BOS 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. 24, 1898. 
Moved by Mr. Lakey that the open season on quail and 
partridge be Oct. 15 to Dec. 15. Lost. 
Moved by Mr. Whelan that the seasons on feathered 
game be referred to the Legislatures of the respective 
States represented. Carried. 
Moved by Mr. Chamber! in that an amendment be 
recommended to Section 13, prohibiting sale of deer dur- 
ing first five days of open season. Carried. 
Moved that Mr. Whelan have power to amend Section 
16 in his draft of bill, it to include deputies as well as 
State wardens as agents. Carried. 
The following resolutions of respect were by rising vote 
passed upon the death of Mr. E. H. Shorb, late of Van 
Wert. Ohio, delegate to the first meeting of the com- 
mittee, and a man prominent in acclimatization work in 
Ohio. 
Resolved, That this committee learns with regret of the 
death of E. H. Shorb, of the State of Ohio, whose interest 
in the preservation of fish and game, and whose work in 
the Ohio State pheasantry had brought to him a national 
reputation. We take this means of paying a tribute to 
his memory, and commend those dear to him to the bless- 
ing of Almighty God. 
Vote of thanks to hotel. 
Adjourned, subject to call of president. 
E. Hough. 
1200 Boyce Building, Chicago, 111. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
A Christmas Idyll. 
On the afternoon of Dec. 24, 898 — something like a 
thousand years ago, though I have not the exact date 
about me — there rode forth from the castle of Weisnitvo, 
upon the banks of the Umtara River, two noble knights. 
It was in the daytime, but they were knights, and this 
goes. One of them was Right Sir Ronald Buckstone, of 
Buckstonehurst, the other the Duke of Goodenough. 
Their proud and haughty glances shot from the visors of 
their helmets like long hair through a broken hat, but as 
they rode along — for they were on horseback — they con- 
versed in the low, well modulated tones of good society, 
pair of steel pajamas, warranted not to bag at the knee, 
surmounted by a coat of triple plate, guaranteed for 
twenty years. At the saddle bow of each hung the trusted 
can opener, which at that time was indispensable in war. 
Once within his steel pajamas the bold knight might bid 
defiance to the world. Across each saddle hung the 
weapon of the chase, the goodly crossbow, chokebored for 
extra range. Need the writer say that these pieces were 
exquisite specimens of the engravers' art? Nay, for these 
were knights, and none warmer ever let portcullis fall or 
drew sigh for Mariana of the meated grange. By this it 
should not be supposed that they were grangers, for such 
was not the case. 
Nor must we forget the dogs which trotted at their 
horses' heels. Sir Ronald was commonly reputed to have 
exchanged a hundred fair acres of suburban property for 
the proud treasure known as Vite-Courri, the descendant 
of the most exalted and kingly blood of dog. Sir Ron- 
ald's wife had spent many years in embroidering the pedi- 
gree of this noble animal upon a square of tapestry.^ An 
almost equal value was attached by the Duke of Good- 
enough to his own dog, Sloppy Weather. 
Vite-Courri was slight and graceful as a fawn, though 
Sloppy Weather was coarse and hard of mien. As the 
noble" knights rode on together, Vite-Courri ever and 
anon skipped and ducked as the horses stepped near to 
him. Upon the other hand, Sloppy Weather, when be- 
times trodden under the iron heel of the great charger, 
made no outcry, but calmly bit the other leg of the horse 
until he was fain step off again. 
The two knights rode on, as has been said, and for a 
time there Tell a silence upon the scene, over which, it 
has been neglected to state, there hung the crisp October 
air. It was nearly Christmas, but October goes, because 
this was an ideal day of sport. 
So intent were the two noble knights on the keen 
pleasures that lay before them that they became for a 
moment silent, nothing being heard but the champing of 
the bits of the two chargers, and the deep, heavy sound 
of Sloppy Weather's feet withdrawing from the wayside 
mud. It was now nigh on Christmas Eve, and these 
two had sallied forth to see what might be done, for many 
guests were bidden for the morrow, and the castle was 
out of meat. The reader would not know, as he cast his 
eye upon the lines — he would not know unless I told him 
— that there was upon the morrow to be a wedding of 
degree within the walls of the castle of Weisnitvo. The 
Duke of Goodenough was plighted by the honor of his 
knightly Avord on the morrow to wed Esmeralda, the 
beautiful daughter of Sir Ronald, and owner of the fief 
of Weisnitvo. He was to be the happy bridegroom at 
that coining event, and Sir Ronald had his eye upon him, 
lest he should slip away to some Crusade. This was in 
the time of the Crusades, and the eight-hour-a-day move- 
ment had not yet begun, so that £>ften noble knights 
worked overtime going to Crusades, and forgot to come 
back home, they were so anxious about Jerusalem. Jeru- 
salem has always shown itself able to take, care of itself, 
but they didn't seem to realize it then. 
