646 
FOREST AND STREAM 
boilers of the human system, came strolling out 
into the open, hunting a soft seat- Spied was 
the decoy sack, but the “eyer” had the notion 
that the sack contained an extra tent-fly. He 
should have thought of the safety-first cam¬ 
paign, especially as his brain should have been 
working like a ward heeler at a local election: 
for hadn’t he been dining on fish, the brain 
food ? 
Down sat the camper on the hard billed de¬ 
coys. Followed an exclamation, an experation. 
a perspiration, and an inspiration. 
The sack held the decoys. 
Supper still held Yawcob. 
The lake and decoys held possibilities. 
No one held the “sitter.” 
Stealing down to the lake with a wooden 
fraud under each arm, the schemer poled quietly 
out to the edge of the reeds, and dropped the 
decoys, anchors and all overboard. Then he 
came ashore. 
Yawcob strolled into the scene, batting out 
the fish-bones, pine needles and other material 
that had accumulated in his “spinach-bed” dur¬ 
ing the day. He was invited to step down to 
the landing, and “view the sunset.” A gentle 
breeze sprung up, and the decoys began to bob 
and swing. Yawcob was not blind! 
With a whoop he was at his tent, and grab¬ 
bing his loaded shot gun—(here, Yawcob vio¬ 
lated one of the stringent rules of the club:— 
Do not leave a loaded gun in camp under any 
circumstances !) 
Whang — bang!! 
Two splashes of shot show the aim was low. 
Another trip to the tent. 
Ker-bluey. Ker-slam!! 
“High and to the left,” says the scorer. 
Trip three to the tent. This time there is 
a hunting coat with bulging pockets in evidence. 
The breeze is freshening every moment, and 
the “ducks" were bobbing in an insulting, but 
lifelike manner. Comes the plea: “Say, Vill, 
mein Gott, r-r-r-o-o-w me out yet!” 
Out she is: continued firing of the right and 
left: one handful of shells spilled overboard: 
also a plug of tobacco; more shots! 
Closer creeps the boat, though the pusher 
seems to be on the verge of the St. Vitus dance. 
The "off" decoy dips and glares at Yawcob 
with a fixed and glassy stare. Starboard decoy 
seems to have been struck below the waterline 
and is sinking by the stern. 
Then Yawcob, about to blow the port bird 
out of the water, has a faint thought tap-tap¬ 
ping on his “ivory.” Slowly, e’en as the first 
roseate glow of the sunrise tints the sky, the 
blood reddens his face. His two blue eyes stick 
out like twin door knobs; his jaw, handicapped 
by «hagrin and whiskers, drops like the trap 
at a legal hanging. 
Comes a voice tremulous with—oh call it emo¬ 
tion and let it go at that! 
(To be continued.) 
TRAP SHOOT HONORS DIVIDED. 
Stoddard and Keller Win Match. 
New Rochelle, N. Y., Nov. 8—Honors were 
pretty evenly divided to-day between the nine 
members of the New Rochelle Yacht Club. D. 
Giriat and F. B. Currier tied with full scores 
of 25 in the shootoff for the monthly cup. In 
the handicap match for the accumulation cup 
at 25 birds Giriat won the leg with a full score. 
Dr. G. H. Martin shooting from scratch in the 
10 bird sweepstakes won with 9 as his score. 
In the 15 bird scratch event H. S. Bullock and 
H. Keller tied, breaking 3 day birds each. Kel¬ 
ler won the shootoff. A 25 bird handicap match 
was won by Bullock with 24 breaks on his han¬ 
dicap of 2 and Giriat won the distance handicap 
with a score of 20 at seventeen yards. B. R. 
Stoddard and H. Keller were the winners of a 
team match against Dr. G. H. Martin and A. 
Chandler. - 
AMERICAN OSTRICH NOT AN OSTRICH. 
Washington, Nov. g.- —After reversing its de¬ 
cision on the question “What is an ostrich?” 
the Treasury Department decided to-day that 
the rhea, commonly known as the South Ameri¬ 
can ostrich, is not an ostrich and that importa¬ 
tion of its plumage is prohibited under the new 
tariff act which exempts ostrich plumes from the 
feather embargo. 
120 DAYS FOR KILLING RABBIT. 
Boy’s Punishment Arouses Protest in North 
Plainfield, and it Should. 
Somerville, N. J„ Nov. 9.-—Oscar Phillipson, 
19 years, of North Plainfield, is serving a sen¬ 
tence of 120 days in jail here for killing a rabbit 
which devoured late vegetables in his mother’s 
garden. Wm. Hoblitzel, fish and game warden, 
arrested him and before Justice of the Peace 
Snape of North Plainfield preferred two charges, 
one of killing rabbits out of season and one of 
killing it with a repeating rifle which held more 
than two shells. For the first offence Phillip¬ 
son was given the choice between a fine of $104 
or ninety days in jail. On the second charge 
a sentence was imposed of thirty days or $24 
fine. As the youth could not pay the fines he 
was sent to jail. 
