450 
[Dec. 6, 1902, 
rare that a genuine lover of the rod or gun is not worthy 
of all trust and confidence imposed in him. 
So let us don our shooting togs, the coat, not of many 
colors, but of maiij'^ pockets, the trousers and leggitags 
made to resist the wear of the bush and scratch of the 
brier, and with gun resting comfortably on the shoulder, 
hide ourselves in the peaceful shade of the woods, Or 
tramp over the crisp stubble with that pleasufabie antici- 
pation of a good day's sport that is never lost, but each 
day rises amw, whatever the disappointments of the pre- 
ceding one. 
The companion of many hunts, our Fidus Achates, in 
the shape of either a setter or pointer, is as eager as his 
master to be afield, and upon reaching the wfell-known 
hunting grounds, is off at a wave of the hand, quartering 
the fields, drawing each favorite spot where only the other 
day he found a bevy. Suddenly a whiff of that delectable 
bird scent is carried to the delicate nostrils and he 
slackens his gait, looks around for the master, and then, 
with head erect and putting each foot down as carefully 
as though he were treading on glass, he approaches the 
birds, until the strong scent warns him of their near- 
ness, and pauses, rigid and beautiful, surely a sight that 
brings joy to the heart of the sportsman. 
Hark to the whir of Wings as the quail arise; wat^ch 
the startled birds hurry to the shelter of the neighboring 
woods. The first bevy of the day is found, and now our 
cup of joy is overflowing. 
Then at noon time, when the sun is high in the heavens, 
the sportsman seeks some sheltered nook and abandons 
himself to a delightful rest, and also refreshes the inner 
man with a tempting, though necessarily small, lunch, 
which was so carefully prepared and put into a pocket of 
the canvas coat by the little madam, who, although she 
is a .sportsman's wife or mother, and has witnessed his 
coming and going many times, can never quell the feeling 
of uneasiness and always on parting utters those precau- 
tionary words, "Do be careful, dear," Bless the little 
woman ! We all know what prompts those loving wofds, 
but we do not know how much she worries or how 
anxiously she awaits the homecoming. 
The clear waters of the near-by brook serve to wash 
down the enjoyable lunch and also to soften the two or 
three dog biscuits that somewhat still the pangs of huftger 
in our faithful companion/s stomach, tlis breakfast was 
not a large one, for the sportsman was wise and knows 
that no dog can hunt well after a hearty meal. 
But there is one thing needed before the sportsman's 
satisfaction is complete, A search in the pockets brings 
to light a well-filled tobacco pouch and a pipe, whoSe 
very blackness proclaims a strength which Qt\\y many 
|)ounds of the "weed that soothes" could produce. The 
.pipe is carefully filled and then there is another search 
ior a match, which is found, lit, and applied to the to- 
hacco. Now he is happy as he lounges on the soft bed 
of leaves and pine needles. At peace with all the world is 
he, as he watches the circling smoke aroimd and muses 
'On the pleasures of the past few hours. 
Perhaps the warmth of the November sun, as its bright 
•rays shine into the little glade, has a soporific eifect on 
the sportsman, and soon he is off to the land of dreams, 
accompanied by the dog, who has before been lazily 
"dozing, but now, seeing his master embraced by the arms 
of Moipheus, curls up in a comfortable little hollow at 
the foot of an old tree and indulges in a deep, beneficial 
snooze. 
All this may seem a bit out of place to some, this noon- 
day slumber, but to the man who finds not all the pleasure 
in always "killing," it is as truly a part of the day's en- 
joyment as the shooting. 
Surely we who love the dog and gtm, can claim as 
good a right to be termed contemplative sportsmen as 
those who find their pleasures in bending rod and babbling 
brooks and have been designated by the father of trout 
fishing, as contemplative anglers. 
But the smi has withdrawn its warming_ rays from 
the glade, and the old dog, who quickly notices the at- 
mospheric change, begins to get uneasy. He indulges in 
a mighty, satistVing yawn, and then lazily arises from 
the soft bed beneath the tree. The sportsman is suddenly 
recalled from the land of dreams by a cold, damp nose 
being shoved inquiringly into his face, and awakens to 
find his dog standing by him, an entreating look in the 
large brown eeys, which seems to say, " 'Tis time to be 
up and doing." So he looks at his watch and finds that 
there are only three short hours . before the sun wjH 
sink behind the western hills, and that that day and its 
pleasures will be a thing of the past. 
