“SONG BIRDS” 
153 
fied. But they have simply put one over on 
the sportsmen—to get even, and reduce the 
attractiveness of hunting, because they have 
suffered so much from hunters in the past. 
And not one of us can blame them for that 
desire . The only pity is that so many of them 
are not yet ready and willing to forgive and 
forget . 
Now I have found that the farmer is, on 
the whole, a pretty good sort—just as people 
generally are, on the whole, a pretty good 
sort. Blood is blood and hearts are hearts, 
whether you find them on the farm or in the 
forum. You treat the farmer right and he 
will almost always reciprocate. You be fair 
to him and he will be fair to you. I have 
usually found that when I go to a farmer in 
advance, tell him who I am and what I want, 
and enter into a little friendly conversation 
with him, enough so he may know that he 
may count upon appreciation and fair play 
in return for his great kindness to me—the 
almost invariable rule is that he will be glad 
to grant the privilege. 
I think that each real sportsman should 
take it upon himself as a definite duty in 
