May 15, 1890.] 



FOftfiST AND STREAM. 



329 



sprang forward and in a jiffy the two defunct jacks 

 'were at his feet. 



"We were not slow in getting to work I can assure you, 

 and as the aid of the Gordon's keen nose was entirely un- 

 necessary, if not a dowruight hindrance, the Doctor 

 ordered Fan to heel. She followed meekly, with an in- 

 jured look in her great eyes, as all well-broken dogs will, 

 aud we were soon at it. 



The freshness, the picturesqueness and the romance of 

 the whole scene were deligbtful. A few yards on we 

 jumped another flurry of birds, and we both got in two 

 barrels, only killing a jack apiece, however. As luck 

 would have it we both shot together at the last bird, and 

 I had scored a clean miss with my first barrel — overshot 

 the zigzaging little rascal. But the next moment I made 

 lip for it by a corking double. "Great shot!" cried Doc 

 from the other side of the swale. 



As I reached my lost bird I gazed upon him with queer 

 emotion, as he lay there at my feet in all his delicate 

 beauty— lay there amidst a cluster of peeping dandelions 

 and curling cresses, a glossy, high- bred, high-fed cock. 



With what little reference and thought to man exists 

 the greater part of the Deity's creation. Some things 

 appear to bo made for his use, but what myriads of 

 others, grand and beautiful, have no connection with 

 him or his presence. 



The snipe and the glossy blades of the tiger lily glisten 

 alongside each other in the solitude of the gloomy slough. 

 The. graceful birds, the budding vegetation waving in 

 curves of matchless loveliness, the limpid pools, the gran- 

 deur of the whole wild landscape, ad ask not the eye of 

 man to admire them. Yet he thinks the world created 

 especially for him. instead of being but one of the count- 

 less expressions of the Almighty, one of the atomic links 

 in the infinite series of creation. All, from the vasty 

 heavens to the squirming ephemera, are but portions of 

 the mantle whicn the inscrutable. Master wraps about 

 Him for purposes of his own. 



Slceap! from the crypt of straggling flags at my very 

 feet, and but a step from his dead mate, flushes an un- 

 wary bird. 



"Where are the influences of my sentimental musings — 

 where the fruits of my moralizing? My Lefevre is to my 

 shoulder— a puff of azure smoke, a sharp report, and the 

 •snipe plunges dead into the mud! 



Crack! crack! echoes the Doctor's gun. 



He has worked off to the right and is beating up a 

 favorite ground of mine down along a tortuous slough, 

 half hidden by spreading splatterdock, the lurking place 

 of the pinkeye and the piping batrachian, where the 

 jacks are found when nowhere else. 



Finally the distraught birds became so scattered and 

 •wild that it was only at infrequent intervals that we got 

 a shot. I was thinking seriously of getting out of the 

 bottoms, as 1 had noticed a cloud in the west drop its 

 gauzy ladder to the rim of the horizon, and felt that one 

 of those erratic April showers so common here was about 

 to catch us. The Doctor, however, was in his element, 

 and insisted on staying, and nothing loth, I flound- 

 ered on. 



An April storm! Soon the distant bluffs mingle 

 grayly, then the whole perspective was swallowed, The 

 shadowy groves of willow and maple melted, the further 

 line of puckerbrush was next in the misty mingle, and 

 then with a rush the shower was upon us. 



The marshes, so soft and tender and pleasant in the 

 sunshine of the morning, became in a moment sticky and 

 reeking wet. But this preliminary deluge was of but 

 short continuance. To the wand of sunbeam the misty 

 curtain lifted and there was the instantaneous glitter all 

 about. In a few moments, however, a second install- 

 ment of the shower came, engulfing the already dripping 

 groves and swaying reeds, and changing again into jewel 

 work under the sun. For the next hour there was a 

 quick intervening of rain and sunlight. The former 

 would streak the scene, then blue eyes would open in the 

 sky. The arcades of the woody groves would glow, 

 darken, be masked in the shower, only to flash again into 

 -gold. 



Things continued thus for an exasperating length of 

 ithe time. The Doctor and I were long since drenched to 

 ifcbe skin and bubbling over with disgust, but at last the 

 •dingy, lead color above whitened, broke into large frag- 

 ments and then, as if by magic, the vault overhead was 

 'one smiling expanse of blue. ' Again we started forth, 

 leaving the clump of maples in which we had sought 

 ishelter, and working over toward the oozy meadows that 

 nran clear down to the bed of the Elkhorn. 



How the blackbird chirped and the robin sang, the 

 ■whole scene putting on a look as sweet as a fairy face I 

 iknow. 



