two of them were 

 feeding and the other one was lying down. 



We decided to each select an animal and 

 to fire at a given signal. This is the most 

 awkward and unpleasant position a hunter 



can occupy; but we had travelled a long 

 way; I wanted the specimens badly, and 

 there seemed no way out of it; so I gave 

 the signal. 



The other 2 guns cracked simultaneously 

 but mine failed to go, and I was not really 

 sorry, for I preferred to shoot alone. 



I knew the missfire was owing to the 

 weakness of my main spring. My cart- 

 ridges were made by the U. S. Cartridge 

 Co., and I knew they were good; for 

 though I had carried them all summer, and 

 they had been wet dozens of times, yet not 

 one of them had ever refused to go. 



I hastily drew a second bead on the big 

 ram, just as he wheeled to run, and this 

 time when I pulled the trigger I saw him 

 go down in a heap. 



Ed's animal ran about 200 yards and fell; 

 but not so with the one Dennis fired at. It 

 kept going, apparently unhurt. 



Poor Dennis! He was mad, and "heap 

 ashamed." 



" Me catch em anyhow," he said, and 

 away he went after the ram, that was now 

 almost a mile away. What a sight! And 

 how Ed and I laughed as we watched the 

 race! Over the country they went, first the 

 sheep in sight, on some high knoll, and 

 then Dennis. We stood and watched them 

 until they finally disappeared and while we 

 could see the sheep had slackened its pace, 

 evidently not knowing it was being fol- 

 lowed, and that Dennis was keeping up a 

 good run and was evidently gaining ground, 

 yet we did not believe, for a moment, he 

 would overtake the old chap. 



A long, hard journey brought us to camp, 

 after dark, and when we came in sight of 

 our bivouac we saw a fire. Tea was soon 

 ready and we ate a good supper, while Den- 

 nis told us all about it. He had really over- 

 hauled and killed the ram and one other, 

 making 4 sheep for the day. 



We now had 5 specimens — all we could 

 carry — and we did not hunt any more; but 

 spent the next 2 days preparing the skins 

 and heads for carrying out of the moun- 

 tains. And so ended one of the most en- 

 joyable hunts of my life. 



CANVASBACKS AND TERRAPIN. 



COL. FRED MATHER. 



An article on " The Texas Game Mar- 

 ket," in a recent issue of Recreation, 

 moves me to remark that unless the Texas 

 canvasback has access to beds of wild cel- 

 ery, Valisneria spiralis, it " classes with the 

 mallard," as the writer says. 



The fact is that in New York and Wash- 

 ington the game dealers discriminate in 

 buying canvasbacks and redheads, paying 



larger prices for birds from Chesapeake 

 bay than from any other locality. When 

 the ducks first come to the bay, from the 

 North, the 2 species named are thin, and 

 are no better than mallards, if as good; but 

 a week's diet on the roots of wild celery 

 gives a plumpness and flavor possessed by 

 no other duck. On this reputation thou- 

 sands of redheads and canvasbacks are sold, 



