RECREATION 



Volume Xm. JULY, J900. Number J. 



G. 0. SHIELDS (COQUINA), Editor and Manager. 



THE MAJOR'S CURLEW YARN. 



J. E. ALLEN. 



The Major and I had spent a pleas- on a camp hunt with a party from 



ant November day in the woods, quail Sanford and we stopped one evening 



shooting. I say the Major, because just about this time on the edge of 



the scene of this story is Orange Lake Jessup prairie. I was still sit- 



county, Florida, and everybody in the ting on my mare, as I was one of the 



county knows I mean Major M. R. last to come up, when I looked out 



Marks. We have other majors here, across the prairie and saw the longest 



but it is generally conceded that Mat. string of curlews I ever saw in my 



Marks is the Major. life. They were flying low. I had a 



On the way home the Major called small pin-fire breech loading shot 



my attention to 8 or 10 long-billed gun and my little buckskin mare, 



curlews leisurely flying in a line, Belle, was the fastest single footer 



crossing the road about 500 yards that ever set foot on Florida soil, 



ahead of us, evidently making for The prairie was level and as smooth 



their roosting place in a neighboring as a ballroom floor. When I saw that 



cypress swamp. "Drive quickly, string of birds stretched out against 



Allen," he urged. "We can get half the horizon I put spurs to Belle and 



a dozen of them." headed the procession off about half 



"They are too far away, Major," I a mile from camp. Turning Belle's 



replied. "Besides, old Dick is tired, head the same way the birds were go- 



and we have more birds in the buggy ing, I dropped the bridle across her 



now than we need. Let them go." neck and let her go at full speed while 



The Major was quiet a few mo- I loaded my gun and began shooting 



ments and watched the string of cur- the birds. The little mare seemed to 



lews disappear over the tops of the catch the spirit of the thing and at- 



pines. Then turning to me he said, tended strictly to her part. I kept 



"Those curlews remind me of the right under the string of cur i ew s for 



time I did the best shooting ever done ^ of a mile and killed i; of them t 



in Florida, I don t care who the didn > t miss a shotj and onl it be _ 



shooter is or what he shot at. cause shdls QUt „ 



lhats a broad statement, Maior. A ^ ,«/ , . r ,,. T 



T , 1 1 . ,, \ At the conclusion of this yarn 1 



1 nave made some shots myself that , T ,., \ 



were not bad. What did you shoot made no comment - \ dld not even 



and where did you do this remarkable turn m ^ e y es toward the Ma J or : bu J t 



shooting?" gazed steadily at the beautifully tinted 



The Major settled himself down on sunset clouds, in absolute silence, 



the seat with his feet over the dash- Finally I began to whistle softly. The 



board. Major waited a few moments and 



"It was curlews I shot at, curlews ; then, raising himself on the seat, said, 



like those we have just passed. I was "Well, that's so ; every word of it." 



