J?EB. 19, 1^9!] 
FORl^ST AND STREAM. 
14 6 
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Reminiscences of an Old 
Sportsman,— X. 
(Coniinued from ^age 104,) 
We were shooting quail in the wilds of North Caro- 
lina, and were passing through a pine thicket when we 
heard a short distance ahead of us a shot, and iminedi- 
ately following the report the air was filled with kiyi- 
ings" and shrill howlings of a dog that appeared to be 
getting away from there, as the music was gradually re- 
ceding. We were soon at the edge of the thicket, where 
we found a long, gaunt native leaning on his long, gaunt 
gun, and looking in the direction that the dog had evi- 
dently gone. Approaching, I asked him what was up. 
He turned to us with a countenance that was a study to 
see, the predominating expression appearing to be a 
sort of surprised wonder; and as he shifted his rest from 
one foot to the other he slowly drawled out, "Trouble 
enough, Mister. Whatever the old woman will do 
when I get home I don't know; she thinks a heap of 
that pup." 
"What!" I exclaimed in a tone of horror, "you did not 
shoot the dog!" 
Rolling his eyes up at me with a woe-bcgone expres- 
sion that would have been worth thousands of dollars 
to Fritz when he lost Schneider, "Oh, Mister," he 
whined, "don't talk like that. I feel bad enough now to 
go and jump in the creek. Whatever she'll do I don't 
know." 
In response to my inquiry as to how it happened, he 
exclaimed: "Drat the old woman; she's as much to 
blame as me, for I shouldn't have come if she hadn't 
made me." Then dropping his voice to its natural tone 
. he continued, "We were out of bacon and meat, and 
she allowed that I had better go out and get an old b'ar, 
so I got the gun and took Juke and came over here, 
as there is right smart of old b'ars here. Pretty soon 
I seen the purp waggling his tail, and I pulled foot for 
this corner, as they always run here. Well, pretty soon 
he done jumped one, and as it came out of the brush I 
whistled,' and as soon as he squat I ptilled on him, and 
I'll be everlastingly conswaggled if I didn't shoot the 
purp. ^ Must have done broke his hindleg, I reckon, 
as he held it up and yelled like all possessed and started 
for home just as fast as he could go on three legs." 
Then shouldering arms he went and picked up the 
"old b'ar," adding as he moved away, "Whatever she'll 
do I don't know, but I reckon I'd better go and have 
it out." 
Several phases of this incident were quite interesting. 
I was particularly struck with the new word, "con- 
swaggled." This was the first time that I had ever heard 
it, and my companion was in the same fix, so we argued 
a while and then tried to guess at its meaning, but had 
to give it up. Soon after we came across an aged "man 
and brother" who was plowing in wheat, and we agreed 
to abide by his decision. Approaching him, I gave 
him "good-day," and asked him if he would solve for 
us a linguistic problem. He had stopped his mule, and 
appeared to be good and ready for social converse, but 
when the unknown word fell upon his ear there came 
a dazed look upon his open countenance, in an absent- 
minded manner he pulled off his hat, and like the lone 
fisherman "he scratched his ancient poll," then dubiously 
shaking it, in a regretful tone he said, "No, boss, I 
dun know whar you'll find 'em, dar ain't none round 
here, but over under dat bush dar's an ole b'ar, an' he's 
done been squattin' dar all day." 
Promising to shoot the "ole b'ar" for him if he would 
answer a simple question, he brightened up and gave 
a fair promise. "Now," said I, "tell me truly, what does 
conswaggled mean?" I shall always be pleased to think 
that I asked him, for I now know what it means as well 
as any one, and in the interest of science I will 
record his answer. Rolling up his eyes and looking me 
straight in the face with a perfectly truthful expression 
he exclaimed, "Say, boss, I'll done be everlastingly con- 
swaggled if I know." 
We were paddling down the Pearl River in Mississippi 
in search of ducks. My companion was in one end of 
the boat and I in the other, each with a paddle, which 
we used alternately at each shot, turning the boat around 
so as to place the one whose turn it was to shoot in the 
bow, or as my companion put it, "shooting, turn and 
turn about." It was my turn at the gun when a mallard 
jumped a short distance below, and I blazed away, hit- 
ting him hard; but he kept on, and we saw him pitch 
down just beyond the bank at a bend in the river some 
twenty rods below. When we arrived at the place we 
drew the boat ashore and worked our way through 
the tangled brush a short distance, when we came to 
a small pond-hole, in the middle of which I saw a duck, 
and taking a hasty aim I let drive and tumbled him over. 
