Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-12-14
EVENING STAR,
A z I r z HUNT.
The Longest Shot ON Record.


| stand what is called 'frs hunting" seme
| of them may not; therefore, we will briefly
explain it. On dark nights, when there is nc
moon, the deer hunter, who wishes to knock
over an Old buck, takes with him q cOmpan.
ion, who carries over his shoulder an iron par
or basket attached to a long wooden handle, q
hatchet, and a sack filled with short pieces o
| "hghtwoOd" strapped to his back, and with
his gun the hunter sallies forth into the forest
| Pieces of " lightwoOd" are kindled in the pan
| which gives cut a great blaze, and throws a
bright light far into the woods around. Deel
| feed at night quite as much as by day, per
haps more and their eyes have u peculiar
shine" by freight. When they are so feed
| ing, and the glare Of light from the pan
| shines" in their eyes, the man with the gun
| fires in the direction Of the eyes, generally
| aiming two or three inches below them, &C.
| cording to the distance at which the eyes are
| judged to be.
This brief explanation Of " fire hunting
VIC presume Is sufficient. Now for our story
| for we have one to tell
few weeks since, in a part of Alabama
| whore there is an abundance of almost all
kinds of game, friend of ours had the good
| fortune to so out on a FIRE hunt after deer with
| party well posted rs to the woods, the best
| ranges, . shining, shooting, sc. At half
| past eight o'clock, '..Sawney," with his young
master and our friend, set out for a hunt in
which they were sure of success The guest.
! VINO has great passion for all sorts Of hunt
ing, and who rather prides himself on his skill
In sporting, was elated at the idea of bringing
down;a fine buck, proposed to Sawney, who at
hrst carried the fre-pan, that for every pair
OF eyes shined' in the hunt, he, Sawney,
should have four bits
This was something Sawney had not sntici-
pated, and the poor darkey was quite eIated
by it.
Well, massa, l gwine to shine de eyes,
sure, and 'spect you have to give me dol
lar and a half, pervided you does what you
says shine de eyes sartin. But 'spose you
| miss EN-; how'll dat be ,"
Miss them '" retOrted the hunter "
don't often do such a thing with fhls shooting
iron: Ill hit every pair Of eyes | shoot al
to-nlsht-no matter how far off Whether
do or not you shall have the money 4"
And OF the party started into the midst Of
the dense woods. The light from the pan
cleaned far and wide through the Wild forest
Onward and still onward trudged the night
hunters, over huge logs, and through thickets
OF brushwood, vines, brambIes, and briars, up
hill and down hill, across wet bottoms, aud
along dry ridges now among the turpen-
tine orchards and then amid oak beech and
gum; through fields and around fences
More than aD hour was thus spent, during
which our friend lost his hat dozen times
10 say nOthlng OF two or three fall-downs, sun
dry scratches Of his hands and face, anl be-
Ing almost out Of breath from the brisk exer-
else he had 10 undergo in keeping up with
Sawney, now moro than every iHtant on
shining" for the sake of the promised 4" shi-
ners -
But In all this time no eyes were discovered.
The party halted, and Sawney applied him
self to refreshing his fire. pan and sack. This
gave opportunity to rest awhile and take OBJ
servat,on.
"Ain't you lost, Sawney?n asked his Young
master, looking about rather anxiously.
we?'
We'll, masss Ben, just be look for de
stars myself, answered the darkey, " and |
no see un; /; but l knows where we Is good
enough; we is in de woods" he continued.
with grin that showed his snowy ivory"
" Ana is that all you know about it,''
Yes, nassa Ben. Dis Niger is lost sure
And now [ glib de gentlemen four bits hesef
ii he gets US out Of de scrape."
The gentleman informed US that notwith-
standing his perplexity at this juncture, he
was forced TO laugh heartily
"Well," " said Massa Ben, - this won't do.
L 10 going to get out of this fx at any rate
Give Inc the light" And, suiting the action
to the Werd, he shouldered the pan and took
" bee line" for somewhere.
Now, said he to his friend, keep up
with the light, and lsok sharp for eyes Ill
give you a shot. Follow me.
The pace 9ulckened, and the party soon
found themselves in the midst Of dense. dark
thieket. The fre-pan was suddenly at stand
still?
Come here" whispered Master Ben. ''Be
quick, but easy. There are the eyes Aim
two inches below them and Gre"
Our friend cooked his trigger, and prepared
to do as he was directed. lie peered sn1-
iously and almost choking in the direction of
the eyes. He saw them; but they didn't leok
like eyes, and he hestated to fre
/" Make haste and shoot, before he rans-he
will jump of in a minute"
Accordingly, our friend, as he tells Us,
blaxed away" and thinking the distance
rather long range, sent off one of Rly's car
tridges Of ). u. shot, which he had in his left.
hand barrel. The red fire shot forth from the
muazle gave temporary fash in the dark
ness of the night. The report of the explosion
resoundcd In leaping echoes through the for
est, far, far away over hill and valley, start
ling the sober owl from its propriety. But
there stood the eyes, gazing more fntently
than before, and not having even shrinked.
Fire again, and aim a little lower. /
think you oyer-shOt him. Now is your time -
l saw him move"
The deadly weapon was again levslled-the
aim taken-the finger beginning TO press the
trigger-when-
Stop. stop! don't fire it's the xooS,
swear by my powder horn" And so it was
Shooting at the moon, and that too, with
anything less than one of the Lancasterian
guns of the Allies in the Crimes. It's a pretty
good joke; we think.
The party got safely out of the labyrinth
into which they had wound themselves by 60
ing round and round" like the whale when
he had Jonah in him, and by the fortu.
nate rising of the moon, then in the wane,
they soon came upon the road, which led them
home. But our friend Insists upon 1t that he
hit the moon, because, like a deer lying down,
it "got up" after being shot at, and when
next seen it was smaller in size, which, he
says, proves that he must have knocked of a
piece.
Who can beat this extraordinary shooting.
GHfrINa EVEN WITH A DAIRYNAY.-Not