As enthusiastic as ever, amid such entrancement, we 

 reached the meadow lands and here jumped the birds 

 again, probably 30 or 40 getting up simultaneously and 

 whirling and tumbling away in the glistening air in all 

 directions, some dropping down again, like ghosts, among 

 the nigger-heads, not 1 00yds. away, while others, per- 

 haps the ones that had been oftenest flushed, rise into 

 space until mere specks, when they circle and dart, and 

 flutter and whir in the most erratic flight, until we grow 

 tired of waiting to mark them down. All about us, in 

 the soft, black soil, we saw where the birds had been bor- 

 ing for angle worms, while their graceful tracks, cross- 

 ing and recrossing like net- work, showed how they had 

 been disporting themselves during the spasmodic storm. 



We continued our shoot, with varying success, for an 

 hour or two longer, and then, as our game pockets were 

 bulging with birds, our clothes soggy and steaming, our 

 legs weak and unsteady, and our stomachs empty, we 

 started for the city, which we reached just as the tender 

 tints in the April sky were trembling away into the soft 

 gray of the deeping twilight. Sandy. 



Protection Against Rust.— Elmira, May 5.— Pure 

 lard and mercury (three parts lard, one mercury) will 

 preserve your guns from rust for any length of time. To 

 save trouble, you can get it already prepared at any drug 

 store. It is nothing mo* nor less than anguintim. Ap- 



E.y as you would oil. A light coating is sufficient, 

 eave barrels open if you like.— Nilmah. 



Names and Portraits of Birds, by Gurdon Trumbnu. a 

 book particularly interesting to gunners, for by its use they can 

 Identify without question all the American game birds wbiob 

 they may kill. Olotb, 230 pages, price 82.50, jFor sale by Fohest 

 awd Stream. 



A MEMORY OF JERSEY. 



PERUSING my favorite journal, Forest and Stream, 

 I came across "Ruffles in New Jersey," which 

 reminded me so vividly of a few days' sport I had 

 there shooting partridge, quail and rabbits, that it oc- 

 curred to me that it might interest some of my fellow 

 sportsmen to read a short account of our outing. 



There were four in our party, the senior member, 

 "Uncle," a hale and hearty good fellow, true sportsman 

 from tip to toe; his little one-year-old setter bitch Fan; 

 Jack, a whole-souled model of manhood, ever ready to 

 please and oblige any one, and the writer, full of love for 

 the woods and nature — never tired, when with his gun, 

 satisfied to hear the whirr of a quail or partridge, to get 

 a glimpse Of the game and an occasional shot. 



A clear bright November morning saw us in a boggy 

 brush, a favorite haunt of little Bob White. Fan soon 

 roaded and suddenly froze in his tracks, when whirr, 

 whirr, up sprang a bevy of about fifteen full-grown birds, 

 out of which two fell to the report of our guns. A 

 wounded one dropped some distance away and was 

 speedily found and pointed by Fan. It was my fortune 

 or rather misfortune to drop her dead within about 5yds. 

 from where she got up by a snap shot, but so bidly 

 mangled that she was hardly fit to be taken home. 

 Right here I made up my mind never to use a 12-bore 

 close-choke for brush shooting again; and I have since 

 used a very light 14-bore Clabrough, moderate choke, 

 with just as much success, and have the pleasure besides 

 of securing my game in nice presentable shape instead of 

 being torn out of recognition. 



Having marked some of the birds down we went to the 

 bank for a chat, rest and smoke. While there I suddenly 

 noticed Fanny, lying at her master's feet, act in what I 

 thought a very queer manner, turning her head from one 

 side to the other, then holding it rigidly. Fearing she 

 would take a fit, which I bad seen begin in a similar 

 way, I called Uncle's attention to it. He turned, glanced 

 at her, grabbed his gun and exclaimed, "Fit ! why, boy, 

 she is on a point." He told her to go ahead, which she 

 did very cautiously, and sure enough she pointed the bird 

 not ten feet from where we were talking and laughing 

 and carrying on. I need not to mention that the bird did 

 not fly very far after she got up, as Uncle never misses 

 (if he can help it). 



I have never seen a dog, a mere puppy, work the way 

 Fanny did; hunting all day, she never flushed a single 

 bird, and kept right on close to us in the brush, hunted 

 carefully and thoroughly. She was very sensitive, the 

 least change of expression in her master's commands 

 would instantly be noticed by her. Her actions and the 

 way she would turn around and look from one to the 

 other with her true brown eyes seemed to say, "Why 

 don't you get to your place ?" 



With varying success we hunted for three days; we 

 did not get any great big bags to brag of, but we had a 

 royal good time which will linger in our memory for 

 years to come. 



The unwont exercise told on us, and on our way going 

 home the last day Jack said, "Boys, this is the last time 

 I will be with you." How true it did come. Scarcely a 

 few months afterward at the terrible hotel collapse at 

 Hartford he was killed, and my heart never ached so 

 much in all my life as when I pressed my hand on his 

 forehead and said, "Good bye" to my old true friend 

 Jack forever. August. 



