Oct. 13, 1894.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
315 
crossed the whole face. Loud and long he heard peal 
after peal of laughter from the hackload, and even the 
team, startled into good nature, seemed to share in the 
general merriment, and moved right along out of that 
mud hole in fine style. Abednego was filled with rage. 
He cast one withering look back and then strode on in 
sullen silence for three miles before he stopped, taking the 
rain as it fell with stoic indifference, and only halting 
when a gate barred the way that must be opened to per- 
mit the passage of the team. For a moment he thought 
of passing on and leaving the driver to dismount in the 
mud to open it, but at last concluded to open it and ride 
again. 
"Now really, now you know, Abed," said Meshak, as 
he mounted the wagon, "why really — ha, ha — we ought 
not to have laughed — ha. ha — at you — ha, ha — and it was 
too bad to have — ha, ha— your new breeches torn — ha, ha, 
ha — but you — you — looked so — so— ha, ha, ha — very 
comical — ha, ha, ha, ha — that — that — in — ha, ha — deed — 
ha, ha — we couldn't help it, we couldn't — ha, ha, ha, ha, 
he, he, he, ha, ha, ha!" 
And Shadrach echoed every explosion with his voice, 
but by and bye Meshak was sufficiently recovered to loan 
Abednego two pins with which to partially conceal the 
rent, and on they went, their team slowly overcoming 
the difficulties of the road. 
The road was heavy and the team very slow, and more 
than once on the long stretch from the San Antonio 
River to the Coletto all the passengers had to dismount to 
enable the horses to go at all. After a long walk of three 
or four miles by all of the passengers, as they reached a 
part of the road slightly better they again got in the 
hack, with wearied bodies and patience worn nearly 
threadbare. 
When Co'etto Creek was reached, and the team was 
watered, they met several acquaintances going in the 
opposite direction, with whom they had some talk, stop- 
ping the team near the bank of the stream for that pur- 
pose, but when the conversation was finished and it was 
sought to move on, Brownie refused to move in the direc- 
tion desired or in any direction save back toward home. 
He wanted to follow tne horsemen, and thereupon he and 
Baalim got up a controversy that threatened to be pro- 
longed, and the trio got out of the hack upon the sandy 
margin of the stream with their lunch in hand, and seek- 
ing the sha le of a vine-covered tree on the bank, began 
to eat their dinners. 
After a long and animated discussion with Brownie, 
and rnuch persu sion from the whip, and several eloquent 
and "vehement threats to cut his throat from ear to ear, 
Baalim at last got the team started by going down the 
creek to recross and suddenly pulling the left rein instead 
of the right and thus forcing them up the east bank of 
the stream; and drove up to our temporary camp, hot and 
furious, but declaring that Brownie had never, no never 
in his life cut up such hundred-dollar shines as he was 
doing on this trip. Abednego, with as -id smde thought 
of the red-haired young man's description of Brownie 
"he's the beatin'est pony in Texas," and mentally ex- 
claimed "Amen." 
About 4 o'clock in the afternoon they reached the hill 
overlooking the valley of the Guadaloupe River stretching 
out four miles between them and Victoria, and as that 
had been recently heavily overflowed it was apparent 
that the team could take us no further, and the hack was 
unloaded at a neighbor's house near; the driver paid, and 
the trio began to cast about for some means to reach their 
destination. The newly built railroad running west from 
Victoria had been completed to the hill upon which they 
found themselves, but no trains was running (for tnis 
story is of a time when it was walk or nothing); and 
nothing remained for them to do but to foot it to town 
along the railroad grade. Abednego captured three heavy 
cornstalks, near by, that had been used in the construc- 
tion of a pigsty, or some other inclosure by the workmen 
on the railroad, and abandoned when they moved further 
out, and with the help of these as walking canes, the 
weary three footed the remaining four miles, and walked 
the trestlmg, and bridges, while two stout colored men 
who had been given a dollar to do so, followed with their 
baggage. 
The advent of the cornstalk three with their soiled and 
torn clothes, and weary limbs, was greeted with smiles of 
compassion and exclamations of surprise by those thsy 
met as they traversed the town, and there was but one 
consolatory thought upon which they all three dwelt with 
satisfaction as they neared their journey's end, and that 
was that they never would have such a trip to make 
again, as ere another court the railway would be com- 
pleted. 
