The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-02-18
ADVENTURE OF A POT-HUNTER.
Ia which n POt.liuntcr becomes IN.
itiWtea into the Mysteries ~ Gmu.
pimn

ming.
paul Logic, in rancicrs' Journal
am pot-hunlcr.
never shot over pointer or setter
In my lie; am not a member of any
game protective society shoot my game
sitting-if can and shoot as much for
the pot rs for the sport therefore. am
professional sportsman "a vagrant
glinner--a pot.hunicr--and ought To he
despised by every trur-bloodcd sports
man. This is my pedigree (pot-hunter
No. $500. and | submit to the reader
the following adventures. which are sur
prising, considering that they happened
to a pOt.hunter:
Distinctly do remember the first OF
my cunning exploits. was boy IL
years OF age and lived with my parents
on farm In the southern part of New
Jersey. Over the old.fashoned fire place.
on hooks, hung an old musket which had
seen service in the Revolution. Ny
grandfather carried 1t on his shoulder
when he hid in the swainps on hearing
that the British landed near Philadelphia.
During my boylsh days It was the am.
bitlon OF my lite to go cunning with that
musket. asked my. father several times
for the coveted gun. but he always an.
swered, "Why, child, it will Kick thee
Over:" he always used the Quaker lam
guagc, though he was camp. going
Methodist.
| coveted the gun each day more a,d
more. The warning about the gun kick
ing made no impression on me at all
considered II "moonshinc." invented to
Brighten me. One day. when all the fam
ily but myself had gone to camp-mceting,
] got u chair and reached down the old
mtlsket, and then bucking around me
the powder flask of cows horn and the
leather shot-pouch. sailed forth into the
orchard In search Of game. The gun was
already capped and loaded. and soon I
espied q Juvenile robin sitting on the
lower branch of an ancient apple
tree, unable to fly because of the feather
less condition of its wings. | put the
old mlsket TO my shoulder. glanced
along the barrel, drew 'bead'' on the
fatted bird, and pulled the triggcr-day
changed into night, stars twinkled In
the black sky and shot into space, comets
rushed across, fourteen moons revolvcd
rapidly on their axes, aurora borcalises
and rainbows became mixed, and |
picked myself slowly up from oil the
damp ground, wondering what a strange
coincidence it was that should be struck
by lightning Immediately on pulling the
trigger. But what cared | for all this,
and bruised shoulder which paincd
the for weeks after. Had not killed my
bird! ] hunted around for it. and, after
quite search, found tail leather and "A
bit of the bill of the poor bird Then my
shoulder began 10 pain me. and | grew
angry. \ wicked thought entered my
head, and according to Its dictation. /
put all the powder that was in the horn
about six drachms) into the musket.
and the same amount of shot. and then
limped painfully to the house and hung
The musket in its accustomed place.
a week or so afterwards venttrcd 10
tell my father the circumstances of my
Hrs. shooting, keeping back about the
0ver-loading of the musket. lie laughed
heartily at the story and said ''Why,
lad, the old gun was loaded for deer.
with bilckshot. and the load had rustcd
in the barrell."
about the farm. and father took down the
gun to shoot it.
"Boy," he said, "docs thee think thee
put In enough powder and shot to Kill
the hawk"
'Oh yes" replied. 81 guess | put
enough m" and laughed in my sleeve
to think what tremendous kicking the
old gentleman would get.
The hawk came flying within easy
range, and father put up the gun and
fired
lie killed the hawk
| saw the old gentleman rolling on the
grass, and could keep in my laughter
no longer; and made the orchard ring
with the merry sound.
My father groaning, slowly arose and
'clt of his shoulder. and moved his
arm to and fro, to lind if the former was
iislocated or the latter broken. On find
ng that he was not seriously injured. he
shouted angrily: ''Mighty boy. but will
warm thee for this" and taking the ram
rod from out the musket laid violent
hands on me, elevated my roundabout.
and administered such warming as had
never experienced before or since. If
'edness be q sign Of heat, was red
not.