Off in the distance he hears a clear, melodious whistle. 
A bevy of quail have been scattered and are sounding 
their assembly calls, so he listens for a moment until an- 
other whistle leaves him certain of the direction, and then 
off h'.' goes, for a half-dozen more birds added to th®se 
that are already in the game pockets will just complete 
the number he wishes to carry home. _ 
Finally the dog gives the most positive signs of game, 
the sportsman moves up closer to where he is working, 
there is a sudden rustling of the dead leaves, a b-r-r-r, 
followed by a sharp report of the gun, and another victim 
swells the score. 
Again the scene is enacted. Maybe the surrounditigs 
are different, for in nature's theater the scenery is always 
shifting, but there are the same actors, the man, the dog, 
the fluttering bird and smoking gun. 
The sportsman is at last compelled to cease hunting, 
for the gradually deepening dusk, makes it impossible to 
shoot with satisfying results, and he calls his dog to heel, 
throws the little gun over his shoulder and starts on his 
homeward tramp. 
"Fatigued?" you ask. "Yes, bodily." His limbs are 
not of steel and have conveyed him over many miles, 
through forest and field, but his spirits are not in keeping 
with the weary limbs. ~ He is not thinking of the work he 
has done, the miles he has covered, but of the dozen or 
more plump quail that are so snugly resting in the game 
pockets, and should you ask him if the recompense is 
worthy of the labor, there will be no hesitating, the same 
cheery answer will be always given, "Of course it is. 
Why, my friend, there is no better sport, and I am never 
happier than when homeward bound after a successful 
hunt." F. Arthur Partridge. 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., l^e^ 
Yorki mi 09* t© pny lodividual connected mth tte pap«r, 
One Way to Burst a Gun. 
Wk wcXii firing at the 300-yard target, \1sivig new Spen- 
cer .45 caliber carbines. These are rim fire and some of 
their cartridges were defetttv'e, the percussion matter, 
whatever it was, ofteft failed. It may have been on ac- 
count of its not beifig evenly distributed, for if it missed 
fire the first time we turned the cartridge partly around, 
then let the plunger strike it in a new place, and it gen- 
erally exploded then. 
One of our sergeants stepped out to fire this day, and 
his first attempt was a failure; his cartridge did llot e)t- 
plode. He turned it; then tried again, and this tiittfe the 
percussion was all right; but the gun made hardly any 
report, and I noticed but a light puff of smoke come out 
of the muzzle. 
The marker signaled a miSs, d.ild the sergeant tried 
again. This time the eartridge was all right, but after fil-- 
ing the gun was found to have a small bulge that extended 
clean around the barrel an inch behind the muzzle. This 
was over twice the diameter of the barrel, but there 
was no split about it. The lieutenant, who had charge 
of us, here now examined the gun, then wanted to know 
if the sergeant had taken the rag out of the gun before 
firing. A good many of us kept a greasy rag in the 
muzzle as a stopper, and only a few days before this a 
man had forgot to remove his before firing at a deer and 
had ruined his gun ; the barrel, in this case, had split two 
inches back from the front end. 
There was no rag in the gun; sergeant said tliis had 
been his second shot, the first one w^illd have burst it 
had he left his stopper ill. 
"Then I can't account for it," the lieutenant told him. 
I had been standing only a few feet away when both 
shots were fired and had been busy thinking since then. 
"I can explain it, I think." I told him that first shot 
Was one of those spoiled cartridges ; he had to turn it, 
then, when it did go off it made hardly any report; there 
must have been only powder enough in it to drive the 
ball as far as the muzzle; there it found the smallest 
inside diameter and then stuck ; the next shot burst thti 
gun, of course. 
"I think you have got it," he told me. "ttilVfe -yoli ^Vet- 
seen a similar case?" 
"No, sir; another like it miglii: iioit occur in a year, but 
1 reason it out that way." 
■■A^nd that is the way it has been done. I must report 
this to the War Department as being something new." 
I .saw another of these carbines burst from having its 
muzzle full of claj-^; that was a piece of carelessness, 
though, and had I anything to do in this case the man 
would have had to pay $22, the price of the gun. 
Cabia Blanco. 
Erie, Pa. 
Ducks on Gaede's Pond* 
One afternoon last week a man rushed into Morgan's 
office on Broadway. When he inquired for Eddie it was 
plainly to be seen that the messenger was very much ex- 
cited. The proprietor was not at home, and the man 
"waited. 