"Papa, give me that carnstalk," said Abednego's little 
son as he entered his domicile and sank into his easy 
chair, "I want to make a hor3e out of it." 
"Right my boy," he said as he handed it to him, "and 
the next time I start out from Refugio on such a trip I 
will ask them to hitcti in a billy goat in place of Brownie, 
or will myself get astride a cornstalk, and ride home, as 
an easier way to get there than to walk, and push the 
hack." Texas. 
Carrier Pigeons Shot. 
Vineyard Haven, Mass., Sept. 29.— Editor Forest and 
Stream; Inclosed you will find a metal tag taken from 
the leg of a carrier pigeon, which was shot at Squib- 
nocket, Aug. 24, 1894. He was shot from the roof of a 
building just at dark, I inclose same to you, as it may 
interest some reader of the Forest and Stream; 1 ob- 
tained it from the farmer near the Gunning Point Fish 
ing Club House. The brass band reads T A J 93 39. 
The bird would not have been shot had it been recognized 
as a pigeon. R. W . C. 
Baltimore, Sept 30.— Editor Forest and Stream: One 
day last week a carrier or homing pigeon was picked up 
on the radroad bridge of the P. W, & B. R, R, across 
Gunpowder River. It has a band around the leg with 
C 4241 on it, and had probably been struck by a train, as 
it was wounded. It is now all right and is at the bridge 
tender's house. If he should release it do you think it 
would find its way home? Edwakd A. Robinson. 
[Probably.] 
Chickens, Ducks and Geese 
are going to be very plentiful along the line of the Northern Pacific 
this season. Make your arrangements to go and get soine of them. 
Send Charles S. Fee, General Passenger Agent. St. Paul, Minn., 4 
cents in stamps for "Natural Game Preserves of the Northwest."-— Adv 
A WHITE BLACKBIRD. 
It was the 19th of August, the day before the opening 
of the rail season in Connecticut, and we were driving over 
to the river to engage the shovers for the morrow, and have 
the usual chat with Charlie, as to the number of birds, 
state of the corn grass, etc. The day had be*m warm 
but the autumn coolness began to be felt in the afternoon 
air, and the livery stable horse pricked up his flapping 
ears and lifted his big clumsy feet a trifle more briskly 
than usual, as he trotted along the leaf -strewn woody 
road. As we rounded the last turn and came in sight 
of the river, "There's Charlie now, halloo Charlie," 
shouted the Doctor, 
At the sound a figure bending over a boat drawn up on 
the bank straightened up, and Charlie turned toward us, 
shielding his eyes with one hand. The look of question 
and surprise died out of his face as he saw who it was, 
and with a smile of hearty welcome he came up the bank 
saying, as be came "How-dy-do — how-dy-do— I was cal- 
culatin you'd be along to-day, Dnctor, and I've just been 
gitting the Madam's seat fixed in the boat." 
Then the horse was tied under the shed, and as we 
seated ourselves on the grass the Doctor said, "Well, how 
about the birds — anybody been up prospecting yet?" 
"Wall — yes" — answered Charlie, meditatively drawing a 
long yellow straw through bis teeth. "I guess there's a 
few birds in, I was up to the cove, last night, and shoved 
about a bit and got up eight or ten birds, but the' warn't 
no kind of a tide — couldn't get nowhere. But there's a 
fine lot o' grass, and I gues3 meby I can find fifteen or 
twenty birds if there's anybody can shoot 'em. They's 
goin' to be three boats up beside, you, though, and you 
want to get here sharp on time, so's to git in fust." 
Well, the arrangements were made, and after a few 
more words, we drove away, promising to be on hand 
promptly at 6:30 A. M. the next morning. We kept our 
THE WHITE BLACKBIRD. 
promise, and were repaid for our early rising by the 
b a auty of the drive in the fresh morning air. As soon as 
we arrived, Charlie was impatient to be off, and before 
long we were on our way up the river, the Doctor and 
Clark in one boat, and Charlie and I in another. Then 
the reason for Charlie's impatience was divulged. 
"How are ye shootin' this year?" demanded Charlie, as 
s H»n as we were fairly off. 
