Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-07-04
From our Young Folks.
n Squirrel Hunt.

-TFoW our / Dung FOtkS.
From our Young Folks.
Squirrel Hunt.
BY ITHIEL DAcRE.
i"u have been squirrel hunting, have
you not, boys? Capital fun, l think.
So much better sport than shooting at
the poor half-starved snowbirds with
the cross bow or bow and arrow!
How the little gray rascal will dodge
the opposite side of the tree as you ap-
proach it, peeping stealthily at you
with their black beady eyes You can
almost imagine. from their puffed out
cheeks, that they are laughing at you,
only, you know, they are far too polite
to l." so III consideration of yeur being
a stranger. 1t is plainly to be seen
that they place very high value upon
the full bushy tail, for it is kept we'll
hidden.
Sometimes yon can steal q march on
them while they are sitting on the
ground cracking nuts, with one of their
number acting as sentinel mp some old
hickory or post-oak tree. You will not
get t'cry near, however, before the wary
little guard spies you, and sets up his
warming bark. What a queer little
bark it is! You cannot help laughing
rs the short, husks notes are ierked
out SO vigorously. know nothing
they resemble 80 much as the tones of
the puppy that has chosen the time to
make their first vocal efforts when af-
ilicted with cold.
They are knowing little fellows, these
sqirre1s, and it does seem pity to
shoot them; but you soon forget what
they may suffer, in your ambition to
make a good shot, and then they are
such good eating, nicely cooked!
Let me tell you of q squirrel hunt I
had once. It happened years ago at the
South. 1 was visiting an uncle of mine
whose plantation was about one hum
lrel and fifty miles from Mobile, Ala
bama. 1t was one morning, I remem-
Der, just after the persimmons had
ripened, "a Dice fruit when fully ripe,
but very puckerish If not; in form
something like q small tomato, of the
color of baked apples, having blush
coating such as seen upon grapes. 1
had been to the gin-hsuse, and ginned
some cotton; been in the "pick- room"
where the cotton, relieved Of the seeds,
comes ont as white and light as q sum:
mer cloud had watched the pressing
Of three or four bales, and at last, grow
ing tired of such amusement, had wan
dere.l down to the side of q small run
that emptied into my uncle's mill-pond,
where the persimppn-trees grow.
My Cousin Rob was ill with "the
chils,' and 1 felt very lonesome with
out him wished very earnestly, rs I
stood eating the fruit alone, that he
would hurry up and get we'll. I was
not quite alone. however, for Hunte was
with me. Hunter was my cousins dog.
\ great fellow he was, cream colored,
with large scar on his side where he
had been wounded by a wild hog. His
body was long. and heavy, and he had
short, stout legs, with head very mucl,
like lions, the nose, perhaps, spoil
ing the resemblance, being too long
and sharp,-an odd looking dog, but q
very smart one; the best squirrel and
partridge dog in all the county round,
Rob used to say, the best in the
world.
soon had enough Of persimmons,
and strulled down to the pond. Sitting
ON a stone, I watched the smud-turtles
summing themselves upon some floating
logs. Once in while, one would slip
off, or get crowded off by his fellows.
and, with "toouk," would disappear.
| tried to induce Hunter to go after
them, but he would only bark, take a
litt(e plunge in the water and then out,
and 60 tearing through the bushes
that lined the banks OF the pond, scar
ing up wild-ducks, "jo.rees, "red-birds,
rice buntings, and blue birds. Al
length he scrampered away toward the
forest and left me alone. Presently /
heard his deep voice far off in the
wood, and knew from the tones of it
now that he had "treed" something.
| ran up to the house, which was
about quarter of a mile distsnt, az
fast as my willing feet would carry me.
Reaching the portico all out of BREATH
sat down to rest. could still hea,
his bark at regular intervals, end knew
that he would remain until he hear6
the log-horn, orsome one went to him
for Rob had told me that once Hunter
had 6 treed" a squirrel, and no ont
coming to him or calling him. had re
manned at the foot of the tree two DAYS
When they found him the poor fellow
Was half starved, but the squirrel mus
have been hungry, too, for their he sat
in crotch Of the tree, curled up like
ball. The tree was to far from an,
others for him to jump to them. an,
Hunter kept such wary watch at tn
foot that lie could not come down.
l did not require great while t.
rest, and I soon went into the house
got my shotgun, powder flask, shot
bag, ETC., putting them on as fast q
possible. just outside the gate I stop
ped and loaded my gun, and then, look
ing at my little compass, started O.
in the direction of Hunters bark.
passed over one hill-for the groun
rolled like heswells of the ocean-an
assembled another, but the undergrowt
was so dense that il prevented me fro1
seeing any great distance in advance
Just at the foot of the hill, AZ T cam
ont Of a pawpaw thicket, large gra
squirrel started up from among IL,
dead leaves, and ran along a fallen tre<
I fired, but, as often happens wit
young sportsman, had been too au9
ious, and missed him. followed HI
movements with my eye. and so, thlnl
ing it would be better to secure tn
fellow than to tramp after the one Hu,
ter had freed, put my horn to my ]ir
before loading, and blew strong bias
Then began to load, still keeping q
eye on the movements of Mr.. Squire
VINO had gone up a p ost- oak like a fias
Of gray Lightning, and, of course, {
squirrels always do, had taken the OF
pusite side of the tree, ana was peepin
ut me. Without Hunter 1 should stan
no chance whatever of getting hin
Presently, the dog came, struck til
trail, and, tracing it up to the tree i
which the squirrel had taken refug,
began to bark this brought Mr.. Sqni
rel around on my side, and taking goo
aim, fired. He sprung off the tre
and fell dead almost at my feet.
Before 1 passed over the next hill,
/ had shot four more. 81 will mall
it an even half-dezen, Thought, IAN
then go home' So I trudged on aft,
Hunter. There was little use in tryir
to keep up with him to keep in sigl
WAS all 1 conld do, and I was oblige
constantly to call him back. 1t ",
only natural, you know, that his TO,
feet should carry him over the groun
faster than my two would me. Just
l was beginning to despair of gettir
that last squirrel, far ahead I heard h
voice; it seemed deeper and gruff;
than had ever heard it before, but
scarcely noticed the difference in N