The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-06-23
Gbe Gimes, New BIoomftelO, l1a.

It's just vast of powder and lead
can't hit that tater at this distance, and
l don't believe any man can"
"We can try"
That's SO, and here goes for straight
miss"
The bully seized his pistol, aimed care
fully, and fired.
Didn't faze it % exclaimed Joe, who
ran to the stump to examine the potato.
AS he did so he stuck his pin in the po-
tato and again squatted on the grass, hold
ing the silk in his fingers.
Charley White stepped to the line and
fred with quick aim At the crack of
the pistol the mark hoped off the stump,
and Joe hastened to pick it up, deftly
substituting for it the perforated potato,
which he had kept in his sleeve for that
purpose, and which he triumphantly held
up to the gaze of the spectators.
"If wanted to brag would say that
could do it every time" replied Charley.
"The fact is / can just do it three times
out of five, But l wouldn't have much
use for pistol if was going to- fight. 1t
is too apt to miss fire, and you might bore
half-dozen holes in man without killing
him. The knife would be my weapon"
"The knife is sure card in a close
scrimmage."
"Yes, or at a long range, if man knows
how to use it. Could you stand here and
throw the point of your knife into that
sapling yonder9'
"Not by darned sight. I've heard of
Indians doing those tricks, but l reckon
they need power of practice"
Would you like me to do it?''
"Believe | am kinder curious"
Knife throwing was sport with which
Charley White had once been so complete
ly fascinated that he had practiced the art
until he became almost perfect in it, ex-
ceiling most of the Indians, and nearly
equaling the japanese knife-throwers Of
occasion, and knew that he had not lost
the kpack
He stood at the place he had indicated,
holding heavy bowie-knife in his right
hand, with the blade under his wrist and
pointing toward his elbow. After meas
uring the distance with his eye, he threw
up his arm, and then launched it out and
the knife sped like a streak of lightning
toward tie mark, struck the sapling, and
hung qaivering in the wood
Charley was obliged to make two more
throws for the satisfaction of Eads and the
other spectators, who were not backward
in expressing their wonder and admiration
at his skill.
81 have another weapon" he said,
"that suits me better than either the pis-
tol or knife, but suppose you have never
seen it, Here it is"
He took from under his coat a crooked
stick Of hard wood, pointed at each end
in fact, an Australian boomerang, relic
of his South Sea experience
"What do you call that thing?" asked
Eads, whose mouth expanded into grin
as he looked at the queer stick
"That," said Charley sis boomerang,
a kangaroo killer, weapon with which
can hit man around corner as well as
| if he were in plain sight"
"Git out ~
1 You shall see. will throw it at Joe
yonder, and it will turn without hitting
him, and will come back here to me-"
Charley threw the crooked stick and it
gyrated through the air, cutting all sorts
of capers, until it was so near Joe that he
lodged to avoid it. Then it suddenly
turned whirled its way back, and fell to
the ground at it's owners feet.
"Now will throw it towards the west,
and you will see it turn and hit that sap
ling in which stuck my knife"
The boomerang did so, striking the
young tree with some force, but not hard
enough to fix itself in the wood.
Charley then threw it on the ground,
and it leaped over the prairie like living
thing, describing the most eccentric fig
ures, until it turned and came whirling
back, bounding over his head, and stick
ing itself upright into the ground behind
him. .
Eads and his companions gathered around
Charley as be picked up his boomerang
and wiped it, and all looked at it curiously
and wonderingly but none dared to touch
it. Some were Of the opinion that it was
alive, others "allowed, that it was piece
of witchcraft, and others declared that it
could be nothing less than Satan himself.