The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1877-08-09
A Chicken Hunt which was not all Chicken
HINT

IN hunting. Accordingly party was maue
up as follows: VIM. Berg. T. l.. Bond. T. F.
Carver, w. r. Gels, j. N. Schwartz, Gus Behr
ID. Freemiller, Prof. Darlighten, and the
writer of this epistle to the kansans. Last
Thursday, soon after the gray dawn had yield
ed to the rising sun, the party drifted out
East. A ride in early morning is superb.
There is a freshness that comes Herewith
which is surprising. At least the aforesaid
freshness was surprising to the parties in this
particular ride. We don't believe one Of the
party had ever before arisen early enough to
behold 'the lark from her light wing the dew
shaking" Hence it was as novel TO them to see
the charms Of early morning as it would have
been to have seen Mont Blanc '.go OUT" The
two wagons loaded with armed men were
over against Iron Mound, then glowing in the
suns golden light, before the festive chicken
put in an appearance. But it was only mo
mentary glimpse of this fowl that the party
| had, for it soon was away towards the horizon
and then down out OF sight. But to deal with
/ facts, and tell the truth though the heavens
| fall majority of the party little rocked for
prairie chickens when a .'rodent mammal"
named John Rabbit (nicknamed Jack rabbit
Haunted his '.esr-y'' banner in the breeze.
The honor of shooting the first jack-rabbit be-
longs to Berg and Joe Schwartz. Berg came
to point" and Joe shot the rabbit Berg's
qualities as pointer" were first-class. He
pointed with alacrity towards that braZen
calf which was erected in the center of his
wagon, and which he and his companions
worshiped most dcvoutly. Itshould not take
great deal of space, nor many sentences, to
speak in detail of the experiences at bird hunt
ing that forenoon. Few were the chickens
that were shot. and some OF them must have
gone to I'm .'echoless Shore" for nowhere
could they be found. 1t was the general be-
lief of the party that chickens are not near so
thick this year as usual. We have seen this
same belief entertained by other parties. In
fact we do not remember of having been hunt
ing with any party which did not cling fondly
to the belief that there was an unusual scarce
ness of chickens. Our recollection is that
some nine chickens were killed that morning,
and they were picked off, by sharp shooters,
one by one. Somewhere about ii o'clock the
two wagons loads hauled up at Johnathan
Tinkler's farm, and concluded to take refresh
ments there. Let it be understood that our
Commissary General, Gus Behr, had stocked
the provision wagon with Ia lavish hand, and
the quality Of the victuals would even have
tickled royal palate. But this grand supply
availed nothing; for it was written by the
Thinkers that a table should be spread at their
mansion and that the hunters should refresh
themselves there. While dinner was being
prepared the hunters gathered in Thinkers
great barn and engaged In antics more becom-
ing of young gentlemen who practice gym
nastic exercises in hay NOW. than full-grown,
sober, sedate men. Under the supervision OF
that distinguished scientist, Prof Gels, an at
tempt was made (by the use OF the bodies of
several of our number) to demonstrate the im-
portant principle that body plunged in
fluid loses as much Of its weight rs is equal to
the weight Of an equal volume of the fluid.
l.rchimedes discovered this while at the bath.
So did Gels. The only difference was in the
liquids which helped make up the bath. Dim
ner was commenced, The hunters took the
places assigned them, and sat down to royal
feast. Mrs. Thinkers table was wonderful
depot Of supplies. A set OF hungry harvest
hands could not have eaten with more earnest
ess and Zest than these town fellows. We
honestly thought we had never before seen
such set of famine-breeders as those self-same
hunters. At least the loaves and fishes miracle
was in demand, to supply the cravings of
those gigantic appetites. But by some means
the pleasant hostess, Mrs. Tinker, had larder
fully equal to the occasion, and As mountains
of provisions disappeared in wide and deep
CULTS others rapidly took their place. AT the
close OF this meal luckily there was close; for
a while it seemed as If an eternity was loom
ing up) a rousing and unanimous vote of
thanks was rendered to the kind family who
had treated US so Hospitality. A slesta was
then taken. The heat of the day was at hand.
The sesta was a somewhat disturbed one.
Still after the mornings f1tful success the
hunters slept very well-that il, some Of them.
We were just on the edge of dream land when
Carver Gus Behr, and some others COM
menced metamorphosing US into one OF our
contemporaries. We were under their spell so
completely that it seemed as If we were actu-
ally the contemporary referred to, and there
was no way of helping it. Bottle after bottle
of Plantation bitters (the cotempo-
rary's favorite beverage) seemed to march by
IN funeral procession, keeping step to the
tune of squire Jones Daughter" while it
seemed as if we were the oldest and tussIest
old bachelor the sun had ever shone upon
How happy were We when we found ourself
sitting In our own bones aud clothed with
our own flesh. After the sests referred TO.
boots and saddles sounded. All were ready.
| Mr. Tinker volunteered his services 10 con-
duct Us over fields where there had been thous-
ansls OF prairie chickens last year. While we
write we must not forget an incident which
happened before dinner, which was really the
leading incident of the day. One Of our
party was possessed with an inordinate ambi-
ton to Kill acS-rabbit. lie would rather
shoot one Of these long cared animals than
bring down a whole coyey Of chickens. When
the word jack-rabbit was pronounced he was
up and with cheeks all aglow, ready TO shoot
on sight. A rabbit was sighted; two or three
hunters jumped out OF the wagons, our friend
among the rest. The rabbit scampered of
into a corn-field, the fellows and dogs after
him. While the party was gone. it occurred
10 the others that there was now good chance
TO put up job" on the lover OF jack rabbits,
which was accordingly done. A dead rabbit
was taken from a wagon a string tied about