The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-04-12
- 4 -1lg--r q, ssg-1 ;7EeIs.gi.lI
EPHRAIM'S FIRST HUNT.

= Ephraim Bartlett's arst hunting adven-
ture was of such serio-comic nature that
it seems really worth relating. loi bErzv,
: Ephraim's father was "Selectman."
He had also been Captain of militia in
his younger days, and therefore it hap
pened that in speaking of him everybody
called him The Captain" He bore his
honors meekly, was well-to-do farmer
and Serymuch respected.
- It was town. meeting. day-early in
November-when, of course, the Captain
had to go TO the polls to look after.the
voting, and help count the votes. 1t was
delightful Indiau-summer weather, too;
one of. the last of those sofa hazy days in
the late autumn, when there is such a
quiet beauty over the earth that it seems
Of heaven ITSELF When: even the winds
fosget to blow !, and it seems, at times, as
if all Nature were, asleep. Then can be
heard, in the edge Of the distant forest,
the tapping of woodpeekefs, the barking
Of squirrels, and the hoarse cries of blue
jays, so distinctly does every slight sound
reach you through the still atmosphere.
It was on such day that the Captain and
his hired man went to town-meeting,
leaving Ephraim "the only man on the
farm. ~ ~. E'setts,slE S1sgfS3 STR iy@i,Ss7s.
B Now, sEphraim bad been all the fall
longing. for a hunt; but his father had
not time to 60 hunting with shin,
and he thought EphrAim too young
to alone His father had NO objection to
his going alone, if he, would only 60
without gun; but Ephraim could not
see the use of hunting without o gun.
He longed to get into the woods with his
fathers old training gun, all alone. This
old piece was rather heavy for sporting
purposes; but twas always kept in perfect
order, standing in a corner of the Captains
bedroom, behind his desk. si'ai4i7si =
So, after his father was gone, and while
his mother was busted; about the house,
the temptation testake that gun was more
than Ephraim could Withstand. Watch
! ing his opportunity, he first secured the
| powdekhorn and ashot-pouch out of the
drawer where they were kepts and thenAe
took the muslet and bora nit stealthily
,away behind the barn. He felt in hurry,
and as if he were not d0ihgs quite right,
and was not quite seisSs ii Mis- mind, even
after he had got the gun out0f sight. He
half, resolved to carry it back at once, but
finally concluded THAT he could return il
Just al we'll after he had had iliB hunt, and
went to work to load It. i5sfsa = AE ~ Z
\ Ephfaim was not quitcssure how'll gun
should be loaded: but the powder seemed
tthe most essential thing, SO he put 9
handful of that in f1fst. Then, with.
out aafy wad between, as there should
have been, he's put SIM q. handful Ao1
shot; and they were large enough, hi
thought, to kilt almost anything He pu
y very big, wad on top, Of these, ant
| rammed it hard down with the iron ram
rod. 1t was fiint-lock piece, and hs
knew that powder woald be needed in thu
y pan; 10 he opened it to put some in. Blu
the pan was already filed for IN ran1mini
down the charge the piece ehad prihet
j itself. di 5a3fi lszi ssz = 1874 10 2
4 s'it was all right, Ephraim felt sure, ,iand
keeping the barn between him and tn
Ehonse, he went toward the wood. 60,
i 1T was lonely old wood. often wen
through it myself when was . boy, ans
] knoMoall about,it. In the brightest da.,
'tif would be dark and gloomy under SOM
q o. ,A9ss gEest, las ispsssdi9gs gs,s l0T y
kinds Of wood there that are found In
II New England forest; ;bsech, birch, ,..Apie
2 oak, pine, hemlock and gchestnut w6r'
b paTtridges, squirrels; rabbits, owls-il
Il fact, all sorts Of small game made it thei
homef1 14lE79g S-srsi is7Sst sss5 - xSs- s,>ssl
with ne eun o6i In shoulder Rphrain
entered rthe .seoela asnds HeAti ltrklEin
Il straight into it. as if ssll the anne wort
Z shooting were in the middle d It. H
1 could hear the sduirre1s ind blue jays II
j the high branches overhead but it was hi
f1rst huntz asdahsi wAs resolvedt0 hay
Y something bigger.a5 hzs. Il sssw Z