Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-09-12
Shooting Pigeons without Shot.

A correspondent AT Chilicothe, Ohio, under
date Of February %, recocls the following an
ecdole as veTtaLle fact
A week or two since the woods and feeding
lots around this iilte city were "perictly alive"
with pigeons-as indeed they are every tall and
spring. Among he many who seized their double
barreed guns and rushed to tie slaughter was
my friend Sa II XXX, from Bucks County
an eager sportsman; so carger upon this occa
sion, indeed, that after driving at . 40 speed
some five or six miles out from the town, and
seeing his horse properly put away, he discover
ed with dismay that he had LEFT has >hor-bag at
home Here was a dilemma for you And to
make the incident intoerabe, the morning was
simply perfect, and the birds settling and sing
in clouds What was to be done That W IS
a question upon which Sam exhausted his in
genuity, without arriving at any satisfactory con-
ciusiOn. Having gyraied two or three times
around the eighty acre tot. 10 the music of some
pnnfiine exclamatons, he became cain enou "a
u make up his mind ior the return trip pigeon
less Just at that mument he saw an other sports
man drive up 10 the fence near by, and soon re.
cognzed Capt R. "Ah how lucky -
thought Sam; II can beg buy or borrow some
shot of him. But-Out what if he has a short
supply, and declines a divide in veiw of the null
ttude of birds An have an IDEA ~
Good morning, Capt R. A beautiful
morning, tins, for shooting, and the pigeons are
as thick as biackberries"
"Coot'n morgen, Herr X *" responded
the new conner, who is one Of the most gentle
manly, but not Of the sharpest OF krau and sau
sage consumers; "me think W. have benty of
shooter dis day."
Yes, plenty SPORT Captain. But say Cap,
do you see yon coffee-nut tree at the edge of the
timber? It's big leaves, still hanging, look like
pigeons. Now that tree will attract all the birds
TO alight upon it. Sposc we build blind there,
and shoot together to-day We can take in a
thousand or two, gocss!"
Very coot, Herr K-k," responded the
German, and in few inmates the cornstalk
blind was erected, and the sportsmen cnsconsed
behind it, ready for business.
On came the Ion g.! line ofbirds, crcling around
the feeding ground for moment, and then sell
ting upon the coffee nut tree in tens, fties, hun
dreds.
IAN ready now, Captain p whispered Sam.
"Yshw exclaimed the excited captain.
Fire together, then, bang, bang went
both guns, and a dozen birds we're flultering on
the ground beneath the tree, besides two or
three that sailed off wounded, and we're lost.
Pretty well done !" exclaimed sam. "But
let Them lie, Captain we will gather up the
spoils when ge tired of killing
And so they shot all day long, Sam iakinges-
pecial pains TO fire simultaneously with r. and
when, on one or two occasians, he accidentally
fred alone the I'D gun hung fire. Or "soIne-
thing got in his eye just he pulled the trig-
ger" aud resulted in clear MISS. In the eve
ming hey divided some one hundred and forty
hires between them, and drove home in high
glee over their good sport and heavy game bags.
TO this hour, the captain has not learned the
fact that sam did aet fire a single charge Q,
shot that day.-N o Picaytne