clever boy shooters, 



v. 



Here are two of them, Philip G. Lauff and 

 Edward Beinke, of St. Louis. Dr. Joseph 

 Whitaker, writing of Philip, says : 



When an old sportsman is invited by a school 

 boy to go shooting, it makes him look back 40 

 years or so. In those days the schoolmaster had 

 to be consulted first, and parents afterward. The 

 school boy of to-day, just says " Papa, I want to 

 go shooting to-morrow." The father puts on a 

 stern look, yet, in his heart feels proud that his 



rule, no one is allowed to hunt there. Young 

 Philip, however, by reason of the respect that 

 the farmers have for his father, has a roving 

 commission for himself and any friend he may 

 take with him. 4£| 



We had but just left the team and started 

 across a field when an upland plover took wing. 

 Philip says " There goes a bird;" and almost be- 

 fore the last word was out of his mouth he had 

 dropped it. An hour later we met and counted 



boy should love the noble sports of the field, and 

 gladly gives his consent with the admonition to 

 "be very careful and not hunt any person." 



Last fall I had the pleasure of such an invita- 

 tion from one of St. Louis's youngest sportsmen, 

 a school boy. Philip is a genuine sportsman, yet 

 a hard student. He is nearly 14 years old, 

 and is an expert shot with his little breach-load- 

 ing gun. Due east of the northern portion of 

 our city, on the Illinois side, is a large tract of 

 bottom land, also two islands called Cabaret and 

 Cheautau. These islands were known in former 

 years to abound in all kinds of game, such as deer, 

 turkeys, pheasants, ducks, snipe and quail ; now 

 we have nothing left but ducks, snipe and quail. 

 All that country is private ground, and as a 



up to find that Philip had killed eight birds^to 

 his older brother's one. 



On another occasion, Philip persuaded his 

 father to drive him to the shooting grounds, 

 promising that he would kill more birds than his 

 father could carry on a string. Arriving on the 

 grounds, " Rosa," Philip's Gordon setter, soon 

 made a point. A large bevey of quails was 

 flushed. Philip dropped one on the first rise, 

 which made his father feel proud of the boy's 

 skill. After five hours of good sport they re- 

 turned home with 17 quails. Usually Philip and 

 Edward hunt together, but on the two days I 

 have mentioned the latter was unable to go. 



Who would not be proud of such boys? I 

 know I am proud to claim them as my friends. 



322 