When Eddie came in the man took him over in a cor- 
ner and whispered something in his ear. The people in 
the place could catch a word now and then about ducks 
and ponds, and Eddie seemed pleased over the informa- 
tion which was being imparted. 
After the man had departed, Edward went to the tele- 
phone. His actions were quick and decisive, but his 
friends saw that he was under strong mental excitement. 
"Hello, Central," said Edward, as he took down the re- 
ceiver. "Give me 380, quick." 
There was a delay for a moment, and then Morgan 
whispered into the 'phone: 
"Hello, Powers, is that you? Say, John, a fellow's 
just been in and told me that there is a big bunch of wild 
ducks up on Bob Gaede's pond, just above Haledon. I 
want you to hook up your horse before daylight to-mor- 
row morning, and we will go up and get them before 
Garry Hopper or Billy Stalter get \yise. If they hear 
there are ducks on that pond, they will go up aiid camp 
out to-night," 
"All right," said Ed, after he had listened to his friend 
Powers for a irioment. "Be sure and be herfe by 5 ifl the 
morning; we won't liave any titne to lose if we want to 
get those ducks^ Keep it ittllntj don't say a word to any 
one." 
For the balance of the evening Morgan acted as if he 
were burdened with the weight of a great secret. His 
friends noticed his absent-mindedness, and it caused con- 
siderable comment. When Garry Hopper came in and 
said he had heard there was -a big bunch of ducks up 
country Eddie got nervous, but he calmed down when 
Garry said the ducks were on Cedar Pond at Orean Park. 
The next morning when the police were going on duty 
at 4 o'clock, a man was noticed driving through the streets 
at a rapid gait. He pulled up at Morgan's and Eddie 
came out, loaded down with shells and gun, which were 
hastily concealed in the back of the wagon. Then they 
whirled away over the river and up the Haledon hill. 
"If we find those ducks, John," said Ed, "we will have 
to- be pretty careful, as they will be apt to be wilder than 
hawks. If they are near the shore, we will sneak up from 
two sides. We'll put the first barrel into them on the 
Avater, and then when they bunch on the rise we will 
simply slaughter them with the second barrel. We'll cer- 
tainly have the joke on Hopper and the gang by going out 
and getting a bunch of wild ducks right here in the town 
before breakfast." 
When the hunters reached the top of Jackson's Hill, the 
pond on Bob Gaede's estate lay spread out before them 
like a mirror. Dawn was just breaking, and the surface 
of the water was partiall}' hidden by the early morning 
mist. When they were within three yards of the lake, 
Powers suddenly stopped the horse. 
"There are the duclcs," said John, pointing to a group 
which was floating about thirtj' yards from the shore, at 
a point where there was good cover on the bank. "I think, 
though, thej-^ are tame ducks." 
"No. they're not," said Morgan. "They're mallards; 
look at their size and see them swim. We won't do a 
thing to them in a minute. You go over to that point, and 
I'll go yonder; when I whistle blaze away." 
It topk John and Eddie fifteen minutes to get to their 
respective positions, and all the time they kept an eye on 
the ducks. Then there came a low whistle, and the simul- ' 
taneous reports of two guns broke the morning stillness.. . 
The shot churned the water into foam right in the middle ' 
of the batch of ducks, but they never moved. 
Neither Morgan nor Powers shot the sfeColid thilc. 
They got wise quickly. They sheaked baCk tb the w^goh, i 
and the horse had to make refeo'rd time to get back to ' 
Paterson beforfe pfeople were up. 
Morgan says now .thg.t he knew all the time that tlic ; 
dueks were decoys which had been placed in the pond by ! 
Bob Gaede to fool some of his friends, and that he only I 
pretended that they were real ducks in order to have i ' 
good joke on Powers. 
Curiously enough, Powers says the same thing abdut 
Morgan.— Paterson (N. J.) Chronicle. 
