, as between city and country boys. The hunting of the prairie boys was limited and their knowledge of natural history impe

ur home. Our chief weapon was the bow and arrows, and perhaps, if we were lucky, a knife was possessed

nother way of starting fire was for several of the boys to sit down in a circle and ru

of our time. We hardly ever passed a creek or a pond without searching for some signs of fish. When fish were present, we always managed to get some. Fish-lines were made of wild hemp, sinew or horse-hair. We either caught fish with lines, snared or speared

e scratches on its bark, we concluded that a bear or some raccoons must be living there. In that case we did not go any nearer than was necessary, but later reported the incident at home. An old deer-track would at once bring on a warm discussion as to whether it was the track of a buck or a doe. Gen

e summer, and while doing this we happened to find a crane's nest. Of course, we were delighted with our good luck. But, as it was already midsummer, the young cranes-two in number-were rather large and they were a little way from the nest; we also observed

was really a perilous encounter! Our strong bows finally gained the victory in a hand-to-hand struggle with the angry cranes; but after that we har

ertook to get young owls unless they were on the ground. The hooting

without the aid of a knife; but we were a long way from home and my only companion was a deaf-mute cousin of mine. I was about fifty feet up in the tr

r up a peck or so of large, sharp-pointed burrs and scatter them in the rabbit's furrow-like path. In the mornin

hen bent the latter down to the track and fastened the whole with a slip-knot, after adjusting the noose. When the rabbit runs his head through the noose, he pul

n March. After the first thaw, the chipmunks burrow a hole through the snow crust and make their first appearance for the season. Sometimes a

nature, and got our blunt-headed arrows toget

most. On the evening before, we selected several boys who could imitate the chipmunk'

hey all come together at the appointed place, from which each group starts out in

istant tree-tops as we hurried along through the ghostly wood. Presently we arrived at a place where there were many signs of the animals. Then

pproaching from all directions. Some stopped and ran experimentally up a tree or a lo

and still others ran up the tree against which he was sitting. Each boy remained immovable until their leader

o come down the trees and flee away from the deadly aim of the youthful hunters. But they were shot down very fast; and whenev

wn tree, would come and take away his game, so there was warm competition. Sometimes a desperate chipmunk would jump from the top of the tree in order to escape, which was considered a joke on the boy who los