"Oh, Charlie, I don't know— not very well I am afraid. 
You see I have not had a gun in my hand for six months, 
and I probably couldn't hit a barn door to-day." 
"Humph!" growled Charlie, "that's bad, 'cause there's a 
I ird on tnis river I want you to get; we're going after him 
now, first thing." 
' Good gracious, Charlie, you frighten met What kind 
of a bird is it?" 
"Wa'l, it's a kind of a bird I never see before, nor you 
either, I'll be bound; it's a white blackbird." 
"A white blackbird!" I echoed. 
"Yes, m'am. That's just what it is, a white blackbird. 
He's been around here tor two weeks now, an' most every- 
body on the river's been a-shootin' at him; but they aint 
got Dim yet, and I want you should get him. I'd ruther 
you got him than twenty rail. Pooriellow! I feel kind 
o' sorry for him, anyway. You see, he's in a flock of 
about fifty, and they treat that bird real mean. They 
know he's some different from them, and they peck him, 
and fight him, and won't let him come only just on the 
very edge of the flock. I seen him as much as twonty 
times, and he's just as white as paper. And. I just said 
now, the Madam's going to hev that bird or my name 
aint Charlie." 
"Well, I'll do my best, Charlie," answered "the Madam," 
gratefully. "But I shall bs so anxious to get him that I 
am sure to miss." 
"No you won't, now. I'll look out for that. We'll just 
shove up quiet like, and when we get just where we want, 
I'll get 'em up; but I want to show him to ye first, so's 
you'll be sure to know him. Niw, we're gettin' near 
where they was last night. Now, you just sit. here and 
let me get back there with that 6hovin' pole, and I'll p'int 
him out." 
So we quietly changed places, and the boat glided ovr 
the water like a wraith, propelled by Charlie's strong arm 
and long pole. Suddenly he whispered excitedly: "There, 
there he is just ahead of ye — settin' in that big bunch of 
grass to the right. There — see 'im— see 'im." 
"No," I cried, in as suppressed a voice as my excitement 
would allow, "where— where?" and I bent and ducked 
and twisted about, making the boat rock perilously as I 
did so. As the words left my lips, with a whirr like an 
escaping rocket, the whole flock rosa out of the clump of 
grass ahead, and made for one some distance beyond, and 
as they did so I had a good look at the poor pariah, who 
meekly followed in their wake. He did look very white 
in the midst of that assemblage of black-clad brothers, 
and my longing to "get him," became greater than 
before. 
Charlie rowed swiftly up the creek in the wake of the 
flock, and in a few moments we were close to them again. 
and could hear their calls and chatter, as they flew back 
and forth in the tall corn grass. It took Charlie a few 
moments to locate the poor outsider, but he was finally 
discovered on the very edge of the flock, sitting all by 
himself on a drooping corn grass stalk, and looking far 
from happy. Finally our preparations were all made, the 
gun was loaded and cocked, my eye was on the bird, and 
I was ready to take him the moment the flock got up. 
Then Charlie, with an Indian warwhoop, threw a block 
of wood«into the midst of the birds. They rose with a 
rush and wheeled off, and as the gleam of the white 
wings caught my eye, up came ray gun, the report echoed 
from shore to shore, and then, lying on the smooth sur- 
face of the water ahead of me, I saw the white blackbird. 
No longer a pariah, but destined to proudly adorn the 
collection with which the walls of our country home are 
enriched. The Doctor's Wife. 
THE GAME SUPPLY. 
The preservation of game is a subject of deep concern 
to every sportsman who shoots over dogs, or who trusts 
solely to the gun for his sport. From observation made 
during my recent trip in the Northwest I am convinced 
that, year after year, the game supply has steadily 
diminished. 
The chickens were quite abundant this year, owing 
chiefly to a most favorable breeding season, but they 
were not so evenly and uniformly distributed over the 
whole chicken country as they were years ago. Their 
breeding and feeding grounds are now confined to com- 
paratively narrow tracts, following such courses as are 
favorable to their protection and comfort in respect to 
growths of cover, and in affording a food supply also. 
Some localities may have abundance while other localities 
may have none, but the abundance is only for a short time. 
