my mind. I remembered the small mountain howitzers I had seen
at Covington. One of these loaded with shot would be the very weapon.
I knew there was a battery of them at the Barracks. I knew that a
friend of mine commanded the battery. By steamer, should one pass, it
was but a few hours to Covington. I proposed sending for a `mountain
howitzer.'

"I need hardly say that my proposal was hailed with a universal welcome
on the part of my companions; and without dropping a hint to the other
party, it was at once resolved that the design should be carried into
execution. It was carried into execution. An `up-river' boat chanced
to pass in the nick of time. A messenger was forthwith, despatched to
Covington, and before twelve o'clock upon the following day another boat
on her down trip brought the howitzer, and we had it secretly landed and
conveyed to a place in the woods previously agreed upon. My friend,
Captain C--, had sent a `live corporal' along with it, and we had no
difficulty in its management.

"As I had anticipated, it answered our purpose as though it had been
made for it. Every shot brought down a shower of dead birds, and after
one discharge alone the number obtained was 123! At night our
`game-bag' counted over three thousand birds! We were sure of the
ladies for the morrow.

"Before returning home to our certain triumph, however, there were some
considerations. To-morrow we should have the ladies in our company;
some of the fair creatures would be as good as sure to `split' upon the
howitzer. What was to be done to prevent this?

"We eight had sworn to be staunch to each other. We had taken every
precaution; we had only used our `great gun' when far off, so that its
report might not reach the ears of our antagonists; but how about
to-morrow? Could we trust our fair companions with a secret? Decidedly
not. This was the unanimous conclusion. A new idea now came to our
aid. We saw that we might dispense with the howitzer, and still manage
to out-count our opponents. We would make a depository of birds in a
safe place. There was a squatter's house near by: that would do. So we
took the squatter into our council, and left some 1500 birds in his
charge, the remainder being deemed sufficient for that day. From the
1500 thus left, we might each day take a few hundred to make up our
game-bag just enough to out-number the other party. We did not send
home the corporal and his howitzer. We