"By our lady," said Sir Ronald, " 'tis slovely weather." 
"Marry, thou sayest well, Sir Ronald," replied the 
Duke, as he reached around to the western portion of his 
steel trousers and hauled forth a noble plug of choice 
chewing, such as only the nobility could purchase for a 
nickel. "Truly, thou sayest well. If fortune and the 
good saints fail us not, we shall slay abundance for the 
coming home at eventide." 
"Gadzooks, there shall be plenty for the wedding feast, 
good sir, methinks," said the former speaker. "It will be 
a corker — what?" 
"Even so," remarked the noble Duke. "If my good 
crossbow fail me not, meseems meself shall kill thirty 
straight to-dav. even though they put me in the A class 
for it." 
"Prithee, say not so," said Sir Ronald. "Never didst 
thou kill so many by half without missing. Saw I not — " 
"No — I mean nay," said the Duke nastily. "By my 
halidome. thou best !" 
"Sirrah," said Sir Ronald, in low, refined tones, "wert 
thou not to be my son-in-law, and if I did not owe thee 
for two months rent, these words had else been thy last. 
Yet forsooth, to my mind thou wert ever a most indiffer- 
ent shot." 
"By cock and pie, thou vagrom!" cried the stout Good- 
enough, "I an indifferent shot! Marry, beshrew me, be- 
thinkest thou not, how but yestreen, as we passed the nar- 
row wood, the skein of wildswan rose and passed an hun- 
dred paces to our left? Sawest thou not me bolt pierce 
the heart of the foremost bird — yea, even though me aim 
was on the hindermost? I an indifferent shot ! Why, 
sirrah, I call that skill such as thou mayest never com- 
pass." 
"It was not ever thus," muttered Sir Ronald in his 
beard, with a deep, hollow laugh, whose iciness caused 
frost to form upon his visor. Yet, as he bethought him 
of the unpaid rent he paused and softened his tones. 
"Nay, me good Duke," said he, "it ill beseems us to 
have a difference, who are so soon to become kin. As 
token of me friendship, I may give to thee some proof; 
though, perhaps, 'twere well not to violate secrets of the 
tenderer sex." 
"And what may that be, Sir Ronald?" 
"None less than this: The fair Esmeralda hath em- 
broidered thee a pedigree, which she herself, with her 
fair hands, will present to thee upon the wedding morn 
as token of her love !" 
"Perhaps, Sir Ronald, the lineage of thine own race? 
I thought as much." 
"Nay, not so, me noble Duke, but that which shall 
count to near as much. The pedigree of a dog such — " 
"Oh, joy, joy!" exclaimed the Duke of Goodenough. 
"The fair Esmeralda hath worked a sampler recording 
the pedigree of Sloppy Weather, me own good hound ! 
Now may the saints be praised! I had oft wished it 
framed to hang by me bedside, that first at morn me 
eyes might rest thereon." 
" The whiskers of Sir Ronald curled tightly under his 
helmet, and his voice shook with emotion as he replied : 
"Sirrah, the fair Esmeralda is too busy down town 
each day to monkey with the obscure birth of a mere cur 
of low degree. What dog could I mean else than Vite- 
Courri, the noblest of his kind !" 
"Vite-Courri! Vite-Courri? That misfit, slabsided, 
lathy, splay-foot, weak-backed pigmy?" said the Duke 
in calm, measured accents. "Surely thou jestest with me. 
What should mortal man concern himself with the pedi- 
gree of that worthless wiffet, fit but to course the rabbit 
to his warren, or catch flies within me castle chamber?" 
Sir Ronald's breath sounded as though drawn between 
barbed wire, and all he could articulate was, "Draw, sir, 
and lay on !" He forgot the rent. 
So they lay on, their good swords making large dents 
in their Sunday clothes. Large sparks flew off their hel- 
mets, and set fire to the grass, so that they fought in the 
midst of a sea of flames, yet never did either falter. 
"Vite-Courri ! St. George ! A rescue !" was the war cry 
of Sir Ronald, and to this the stout Duke made answer : 
"Sloppy, Sloppy, Slop! Rah- rah-rah !" It-was an aw- 
ful fight. The good sword of Sir Ronald, glancing from 
the projecting eaves of the Duke's shoulder piece, shore 
sternly down his back, and so fell was the force with . 
which the blow was sped that there was a crash as of 
splintered glass, and a cry of agony rushed to the stout 
Duke's lips as he felt a rich, warm fluid rush forth and 
stain his saddle skirt. 