But after kicking a moment he partly recovered and 
paddled straight toward us. Coming out of the water 
and waddling up within 3ft. he keeled over on his back 
in front of us. He was my meat. 
I wish I could stop here, but this is not all the story. 
Before the duck was out of the water I saw that he was 
not the ane we had marked down, and I told my com- 
panion that I thought this was a tame one; and as we 
just then caught sight of an aged darky hobbling toward 
us we knew it for certain. As he came up to us wit'n 
his face wreathed in smiles, he very pleasantly said, 
"Well, gemmen, you's done killed de las' one, an' I 
specs you's '11 be willin' to gib me a quarter for him; 
dat's what all de gemmens pays me, and dey's done shot 
more'n sebenteen ob 'em." 
Of course I at once forked over the quarter, for which 
I received at least $2 worth of thanks, and then the old 
fellow proceeded to give us at length graphic and cir- 
cumstantial accounts of the taking off of his flock, and 
to my horror giving the names of those who had partici- 
pated in the sport. Some of the persons named were 
friends of mine, and I want to say to them right here 
that T have my opinion of any one who would be guilty 
of shooting the poor old fellow's ducks, but in order 
that they may have time for repentance T, shall not at 
present give them away, T was thankful that the old 
darky did not know us, and I was determined that he 
should not have our names to add to his list. My com- 
panion evidently thought the same, for when the old 
fellow wanted to know what our names might be he 
received a very prompt reply that we were the F"uger- 
son brothers from New C)rleans, and under threat thut 
if he told on us we would never shoot another of hts 
ducks he solemnly promised never to mention it. Pick- 
ing up our "boughten" duck, we found the other one 
after a short search, and were soon in the boat float- 
ing calmly down the beautiful river, with never a word 
to break the peaceful quiet, and save an occasional 
stealthy glance at that dead duck not a tnotion to dis- 
turb the harmony of' the scene or ruffle the surface of 
the bright water. Sx-xadow. 
[to be COl^TINUED.J 
Interstate Wardens' Convention. 
That Boy Again* 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In my mail box the other day was a letter. The name 
began about where it ought to on the envelope, but 
started toward the upper right-hand corner, so the stamp 
had to be put on skew-yaw to prevent its covering the 
name. The matter was remedied by running the next 
address line down to the lower right-hand corner. The 
city name was squeezed into the wedge-shaped space 
remaining, and the State's initials were over in the lower 
left corner out of the way. 
It was thrilling handwriting, too, for me. I knew 
what to expect. Perhaps the mail clerks were thrilled 
as well. The letter was from the boy at Philadelphia, 
N. Y., of whose bicycle hunting the Forest and 
Stream has told. A part of the letter may be worth 
transcription: 
"You know sometimes a fellow feels kind-a funny. 
He don't want to read; he can't study; he fidgets sit- 
ting still, and gets out of breath doing nuthin. That's 
the way I got to feelin' the other day Avhen it snowed 
and blowed so. I stood up to sit down ag'in, and mon- 
keyed around home till Cousin Min was most strackted. 
She begun to fidget, too, and by and by I went hunting. 
Of course I took the target pistol and sort of moseyed 
off across the trestle to kind-a quiet myself down. I kept 
a-goin' and goin' up the railroad track, snow blowing 
so I couldn't see my feet walk. I piled over a fence and 
slid down them rocks top the hill by the sawmill still- 
water, and in them woods where there is an opening I 
found two rocks side-a-side, and between them was a 
fine place to sit down, so I sot. There wa'n't no wind 
there, and I was all het up and didn't git cool a bit. I 
had a place to lean my back against, and I rested with 
my eyes most shut. The snow dropped onto my face 
and felt bully, almost like home. Pretty quick there 
wasn't anything brxt snow where I was, all covered up. 
"I kind-a went to sleep — wasn't cold, you know, just 
comfortable. My pistol was in my hand all snowy, my 
black wool gloves all white; couldn't see my shoes nor 
nothin'. I had some chocolate creams, and I ate them 
with snow — bettcr'n ice cream — takin' care not to shake 
the snow down my neck. It kept gettin' shadowy all the 
time, flocks of flakes comin' down thick. 
"I felt just like — I don't know. You know, I didn't 
want nothin' at all. Anyhow, it was lovely. 
