Smyrna times., 1865-11-01
But ken We kill any thing ?''

same time that felt confident of being able {
learn. Without offering a reply he left me
and drawing aside with his companions, ioiu
ing them in low and earnest conference
lasted but moment, and then they all cam
down where l was standing
al, tank, said the one who had alread
introduced himself to me, these here are m
tellers. To be plain, we are kinder down o.
ory2' p~i'' e0ou i4'cA
merely forced laugh in reply to this oues
tloh' taxing care to change the position Of mn
gun, IN order that L might bring it the NOR
readily into use should necessity demand ~
l see you re thlnkln about that purity on,
o yourn,, continued he how do We thinj
{hat would look on one O. our shoulders?
oeHsFe II ye had no objections I'll take it an,
Try II at mark; Mebby | ken shoot bette
nor you ken. AT first thought of rrsistin,t
but moments reflection on their nnmbnr. tnI,
me the folly OF such course, and SO with al
the appearance OF confidence that was able r.
counterfeit, | handed it over.
14e TOOK the gun, viewed it carefully from
one end TO the other. took two or thr1n cij,
9lahe2S At It's owner, and then called the attpn
tioh OF his c0mpani0ns to a small knot low
9o"h on the side OF tree some hundred yar,I
IRON Us. hen all had seen the knot he rails
centre oft. -'V''' ''''
Very good gun, he remarked, PASSING i
back to me, contrary to my expectations anG
vastly to my relief
As was sayin', continued tine snorts.
man, me and my fellers here are kinder down
on lankees, but we think we sorter Ike tbn
looks YOU and so we We got this to saw: Dav
aIeer tomorrow we start to make camp for n
winter hunt on Skillet Fork River. Four on
"nnht "n IL t nof enough to get along good-thcre
ougiit t; 10 De hye As was a sayin, we've
| TOOK kinder hkin to you thourh vou nav
be cheat-there no telIin' to a cartaintyo9
Dut everything has to be risked. Ii YOU think
you q IKE to Jlne our party and hunt all winter
Hli the shares, JlSt give us yer paw, and its a
vi course it was bargain. A man in nv
condition could not be otherwise than glad If
a chalce to make such bargain. And NAV
mere adu that 1t was bargain that have nov
er regretted. Those rough looking fellows
proved to have the very best of hearts, and nv
t%%it.us t%. IA IA Win them was another verfcation
that fortune tavOrs the brave" | Shall nav
er forget them as long as | am Sn,rrj 70 500
CHc runs OF September, for the eduration
"nich | received at their hands during that
winter s9Joun in the Skillet Fork wildS fitted
tr 1Ie Iully Tor the new kind Of life before me.
1hey taught Inc to hunt-in short they taught
ilie an ti1at was necessary for a woodsman to
Know often think of my apprenticeship.
Knowing but htrle about the woods nv field
OF operations for the first few weeks was voted
70 he at camp, among the veniSon hams and
ShlnS' the former L dried, the latter stretched
ana prepared for market. But. ike some an
prentlces III other trades, finally began to feel
above my business and to consider that | was
} u9t about as good hunter as any Of tbom
~ 1 an events, resolved to try my hand. /
~ II, anu with your permission will close
CliiS dl9JI9Inted sketch by telling you the whole
story. Were il an article by itself | would
head 1t . My First Hunt
O!e day; when my companions were all ont
hurried through with the camp work
anu them started out also, resolved to see wheth !
q q l rcaiiy was hunter or not. | kept close |
tlong the bank Of the river to preclude thn |
Possibility OF getting lost, intending to return
~ or near the same route. The bottom was
tbbry tbr tnlck and bruShy, but worked my way
nil E.n,IV II until was something more than
hrnI,, ,aiG rom camp, when all of sudden I waS
IN, 70 halt by noticing an ominousIooI
az. OF the bushes and pea yinfs some
sncedsj~ oot ~ ia" auvanGe OF me: My gun was
HHPCGuly got into readiness and stood -
lessiy waiting for something to turn mn Iiit
the creature, whatever it was, seemed d;s}noSoI
70 remain IN the same place; and. thon%b - !
Kept up lively shaking Of surrounding oIiect.
was TOP low to be seen from where was stond, |
ing. v hat could it be? In less than min |
pte ! my brain Matched up more than thousand
ni!eoAS forms and located them among the
:asnated pea-vlnes. felt how sublime a thing
Nv ~ Vas u DC safe In camp stretching skins:
= h.. ""o actually on the point of beating
"d dI',S iitIeat when up above the bushes pop
ca thing which at first took to be an H.
ScIOeo ch&lr \ more extended view gave #
~ ~. oetter, at least a correct oninion Tho
oH;TcC III Slgmt Was the antlers of an nnorp1o,,S
= ~ pucH: ne body Of the animal was com
pletcly hlu from view, but the motion Of the
Aorns convinced me that it was not far off
ocarcely showing what did or wby I did II
\ ilNey ~ was with view of frightening
me creature away raised nv Cnn Oh GrnlfS
The echoes danced about AMONG d tha anu nun nrGu
moment and then all was still and fo1'o.T ioi
he wreath OF blue smoke that had left nv: @
Ind was now floating slowly away. notb;nS my gun g
able was to be seen; even the great aSo+Io ~
lad disappeared. Where was the deer HaS t
thus accidentally killed it? Strange e 90"
ct " hat tale it would be to tell in camn~s 9
lot the accidental part of course. But how
7as | ever to know the result of my shot? II
'ouid never do to venture up-I had heard too
nc old fiend was only playing pOssum, and in .
ended to horn me through at first sight.
In the midst ofmy perplexity a bright thought 5
anne to my relief; and so leaning my gun q
gainst a sapling [ ascended the nearest tree !;
lhiclentiy high to enable me to have fair !
'ok over the underground Nothing was in T.
ght; | had evidently missed the deer and he +
ad suddenly betaken himself to other lOcali-
es ,. With this rather sad conviction, though
,enei py the way, / took my departure to 6
latter. a.
mat night, as we all sat together, one of the !"
d., Il
$ follows: : ope' el'er'Aineu Us a.
az hsd a sumthin of time with that old buck a. a.
III III pqin5lng to a skin and pair of horns r.
!. How fn !, thatY askedone of the others. q
vor ~ !, S Ssn ye, was steppin along down the II
eavines and sumach berries about two III .ne al
red yards of, so downs and goes to or creenin, MIN q
P 9 little TOR sure shot. just as / was abont
oss snough, some fsilsr wbaneed swsr at r,