Market Hunter Fined $360. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Game Warden George A. Ferris, of Stamford, Conn., 
did a clever piece of work when he arrested and convicted 
Wallace A. Stevens, of Stamford, Conn., for selling 
thirty-three quail, woodcock and partridge; 
Stevens received the minimum fihe tha{ the law provides, 
viz., $10 per bird, and $30 for tosts— $360 iii all. Ufjoh 
fii-.'5t reading this fine may appear excessive for the firSt * 
offense, but when other circumstances are taken into con- •■ 
sideration, tire decision will meet the approval of all good ; 
sportsmen, and it's the general sentiment in and around j 
Stamford that the fellow got what he deserved. Stevens' > 
occupation is that of driver for the Diamond Ice Company | 
in Stamford eleven months in the year, but the twelfth , 
month, October, he gives up his position and goes back ' 
into the country to a camp of his, or else boards at a farrrl- 
house, and takes up shooting as a business. T)iis he hfi,'^ ' 
done for several years. Several wmpki tits .have tieerl I 
niade to the game wardeh about Stevens shooting dh, 
Sunday?, atiH about his shdoting for market; but all such 
fellows are shy, and it is hard to- get positive evidence to 
secure a conviction on, and Stevens had made the state- 
ment several times that "Ferris never Avould catch him, 
and he would just like lo see him come up and arrest ' 
him." 
Game Warden Ferris is, however, not only an en- 
thusiastic sportsman, but a man of much determination 
and resource ; and after several weeks of patient investi- 
gation — the watching and noting of several persons with 
suspicious looking baskets who went to New York pretty 
frequently — the following of persons to New York and as- 
certaining where the contents of these suspected packages 
and baskets were disposed of, he was able finally to ob- 
tain positive evidence, had the warrant issued, and went 
up personally and arrested Stevens. 
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jenkins conducted the 
case for the Commonwealth ; Judge Downs presided. 
Judge Downs, in giving his decision, explained that the 
maximum fine was $50 per bird, and even imprisonment,, 1 
and the minimum tine was $10 per bird, which he im- 
posed, as it was Stevens' first offense before the court. 
Mr. Ferris has received complaints of several other 
parties who are shooting and selling game illegally, and ' 
has them under con.sideration. There are several persons 
in that town, and, in fact, in almost every town in the 
State, who encourage shooters to violate the law by oft'er- 
ing to buy the birds of them, and it is stated that a New 
York broker who resides in Stamford, bought a gun and 
gave it to a man who is known as a market shooter — 
gives the fellow his ammunition and takes his birds, and 
the presumption is that he quietly pays him for his time 
and game. , 
The good work of Game Warden Ferris will give some ■ 
of these persistent market shooters a more wholesome re- 
spect for the game law, and such work will receive the 
hearty commendation and congratulation of sportsmen 
throughout the State of Connecticut. N. S. A. 
SridgePOSt^ Conn. 
On Staten Islahd. 
Prince's Bay, N. "V"., N5V. M-—E(iiior Poi'eH md 
Stream: lii the last isslie I read an article about shooting 
in Greater New York. The article was a good one. The 
man who wrote it is in my estimation a gentleman, and 
he was in the bounds of the law in all his doings. We 
all like to hear of a man going out and doing an honest 
day's work with his rod and gun. It is good reading. If 
the pages of Forest and Stream were supplied with all of 
the illegal shooting that has been done on Staten Island 
this fall it would make a great many columns of reading 
that would not suit a good many men. When I say men 
I mean gentlemen, not gentlemen of wealth, but those 
who are possessed of means that are worth more than 
would enable them to stand in a police court and delib- 
erately lie about their wrongdoing when pushed to the 
wall (of injustice). 
The casual reader may say, Why is it that there is so 
much illegal shooting on Staten Island, and why do they 
not make arrests? We have made arrests, and have gone 
through the form of prosecution, and all that; but we have 
had our drawbacks. We have a good prosecuting attor- 
ney, a rnan sincere, honest, and a thorough student of the 
game laws; but when he runs up against a wall thicker 
than seventeen Killarney castles, how under the sun can 
he knock it down single-handed? The Richmond Count}' 
Fish and Game Protective Association have been keeping 
an eye on all of the proceedings, and have noticed several 
cases where the education of the lower class can be ben- 
efitted. When I speak of the lower class, I do not mean 
anything detrimental to any one. I am speaking of classes. 
We all know that there is the infant class, the primary 
class, grammar school and high school. Now, there is a 
high school in all classes. Take dogs ; some belong to 
the high school class ; and horses, there are the high school 
horses ; they can step to music better than some men can 
step or stoop to common sense. But such people gener- 
ally will stoop to common cents, if they think it will go. 
And I thank God that there is a high school in our courts 
that throws away petty politics and scorns the evildoer, 
and throws the searchlight of justice to help law-abiding 
people. We are going to the higher school of justice, 
where the faculty have been educated to the laws of the 
State. A Member qf the Association, 