"I couldn't see across the river forty rods, only just 
shadows like in a balsam swamp. It felt shivery, too — 
not cold, only nice like. Pretty soon I kinder felt as 
though something was somewhere. I could sort of feel 
it, and I shivered. Couldn't see nothin' nor hear it. It 
seemed like the pistol was a comfort, too. Hadn't wanted 
it before, but it felt good in my hand. I held it a leetle 
tighter, not moving any at all. Someway I couldn't 
move. 
"Then all to once a little black nose came from behind 
the right side rock I was sitting at. And it was long 
and p'inted, and there was eyes and a head and pricked- 
up ears. There was a fuU-grow-n fox standing there, 
stopped all to a standstill. Gee! I must have smelled 
strong that clost. 
"Up went his head. I never moved. My eyes was 
shut all but the blinkers. He looked and looked. The 
snow whirled over the rocks and hit both sides of him. 
and he turned first one side, then t'other, smellin' and 
listenin'. Then away off across the river I heard one 
of the Cross boys holler "Whooee!" and the fox he 
heard, too, and turned the back of his head square to me. 
"I lifted the pistol careful, careful, as though 'twould 
melt or bu'st or somethin'. It growed awful shadowy 
all of a sudden. It was most night, and it come like 
in a swamp, where it's evergreen and thick. I shivered, 
too, like as if I was scared, only I wasn't. I lifted the 
pistol. I could see the brass sinking into the steel, 
creeping up his forelegs — all I could see — up, up into his 
shoulder, and there it rested just a little second. Then, 
spank! went the little .22 short smokeless, the sound 
hittin' against the snow what was fallin' and huddlin' all 
up. 
"The fox give a jump, and then half a one; down he 
went; kicked a little. Then he was dead, and me hold- 
ing him up by the heels, letting the red blood drop out 
his breast. The bullet went in kittercotering. 
"I took him home, and it was dark before I got there 
a long time. I didn't walk fast, but slow. It was one 
of those thinking spells a feller has coming home or 
something once in a while. I'm going to send it to have 
it mounted. It is a lovely skin, soft and nice. Poor 
devil! I felt sorry for him, getting cold in the snow so 
sudden." 
And that's the way he got his first fox. 
New York. Raymond S. Spears. 
Shooting on the Eastern Shore. 
Chxncoteague, Va., Jan. 31. — Ducks are quite plentiful 
in Chincoteague Bay at this writing, especially redheads, 
broadbill and quite some brant. Mr. Joshua Reed, Jr., 
reports having killed thirty redheads at three shots on 
Saturday, and is shipping to-day thirty-six pairs, the re- 
sult of Saturday's work. Brant will be on hand in Feb- 
ruary and March, on their northern flight while geese 
may be expected. T. G. Elliott. 
IVfondayt First Day* 
ChtmgO., Ill, Feb. -.—The so-called Interstate War- 
dens' Convention, which begati at Chicago to-day, is 
really not merely a convention of wardens, but a gather- 
ing of State committees charged with the investigation 
of protective measures calculated to be mutually bene- 
ficial to all the States represented. As stated earlier, the 
matter was first set on foot by Senator J, Herbert Green, 
of Milwaukee, Wis., a young and enthusiastic sportsman 
who has gained the confidence of many men and many 
interests of his State. Delegations were appointed by 
Legislatures of other States, so that quite a body of 
workers appeared to-day. The representation shown 
at call for credenti-ils to-day was as follows: 
From Wisconsin: Hon. J. Herbert Green, James El- 
larson, State Game and Fish Warden; Henry Over- 
beck, Jr., Sturgeon Bay; W. H. Flett Merrill; J. 
Hogan, La Crosse; H. D. Smith, Appleton; Currtr 
Bell. Bayfield; E. E. Bryant Madison; Calvart 
Spencely, Mineral Point; A. E. Birge, Madison. 
From Minnesota: Executive Agent S. F. Fullerton, 
St Paul; C. S. Benson, St Cloud, Secretary State Fish 
and Game Commission; Senator E. G. Potter, Minne- 
apolis; Hon. W. B. Douglas, Moorhead; Hon. T. E, 
Byrnes, Minneapolis, legal counsel of the State Commis- 
sion; Hon. A. F. Ferris, Brainerd; Mr. Uri L. Lam- 
phrey, President State Sportsmen's Game and Fish Pro- 
tective Association, and Mr. G. L. Tucker, secretary of 
the same body. 