"Ha ! ha," cried Sir Ronald through his set teeth. "Die, 
traitor !" 
"Not on your life !" hissed the Duke between his cross- 
bars. "Yet ever will I hold this grudge against thee, 
that thou didst spill the whisky, cruel knight!" 
Now, whether it was this thought that unnerved the 
valor of the Duke, or whether it struck remorse to the 
heart of the hot Sir Ronald, from that time their blows 
grew- fainter, as of those losing heart, and presently they 
called a truce and leaned panting on their swords. They 
were too tired to fight, but as all true lovers of the dog, 
they still could talk and exchange pleasantries. 
"Liar !" hissed the Duke. 
"Hound ! Foul Saracen and son of seven foul Sara- 
cens!" 
"Neither !" said the Duke, who was a bit off condition 
and short of breath. 
"Ill moved the stars that saw thee born!" said Sir 
Ronald. "Vite-Courri, the grandest — well set up — stands 
over ground— ears set on — coat perfect — pedigree twelve 
generations back to Jupe-Phoebe ! Ach Gott ! thou ass, 
thou unspeakable idiot and ass! Vite-Courri hath won 
twice a score of prizes in the stricken ring. He hath won 
blue ribbons till the women folk have to make carpet rags 
of it! Vite-Courri—" 
"Vite-Courri be blest, and all like him !" said the stout 
Duke. "The judge that would place him is an ass, and 
of a family of asses thrice refined. Sirrah, the dog is 
but a mongrel beside Sloppy Weather. See but the bone 
and barrel. Note the sweep of his hind leg, and see the 
firmness of his stride. Not with ease is he to be tripped 
up, I warrant thee! And when he retrieves — " 
"Marry, thou sayest it," said Sir Ronald. "In our best 
circles we retrieve not, for 'tis held passing vulgar." 
"Vulgar! Vulgar?" cried the Duke. "Now, by our 
lady of K. K. C, 'tis all off with the marriage! Thou 
mayst take thy daughter, and as for me, I shall collect 
the rent though it cost thee thy uttermost farthing, foul 
knight. Hearest it well? I say 'tis off! Ha, ha!" 
A bitter paleness fell upon the face of the brave Sir 
Ronald, but he was game. "Sirrah," said he, "the knight 
who marries the fair Esmeralda takes the sampler of 
Vite-Courri, or he don't get the girl, and that settles it. 
There ain't no dog like him. I have been offered 9,000 
broad pieces of eight for him." 
"You wouldn't take $30 for him, though, would you?" 
sneered the Duke. 
"What's that?" said the good Sir Ronald. 
"I said I'd hate to offer you $25 for him." 
"Dost thou thus offer?" said Sir Ronald, his voice 
trembling with concealed emotion. 
"Well, yes," replied the Duke. "I have money to burn 
in my business. Here is your gold." And he drew forth 
from his pants a roll of bills and counted out the price 
last above named. 
Sir Ronald took the gold with trembling hand. "I— 
what'll you have?" said he. "And why, may I awsk, 
didst thou thus sudden change? Why didst thou covet 
Vite-Courri?" 
Stout Goodenough laughed loud and bitterly, "White 
me a bill of sale," said he, "and when the dog hath been 
wonted, so that he may follow his new mawster, methinks 
I know a sausage mill that mayhap will retire him from 
circulation." 
A shuddering, gurgling sob burst from Sir Ronald's 
lips, as he fell forward upon the green sward. (I forgot to 
state that they had dismounted and were'now on the green 
sward.) The stout Duke looked upon the prostrate form 
of his late antagonist. A low, deep laugh broke from his 
set face. " 'Tis well," said he, " 'tis well. Come hither, 
Sloppy Weather, pup, for we are the real thing !" 
The sun cast aTast reluctant glance at this scene, but 
being obliged to keep its schedule, sank behind the hill 
which had been placed there for that purpose. The deep 
twilight fell/ since it could stand the suspense no longer. 
Darkness crept on apace, because it was no longer day- 
time. Night was coming. A solemn owl hooted in a 
neighboring broken tower. A few purling, creakling 
frogs began to pipe their lay, and the harsh strident notes 
of a katydid cut keenly on the moist, dank gloaming. But 
ever the stout Duke gazed down upon his foe and laughed 
a deep, hollow laugh. They who had once been friends 
had come to blows because of differences regarding dog. 
