Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-03-18

Everybody knows Ben Bond. the u. S.
Marshal of Illinois, or If they don't they
ought to. He Is a multitude all by him
self He was coming down to Springfield
to attend the District Court the other dav.
IN his two horse wagon, when he overlook
the stage, which had broken down There
was but one passenger in it. and Ben. like
a good fellow as he is. offered to take him
to the next town. The stranger was too
glad to refuse it, and his baggage, consis-
ting Of small trunk, and double barrel
led gun and its tixin's, were put abeard of
Ben's carriage and they went on.
But l ought to paint the strangers por-
trait for you. He was evidently green.
naturally so, as Bensays when he draws
out that jack knife and boasts of the "ug-
lies" +" He looked tailor lile-a little cock
ney-like, but look at him yourself He
was tall, had long, lean legs. which were
cased in very tight plaid pants. He wore
a plaid bobtall coat and fancy hunting
serape over it. A very little jockey cap
surmounted very little head, with a
great deal Of hair upon it, the head not the
cap On his upper lip was an apollo
gy for moustache, in the shape of red
hairs, which were few and far between, and
! like pins in the ladies' dresses when we
! play forfeit games and kiss them. they
stuck out in all directions He had a
long nose and little eyes. His nose, [
should have added, was humpbacked. He
had no eyebrows His color, to use a lock
/ ey's term was a whitish dun.
You've fine gun there! Do you shoot
much said Ben.
'Aw-Yeth, thir Tn ektheedingly
| fond Of Importing replied the gentleman.
Have you ever shot any prairie chick
ems p
'Gr-uth. you mean. I've read of 'em
! in Frank Forrethterth hunting boOkth
Yes, grouse. They're very plenty
here, so thick that they come into our
very houses-eat the grain from the stacks
before our doors-in fact Til bet that
well see lots of them at the next house
and, as likely as not, flock of wild tur-
! kics 2
'Thurprithiug VIII I get chanth
/ for a thot, do you think? Won't the far
meth get mad p
No bless your soul, no I They'll thank
you Why, the cursed birds eat up eve
rything they can get their bills into, like
chaucery lawyers
Then | think I'll have a thot at that
houtbe yondcr =
Yes, | see turkies there already: and
/ see, there are prairie chickens, too = said
Ben pointing as they drove up to a lot of
common chickens, and tame turkeys. Is
your gun loaded
'Ycth, I always keopth it tho, for fear
of robberth.'
We'll I'll stop the horses here. Get
out, crawl up behind that fence, and give
( 'em bIt7es p
Mr.. Grecny did get out, did crawl up to
the fence, and into a flock Of some forty
turkies and chickens did administer bla-
zes' with both barrels. The "game" was
standing close the gun was so heavily
loaded that it capsized the shooter back
ward, and the reader viii readily coniec-
ture he killed some He did, and wound
ed others, who flew, and ran, and futtered
cackiing away. Over the fence jumped
Mr. Greeny and went to chasing the wouu-
ded and finishing them.
/ At this moment a woman rushed out
with a fire shovel in her hand She was
a red headed woman, and had a sharp nose.
The reader can tell by that how amiabie
she was.
sMistorl she screamed, Mister, gol darn
your ugly pictur, what ar you killing my
turkies and hens for
Greeny stopped lie looked
'Ith game; I'm thooting prairie henth
and wild turketh
'Gamc! you weazen faced, pimpled
headed varmint Pay me for them ere
tur5ies and chickens, OF III sqush your
head in with this ere shovel, aud be quick
about it or III do it any how
But ma'am-thethe are everybodyth
They are game
Game Say game to me again, and
I'll show you what game Is =
The woman began to close on him
Greeny started for the fence he had Got
on the top Of it, when he slipped and his
bob-tailed coat caught on a spike put
there to hitch horses to. He could not
get away Bang came the shovel down
on his devoted back, and with it heavy
imprecations on his head The woman
belabored poor Greeny; in vain he cried
murder, murder until at last Bond came
/ to his rescue. and bought up all the game
He left the stranger at the next town, and
[ havn't heard of his hunting prairie
chickens since