From personal observation and what 1 could learn from 
local sportsmen the multitude of shooters is in too great a 
ratio to the number of chickens. The whole chicken 
country is searched repeatedly. Every town contains 
shooters enough to thoroughly sweep the whole adjacent 
country for miles around. Shooters from one town often 
meet shooters from some other town going in an opposite 
direction, all intent on killing chickens. 
While there is a game law against the exportation of 
game from North Dakota, it is violated with the greatest 
regularity and with entire impunity. Shooters take 
empty trunks into the State, which, filled with chickens, 
are cnecked as baggage on the return trip. 
One gentleman filled a large sack with ducks, which he 
took with him from North Dakota to his home in eastern 
Minnesota. The railroad official, as a matter of perfunc- 
tory duty, asked him what the bag contained, for there 
is a semblance of an effort on the part of transportation 
companies to observe the game laws as it pertains to 
themselves. The agent received for reply that the bag 
contained eggs. This seemed satisfactory, since no fur- 
ther questions were asked and the bag of ducks was ac- 
cepted for transportation. 
Ducks are few in numbers as compared to previous 
years. A few favored sections, where food is abundant 
and where they are least disturbed, may have large num- 
bers; but the small sloughs, lakes, creeks and marshes, 
which a few years ago literally swarmed with them, they 
now avoid. There is sufficient food and shelter for them 
in the big sloughs or lakes, which are also ample enough 
for their needs throughout the entire season. 
A few years ago all the little and big sloughs in the 
northern country were none too much for the needs of 
the ducks, so vast were their numbers. But the slaughter 
of those which breed in the settled sections of country and 
which are killed before the fail migration begins, and 
the continued slaughter which begins near Lake Winni- 
peg on the north, through all the vast region on their 
south bound flight to the Gulf of Mexico, is producing the 
inevitable result. During the winter months on the Gulf 
coast the market-shooters diligently pursue their voca- 
tion. They send thousands upon thousands of ducks to 
the game dealers in the great cities. On the northward 
flight in the spring time, the ducks must run the gauntlet 
of the previous fail. The destruction is so great that in 
a few years they will have shared the fate of the wild 
pigeon. 
To give some idea of the destruction, I will mention 
the results of one duck hunt, made by a party of four, 
Mr. Pike and two sons, of Chicago, and Mr. H. W. Cowan, 
of Windsor, N. D., the latter gentleman living not far 
from the scene of slaughter. I have the information 
from Mr. A. S. Weld, who owns the sloughs, or part of 
them, where the "hunt" took ptece, 
Their score was 1,300 ducks in eleven days, and 100 
chickens, 2 wild geese and 2 sandhill cranes. This would 
make an illegal number of birds killed daily, as the law 
permits not more than 25 birds to be killed by one person 
in one day; it furthermore prohibits a person having more 
than 25 birds in possession at one time. 
As these birds could not be legally shipped out of the 
State nor shipped for profit within the State, the question 
arises, what was done with that immense number of 
birds? 
Mr. Weld further informed me that Mr. Pike brought 
with him 5,000 cartridges from Chicago, and took back 
but a few hundred. This was the destruction done by 
one party. Others were quite as diligently at work in the 
same neighborhood. 
By the way, Mr. Weld further said that when one of 
the Pike party killed the legal number in one day, the 
ducks killed afterward were called snipe. 
North Dakota is a rich field for missionary work by the 
National Game, Bird and Fish Association, of whose 
doings at this active season of game slaughter nothing is 
heard. B. Waters. 
Maine Shooting. 
Sixteen Miles prom Ectstis, Me., Oct. 2. — Editor 
Forest and Stream: With Dr. F. M. Wiser and Mr. 
Chas. H. Meigs, of New Haven, I have just closed (Sept. 
29) the most successful trout fishing season I ever had, 
and we opened the shooting season yesterday in pretty 
fair style, Dr. Wiser bagging a very large black bear, Mr. 
Meigs a bear and a deer, and one deer to my gun. Large 
game and partridges are very plentiful. Any of your 
readers wanting the best of deer shooting with moose, 
caribou and bear on the side, can get it by addressing 
Emery & Douglas, Eustis, Me. I guarantee a good time 
and plenty of game. Both Emery and Douglass are born 
guides and pleasant gentlemen. Geo. W. La Rue. 