BAY SNIPE SHOOTING. 



A TELEGRAM from our game keeper at Currituck, 

 dated April 21, saying "Bay snipe have arrived," 

 reminded us of the fun we had last spiingand fall, so we 

 dropped our pens and paper, said to our trusted partners 

 and clerks, "We'll bring you a great bunch of gray- 

 backs," and away we drove to the Martin's Point Gun 

 Club. 



This club is a new one, situated about twenty miles 

 south of the pleasant summer and winter resort, Virginia 

 Beach, and is, as we think some hags we have made will 

 attest, the finest bay snipe grounds on the face of the 

 earth. Sept. 15, 1889, two of our members, Messrs. Tay- 

 lor and White, shot 440 golden plover, yellowlegs, gray- 

 backs, willets, curlew and grass plover, between 7 A. M. 

 and 1 P. M., with two guns. August 1, 1889, Messrs 

 Camp, Todd and White bagged 520 of the same kind of 

 birds with three guns. We think for recent dates these 

 bags will be hard to beat. But wait until we tell you 

 about this April 23 hunt, which is much earlier than we 

 generally go for bay snipe. Having packed in our hand- 

 bags just as few articles as it is possible to navigate with, 

 we are driven to the Virginia Beach depot at 6 A. M. 



Richard B. was the life of the party, and the cause of 

 some amusing little incidents which we will relate. 

 When we landed at the club, after a pleasant drive along 

 the Atlantic — with an occasional shot at a plover, a little 

 experience with a 121b. bluefish near Station No. 16, in 

 which case the victory was not to the fish — we found 

 what we were led to hope for, that game was abundant 

 and easy to shoot. Getting out our tin decoys each man 

 selects a sandhill, sets out his decoys and begins to build 

 a blind. But neither one of the four of us succeed, for 

 winter yellowlegs and graybacks were flying in every 

 direction, G. W. T. is the first man heard from. A 

 flock of four big winters came down among his decoys, 

 but the powder was bad and none of them remained. 

 Saying to him in a fearless sort of way, "Tweedle-dee- 

 dee-dee," they go straight to Dick. Now while "Richard 

 is himself," on the banks of Gloucester River in Ware 

 county, among the quail, he had never shot yellowlegs 

 before, but George had. But the battle raged until sun- 

 set, and the air smelt strong of powder. We bagged 83 

 large winter yellowlegs, a few graybacks and some 

 sickle-bill curlew. Going to the club house we find 

 smoking hot the 121b. monument of Joshua's determina- 

 tion, with sixteen fat yellowlegs. At 8:30 we were asleep. 



The blinds are only a few hundred yards from the 

 house, and a brisk walk of ten minutes puts each man in 

 his blind ready for business. It was just as our hopeful 

 and ever encouraging friend Joshua had predicted; the 

 birds were there; and although I have had some little ex- 

 perience in spring shooting and a little in other seasons, 

 I think I never enjoyed it more than this one day and 

 the next morning. The flight were nearly all large 

 winter yellowlegs, and were just as fat as I ever saw 

 them in September and October. Joshua sat dreamily 

 watching his decoys, occasionally singing his song of 

 welcome, which mugt aound sweetly to the ear of every 



yellowleg, for there was never one known to pass his 

 blind and not give him a shot. When four big, fat, 

 handsome fellows swoop down there are two reports from 

 his 10-gauge Greener, and none of them are left to tell 

 their tale of woe. He had hardly time to reload, when 

 down came a flock of ten graybacks and alight among 

 his decoys. With that cool, calm determination of a 

 man who knows he can do it every time, he takes delib- 

 erate aim and fires. This was a case of "no shot," or 

 that was the tale he told us, at any rate no harm came 

 to the gray backs. 



By this time, 6 A. M. , every man had gotten down to 

 business. The sight to the eye of a sportsman was cheer- 

 ing indeed. They just came to our decoys fast enough 

 to keep us doing something all the time, either shooting, 

 gathering our dead birds, or setting them out for decoys, 

 which we have found by experience adds very much to 

 this kind of shooting. The bird should have a stick, say 

 18in. long, stuck in his mouth, the other end in the 

 ground; and it should be made to stand on tip toe, so 

 that if there is a little breeze blowing the wings will 

 flutter slightly, which gives it a life-like appearance. 

 BUlie C. is an old hunter. We never see his smiling 

 countenance, but we are reminded of the many pleasant 

 hunts we have had with him. He is a very industrious 

 young man, and thinks he must constantly be doing 

 something. He can kill more birds in one day at the 

 Virginia Club in Norfolk than any man we know. 