Twas ever thus, and is even so to-day, except that men 
do not come to blows, but war only with their tongues. 
The scene, as above remarked, remained unchanged, 
the gloaming only growing a little more gloomy. The 
silence deepened, save only that near at hand Sloppy 
Weather pulled burrs from 'twixt his toes. And far 
away over the darkened landscape came the dull, muffled 
sound of the fair Esmeralda splitting kindling wood for 
the wedding feast that was ne'er to be. 
There is no moral to this simple tale, for morals arc 
not artistic. 
Giant Moose. 
There is now in process of mounting at the Chicago 
Academy of Sciences one of the giant Alaska moose of 
which we are beginning to hear so much, the specimen 
being the gift of George H. Laflin, who purchased it of 
C. F. Periolat, a furrier. The measurements of this, 
specimen are as given below, though I have not been able 
to verify them. The antler spread borders on the phe 
nomenal. Length from tip of nose to hind hoof, 16ft. 5in. ; 
height, 7ft. 4in. ; around neck, largest part, 6ft. 3m. ; tip 
to tip of ear, 32^>in. ; around lip, with mouth open, 44m. ; 
around muzzle, 28m. ; antlers, inside measurement, 
50^in. ; width of palms, 2oin. ; extreme spread of antlers, 
7414m. 
Colorado Big Game, 
Game Warden Swan, of Colorado, estimates that in his 
State there are 100,000 deer, 25,000 antelope and 7,000 
elk. Warden Swan makes some very practical sugges- 
tions in regard to improvements in the Colorado game 
law. 
The Zoological Gardens of Denver, Colo., now have 
but one buffalo. Arrangements are making for securing 
sixteen buffalo and eighteen elk and deer for these gar- 
dens. 
Washington Birds. 
Mr. Frank Ailing, who has stocked Fox Island ot the 
Puget Sound country with- Chinese pheasants, has now 
undertaken the importation of black cock, junkie fowls 
and wild peacock. All these Asiatic birds are experi- 
ments, just as the Mongolian pheasant was an experi- 
ment, but should they prove so successful as the latter 
bird, the sportsmen of the northwest coast will have cause 
for congratulation. 
Oregon Game. 
Ex-Warden McGuire, of Oregon, in his report men- 
tions w'ith regret the diminution in numbers of the Mon- 
golian pheasant. The history of this bird in Oregon is 
well known. Protected, it increased with wonderful 
rapidity, and gave abundance for all. Pursued in and out 
of season by market shooters and insatiate sportsmen, it 
has begun to share the fate of our native game birds, and 
the supply is rapidly being cut down. Mr. McGuirs 
recommends a daily limit of twelve to twenty birds. This 
is enough. 
Elk in Missouri. 
From the Kansas City Star I take the very interesting 
and remarkable statement that early in this month Mr. 
Walter S. Halliwell, of Kansas City, killed an elk in the 
Ozark Mountains of southwestern Missouri, where he is 
a member of a club controlling a large preserve. The 
party killed six deer, one elk and a number of wild tur- 
keys. It is said that this elk is the first killed in Mis- 
souri in many years, but that two others have been seen 
in that region. The animal was thought to be a seven- 
vear-old, and weighed i,t5olbs. The antlers were 5ft. 
6in. from tip to tip. I have often talked with men who 
have killed elk in the Indian Territory, but I had no idea 
that one of these animals was left alive in Missouri, even 
in the wild Ozarks. 
The Small Bore. 
One of the interesting facts in the big lion hunt at Do 
Beque, Colo., is the fact that nearly all the hunters were 
armed with the small bore nitro rifles, The black pow- 
der rifle is pronounced to be very infrequent among the 
couple of hundred men who have been scouring the 
mountains in that part of Colorado. 
A Careful Hunter. 
A dispatch from Sault Ste. Marie. Mich., states that a 
Grand Rapids hunter this fall came upon a couple of 
fighting bucks whose antlers were locked. A prong of 
the antler of one of the bucks had pierced the eye of his 
antagonist, passed back through the bone of the head and 
come out in the mouth. The animal was nearly dead at 
the time the two were discovered. The hunter killed 
both bucks, and then spent considerable time in carefully 
prying apart the locked horns. I presume he could not 
put them together again for a thousand dollars. 
Michigan Violators. 
Warden Osborne, of Michigan, reports forty arrests 
made in November, twenty for violating fish laws and 
twenty for violation of the game laws. There were 
eighteen convictions, seventeen cases still pending. 
