* 
FOREST 
AN 
D 
STREAM 
HUNTING FOR A WING-TIPPED BIRD. 
moments was frozen on a point, backed by 
Belle and Rex, making a picture one does not 
see on canvas. \\ ill stayed with the horses 
while Charley and I went after the birds. It 
was in the flatwoods where we found this covey, 
and in every direction were ponds or bays so 
we could not tell which way they would go. 
It so happened that they had a fancy for a 
bay back of us, and over our heads they came. 
I got one with the right and missed with the 
left barrel. Charley, who is one of the best 
shots I have been in the woods with, scored 
two clean kills. 
Going back to the wagon, we decided not 
to follow the birds, for the bay was a thick 
one. and Charley said we would find all the 
birds we wanted before the day was over. 
About a mile further on the road wandered 
over an oak ridge and dipped down into a shal¬ 
low looking ford, but on the right side there 
was a deep washout that we plunged into and 
shooting in the short time we had before dark¬ 
ness drove us back to camp, where the young 
dogs greeted us noisily. 
While I was preparing supper Will over¬ 
hauled the duffle and brought out a couple of 
blow beds, one of which he handed to Charley 
with the suggestion that he blow it up while he 
was doing nothing. 
“Good idea,” replied Charley. “Where’s the 
pump?” 
Pump! Do you think this is a garage or a 
bicycle shop. - ' said Will. “Use your lungs; 
it will do ’em good.” 
Then there was some argument, which I 
helped along as I stirred the hominy. It ended 
by both lying flat on their backs, mattresses 
spread out over them, tube in mouth. In about 
a minute Charley sat up to see what progress 
he was making, forgetting to put his finger over 
the tube and shut off the escaping air. I roared 
at the look on his face as he tried to get hold 
the lead and he dropped into a stride that gave 
Will and I all we wanted to do to hang to, and 
before camp was sighted it was hard work 
getting our feet over the logs without having 
the boot heels scrape. 
Reaching camp we had to start in at once 
and pack, for we had to drive several miles to 
a railroad crossing, where I was to catch a 
train back to the city, while Will and Charley 
were to spend the night with a friend nearby 
and drive home next day. As we struck into 
the road leading to the railway Charley said 
we would probably get a little more shooting 
before dark, which caused Will to remark that 
if he left that wagon seat cushion before he 
reached the railroad it would be because the 
outfit turned over. And though Charley and 
I got out a couple of times to go to the dogs, 
Will held down the cushion. 
Night overtook us before we reached Mr. 
G.’s,‘ but it is never too late for us to re- 
easy, finding but two coveys, out of which we 
took six birds, not following up the second 
covey after the rise. 
We reached our friend’s house just at dusk, 
and after a hearty supper were early to bed. 
It was about 8 o’clock before we got started 
next morning. With our camp outfit, horse 
feed and two dogs in the rear, and three men on 
the seat, the wagon was full to overflowing, and 
we were holding tight as we rattled along at a 
lively clip over an old hauling road, for it was 
a brisk morning and the horses wanted to go. 
The three young dogs ranged the roads ahead, 
while Pete and Major whined and craned their 
necks from the wagon. We had not gone far 
before Belle, a young black and white setter, 
winded birds. Sport, a fast-going lemon and 
white pointer, took the trail, and in a few 
came near having an upset. The horses snorted 
as they pitched into the hole but lunged 
through, so the only damage done was to take 
in some water and wet our outfit. At the top 
of the hill we left the road and drove through 
the woods expecting to strike a camp site 
Charley had in view, about noon; but we got 
into a stretch of country that had been cut 
over some years ago for crossties, the ground 
being strewn with tree tops and logs that had 
never been cut up, and by the time we worked 
out of this tangle and struck camp it was 2 
o clock. It did not take us long to pitch the 
tent, feed the horses and gather a supply of 
wood for the night, then after eating a hasty 
lunch we tied up the young dogs, and taking 
Pete and Major, started out hunting. We were 
in an ideal bird country and enjoyed some good 
of the tube in the flickering light of the camp 
fire; and Will got to laughing so he had to 
suspend operations for the time being; but the 
job was finally accomplished, and those mat¬ 
tresses felt mighty comfortable when we turned 
in. 
\\ e were up bright and early the next morn¬ 
ing, and during the day hunted the ridges that 
stretched away for miles west of our camp. 
1 he dogs worked well and we had fine sport, 
getting covey, single and snap-shooting in the 
branches. Had it not been that the young dogs 
were good retrievers we would have lost many 
a bird in the branches, for in places the under¬ 
growth was so thick and interlaced with briar 
vines that it was impossible for one to force 
his way through. 
When he headed toward camp Charley took 