Returning to the club for dinner, we count up and find 

 we have bagged 270 winter yellowlegs and graybacks, 

 with a sprinkling of golden plover and curlew. 



We have not many cartridges left, and Dick must re- 

 turn to town the next morning. We concluded that 

 Billy and I should shoot an hour or two and then drive 

 up to the depot for the early train. We bagged fifty -one 

 winter yellowlegs before breakfast, and were soon on our 

 journey home. 



The duck shooting has not been as good here this season 

 as usual, on account of the extremely warm winter; but 

 we had some very good duck shooting in March, and 

 killed more geese and swans than ever before. It has not 

 been an unusual thing to kill fifteen or twenty swan in 

 one day's shooting, and one of our men killed sixteen 

 swan on the 22d day of March, which is later than we 

 ever knew them to stay in Currituck before this season. 

 There are two or three shares for sale in this club now, 

 and if the reader is fond of this kind of sport he will do 

 well to consult Mr. J. B. White, of Norfolk, Va., about 

 these grounds. 



We shall return to the club next week for a few days, 

 and expect fine shooting, as the winds and weather are 

 favorable. 



To make our last trip more enjoyable we carried with 

 us a freezer, and although some of our birds were four 

 days old when we received them at Norfolk, they were 

 as perfect as when they were first shot. This freezer is 

 a simple one and a perfect success. It is a new whisky 

 barrel, with a zinc or iron pipe 8in. in diameter running 

 from top to bottom, with a patent drip, so all waste 

 water may escape but no hot air can enter. Fill this 

 pipe with ice and salt, with a cap on top of the pipe. 

 Pack birds around the pipe, double head the barrel, and 

 they are good for four days certain. Josh. 



Increasing Fish and Game in Massachusetts.— 

 President Edward A. Samuels presided at one of the most 

 enthusiastic meetings held during the season by the 

 Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective Association, at 

 Hotel Thorndike, Boston, May 8. Some 125 lovers of the 

 rod and gun sat down to an excellent dinner, after which 

 the subject of stocking Massachusetts with fish and game 

 was very fully discussed. The committee on game im- 

 portation made a very excellent report of what has been 

 done this season, and are making extensive arrangements 

 for continuing the work. Already twenty-seven lots of 

 live quail, besides four lots of the Arizona mountain quail 

 have been let loose. The Association is receiving appli- 

 cations for grain for these birds to feed upon from farm- 

 ers in different localities, many of whom are planting 

 fields of it specially for them, showing that not only 

 sportsmen but farmers upon whose lands the birds feed 

 are becoming interested, and see the importance of pro- 

 tecting them. Very encouraging letters were read from 

 different sections, stating that many of the birds let loose 

 have been seen, and that they were thriving, and prom- 

 ising to see that they are protected. A very liberal offer 

 was received from the editor of one of our leading sport- 

 ing papers, offering the Association 3,000 brook trout 

 with which to stock some of our streams, and our com- 

 mittee will probably make the proper arrangements to 

 accept this kind offer. The following gentlemen were 

 elected members: Clifford R. Weld, Chas. F. Rice, W. 

 N. Lockwood, A. E. Felch, Frank C. Childs, E. T. Milton 

 and Herbert M. Howes. Four new names were proposed 

 for membership. The Association now has on its books 

 400 members, having added over 150 new names during 

 the past year.— Richard O. Harding, Secy. 



Cartwright. — Among our visitors last week was Mr. 

 T. T. Cartwright, well known as an expert rifle shot, and 

 lately connected with the Whitney Safety Fire Arms 

 Co. He has severed his connection with that company 

 and is now identified with the American Arms Co., of 

 Boston. They are now putting on the market two new 

 fire arms, one the Whitmore hammerless doublebarrel 

 shotgun, and a revolver called the American Arms Co. 

 safety hammerless revolver. The company has been re- 

 organized and intend to push the sale of these arms vig- 

 orously. Mr. Cartwright will represent them on the 

 road, and is now on his way West to visit the trade and 

 meet the boys at the tournaments. He reports favorable 

 criticism from the dealers already seen on the merits of 

 the new arms. It is probable that the company will 

 change the location of their factory and offices, making 

 a long jump to Alabama, where flattering offers have 

 been made them to settle. 



Erie, Pa. — At a recent meeting of the Presque Isle 

 Gun Club, the officers elected for the year were: President, 

 Jas. Heydrick; Vice-President, Geo. Russell; Captain and 

 Secretary, Wm. Siegel: Treasurer, Chas. Siegel; Trustees, 

 Russell, Abell and Siegel. The club is in good condition, 

 but it lacks support from the sporting people in this 

 heautiful city. We are thoroughly organized and will 

 come "down hard" on three of the businessmen in this 

 city for breaking certain game laws. Will let you 

 know when we do it,— Hey. 



