340 



RECREATION. 



time found me looking for a camp place; 

 but fortune favoring me, I came around a 

 little point almost on top of a ranch house. 

 There they told me our camp was some 

 distance up the next canyon, but intimated 

 that for a certain token of appreciation I 

 might stay with them over night. I "fell 

 off," as they expressed it, and their hot 

 biscuits, venison, gravy, butter, etc., dis- 

 appeared, via my alimentary tract, like 

 water in a gopher hole. 



On finally reaching camp the next after- 

 noon, having hunted on the way, I found 

 the ranchman had killed 4 large turkeys. 

 The next morning we took different ridges, 

 the son and I each on horseback, while 

 the ranchman said he preferred to walk. 

 After riding about 2 miles, making as lit- 

 tle noise as a drove of cattle in a field of 

 dry corn, I jumped a deer some 150 yards 

 ahead, and he disappeared over the ridge. 

 Having been told by old timers that a 

 deer will always stop to look at a man be- 

 fore departing, I conceived the idea that 

 that deer would wish to get another look 

 at me ; so I calmly tied my broncho and 

 slipped to where it seemed the buck should 

 be waiting. I learned that deer in that lo- 

 cality have a perverse habit of following 

 their inherited instincts in preference to 

 the rules laid down for their guidance by 

 old timers. For example, deer are not in- 

 variably found at the heads of canyons, or 

 on the ridges, or at any other place at any 

 particular time, day, season or year. Con- 

 venience to feeding ground, shelter from 

 the elements and a place of comparative 

 safety seem to be the only conditions in- 

 fluencing their habitat. 



After a few philosophical reflections I 

 decided to abandon that untutored, cloven 

 footed beast. About a mile farther I was 

 riding along in the same quiet manner when 

 some 50 turkeys strolled up a small canyon 

 200 yards ahead. They disappeared before 

 I had time to get down, but leaving my 

 horse I followed the direction they took 

 and finally met the ranchman's son. We 

 separated and I took the side hill; and 

 as standing was easier than walking I 

 stopped. I had only been still about 2 

 minutes when something came sneaking 

 close to the ground, and getting my 25-35 

 ready, I waited. A turkey came through 

 an opening on a dead run, at a distance of 

 about 25 yards, and I turned her over, 

 barely breaking her back. I slung her on a 

 pole, passed my gun over to the boy and 

 started for camp at once. 



The next day we hunted in the forenoon 

 without success and at 2 p. m. I started 

 from the ranch house, after bestowing the 

 expected token, on a 25 mile return ride, 

 leaving the turkey to be brought in the 

 wagon. My friend sent it to me a few 

 days later, and we boys had a feast 

 Thanksgiving day ; but my position can be 

 appreciated when I tell you that one of the 

 heathens found several Number 4 shot in 

 the bird. They knew I had used a rifle, as 

 I had not been too modest to brag about 

 killing the turkey on the run with it. The 

 ranchman had used a shot gun and had ex- 

 changed game with me. Of the 8 turkeys 

 and one deer we 3 got on that trip, the 

 ranchman killed 6 turkeys and the deer. 

 We attributed his success to the fact that 

 he walked instead of riding. 



SEPTEMBER. 



C. C. HASKINS. 

 (With apologies to L. C. Elerick.) 



There's a cold, nasty wind from the Sou- 

 southeast, 



And the wind is a howling gale, 

 That neither is good for a man nor a beast 



And its song is a mournful wail. 



The flowers are withered, the dead buds 

 decay, 



The Frost King his anger has shown. 

 The coal pile is certainly melting away, 



The bright birds of summer have flown. 



The walks are all covered with mud and The sky is o'ercast, and the black rolling 



with leaves, 

 And the grasses are slipp'ry and brown. 

 The sun hides his face ; ah ! he inwardly 



grieves 

 That the furies are painting the town. 



clouds 



Are scurrying, restless and free ; 

 They're hastening on with the rallying 



crowds, 

 To join the equinox spree. 