From Michigan: Senator Preston, of Lapere; Hon, 
F. C. Ch amberlain, Gogebic; Hon. Horace Davis, Presi- 
dent of the State Fish Commission; Mr. C. E. Brewster, 
deputy warden. Grand Rapids; Col, E. Crofton Fox 
and Mr. John Waddell, of the Grand Rapids Sportsmen's 
Association; Mr. A. L. Lakey, President of the Na- 
tional Game, Bird and Fish Protective Association, 
Grand Rapids. 
From Ohio: State Commiijsioner E. H. Shorb, of 
Van Wert. 
From North Dakota: State Game Warden George 
E. Bowers, of Fargo. 
From Illinois: Dr. S. P. Bartlett, United States Fish 
Commission; Hon. Nat H. Cohen, President Illinois 
State Fish Commission; Hons. John A. Barnes and J, 
B. Lyon, of the State Legislature: Harry W, Loveday, 
State Game Warden; M. R. Bortree, of the National 
G. . B. and F. P. Association; Col. C. E. Felton (named 
but not present), of the IlUnois State Sportsmen's Asso- 
ciation; Me ssrs. C. D. Gammon and A. A. Exline. 
Indiana, loAva and South Dakota had no representa- 
tives present to-day, these States having made no appro- 
priation for the purpose of sending representatives. 
Other delegates and interested persons are expected in 
to-morrow from Wisconsin and Michigan. 
The convention went into business session at 2 P. M 
a^t the club rooms of the Great Northern Hotel. Senator 
Green, of Wisconsin, was called to the chair, and Agent 
Fullerton, of Minnesota, was chosen secretary. The 
chairman stated the purposes of the meeting in a brief 
and direct speech which showed a pleasing freedom from 
high-flown, generalities. On motion of Mr. Bortree the 
call of delegates was had, and a committee was appointed 
to formulate topics for discussion. Said committee, ap- 
pomted by the chair, was composed of Messrs. Bortree 
and Loveday, of Illinois; Douglas, of Minnesota: 
Brewster, of Michigan; Flett of Wisconsin, with the 
president and secretary of the convention. After a five 
mmutes' recess the committee reported a programme be- 
ginning with fish protection, the discussion being: 
I. Should inshore" fishing be allowed on any of our 
Great Lakes? 
Uniform Close Season oa the Great Lakes, 
This topic, not of such interest to sportsmen, is a vital 
one to the State wardens and commissions. Its discussion 
consumed a couple of hours. Dr. Bartlett of Illinois, 
said Illinois was not so much concerned with the Great 
Lakes, but was in fine for accord. Mr. Brewster of 
Michigan, said mshore fishing should certainly have re- 
strictions. Mr. Ferris, of Minnesota, thought Minnesota 
was not much concerned in the Great Lakes fisheries. 
Mr Overbeck, of Wisconsin, said his State had a great 
deal of that sort of fishing. Mr. Fullerton, of Minnesota, 
showed the damage to schooling fish, immature ones, 
which ran mshore and were taken in inshore nets. Mr 
^,^VVr" said he could promise the hearty co-operation 
of Illinois and the passage of any law his friends from 
outside advised. Mr. Brewster explained that, under the 
present diversity of the laws, they had driven the inshore 
fishers from Michigan,, but they went to Indiana and 
Wisconsin and thence plied their trade on Michigan's 
coast. Had all these States a uniform measure these 
fishermen could be forced to observe it, as they would 
have no haven. Mr. Fullerton thought no nets should 
be allowed nearer than one mile from shore. Very 
rnuch more discussion of a general nature was liad, and 
the interchange of information and ideas as to the 
spawning season of different fishes in different parts of 
the Great Lakes system was interesting and valuable 
lo bring It all into definite form Senator Potter of Min- 
nesota, introduced a formal motion, which after two 
amendments, a motion to reconsider and a thorough 
canvassing all around, was passed as the sense of the 
meeting in the following form: 
"Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that 
trout and whitefish fishing be prohibited in the Great 
Lakes during the spawning season, being from Oct 15 
to Dec. I." This was the joint determination of the 
convention, after sober and intelligent weighino- of all 
the matter, and it is probably a wise one. the dates do 
spawning of the lower and warmer lakes 
(Mr. Shorb.^ of Ohio, wishing the date to begin Sept. 15 
for Lake Erie), but they are about as wide as'would have 
chance of passage m all the States interested. Already 
the idea of broad, compromising, give-and-take, but uni- 
form, laws was seen to be clearly in the mind of the 
majority of those present. 
Uniformity in Market Size of Fish. 
Discussion was now turned to the resolution intro- 
duced by President Nat H. Cohen, of the Illinois Com- 
mission, touching upon the marketable size of fish a« 