The residents of North Plainfield are aroused 
over what they call excessive punishment. Jus¬ 
tice Snape and Hoblitzel contend that they have 
complied with the game laws of New Jersey. 
Phillipson is a machinist and he and his brother 
were the sole support of their mother, who is 
a widow. 
FRANK FORESTER’S BOOKS AT AUCTION. 
Collectors of outdoor books will have an 
opportunity next month to possess themselves 
of some valuable volumes which are to be offered 
at auction by the Anderson auction company. The 
library of J. Charles Davis, which is to be sold, 
includes among other things, what is said to be 
the best collection of Frank Forester’s books in 
existence. From his youth, Mr. Davis was an 
admirer of the writings of Henry William 
Herbert (“Frank Forester”) and with the excep¬ 
tion of one pamphlet made a complete collection, 
embracing not only all the books but all the 
magazines to which the great sporting writer 
contributed. And in addition to the books Mr. 
Davis gathered autograph letters, portraits, signed 
photographs, manuscripts, and unpublished poems 
by his favorite author; and he made a small but 
interesting collection of early American weapons 
(included in this sale), of which some, like John 
Brown’s pike and “Frank Forester’s” flint lock 
derringer, are not only valuable as curios but 
have strong association interest. 
Among other books mentioned in the collec¬ 
tion are sixteen fine editions of “The Complete 
Angler” and many other subjects, such as camps 
and camp life, big game, etc. 
TURKEY HUNTING IN FLORIDA. 
(Continued from page 631.) 
and cried out: “Oh, bress de Lawd, we uns have 
lost our way!” 
“Get out,” said I, “it is nothing but a Sawyer 
that struck you in the back! Back off, and 
swing out further into the stream, and you will 
get along all right!” 
Henry did as he was bid; and in five minutes 
thereafter we drew up at the sheriff’s landing at 
about the hour of eight P. M.; and I was never 
happier in my life than when I stepped on shore, 
and the good full moon rose above the tree-tops 
and illuminated the heavens with all the vivid¬ 
ness of an electric light. 
Having made the boat fast, we ascended the 
Hummock, and soon saw the dim outlines of the 
sheriff’s log house, and approaching thereto, 
found that every door was made fast, and 
there was no occupant within. However, Henry 
was equal to the emergency. Being bare-footed, 
he put his toes in between the interstices of the 
unhewed logs, and aided by his hands, likewise 
inserted, he scrambled up to the roof as slick 
as a squirrel. Once upon the roof he soon made 
his way to the chimney, which was also con¬ 
structed of logs, and well coated, both outside 
and in, with a lining of clay, and proceeded to 
make his way down the inside of the chimney. 
As soon as he reached the floor, he went to 
the side door, drew the bolt, and opened the 
door for Parker and myself to enter. We found 
the house in good condition in every respect,' 
and felt that we should pass the night comfort¬ 
ably enough, although deprived of all edibles. 
After we had got a fire of light wood burning, 
we spread the army blankets on the floor, and 
Parker and myself laid ourselves down for a 
comfortable rest. We had not enjoyed ourselves 
long, however, before Henry said that there was 
an owl on the well-sweep and wanted me to 
go out and shoot him. This I was ready to 
attempt, because I intended to get some speci¬ 
mens of the birds and beasts of Florida to take 
home with me to show to my friends who might 
otherwise harbor the suspicion that my boasted 
prowess as a gamester was like a long talk 
with no cider. I accordingly seized upon my 
gun, a Westley Richards double barrel, which 
was sent over to this country as a sample to a 
gunsmith in Providence, R. I., from whom I se¬ 
cured it. I *did not wait to put on any extra 
clothing, but attired as I was in a not very ex¬ 
pansive night shirt, stepped out of the door-way 
and came with full weight upon a sand-spur; 
and as I was bare-footed, at every step I found 
myself encountering these obstacles in the way 
of rapid progress; while Parker, looking out of 
the door, appeared to think I was dancing the 
tango, or some other instructive quick-step from 
the apparent enjoyment he took in watching my 
progress, as I gradally drew near to the well. 
Arriving at what I considered a suitable dis¬ 
tance, I raised my gun and fired. I did not see 
the owl fly away, and thought he might have 
fallen into the well. I went up to it and looked 
down, but saw nothing and went carefully back 
to the cabin, while at every step the sand-spurs 
recognized my coming with their usual prompt¬ 
ness. 
After withdrawing the various thorns that ad¬ 
hered to my feet, I again withdrew into my 
blanket, and laid down by the fire. It was not 
long before I passed into the land of Nod, and 
was dreaming of the Old Folks at Home, when 
