The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-03-27
Adirondack Workmanship.
From the Golden Rule Story of 'The Man
Wha nor,t Knaur Much vi


"Ye'll have to splitit, then," said the
trapper; 'sfor I can see that Hepry's
warmin' to the work, and his piece isl
workin' to perfection. What be the trial,
ledger" ~
SIT is this" was the reply; and he
took couple of potatoes from nis pock-
ct and handed them to the lad.
"AIl right" said the trapper; "yer
language is as plain as the pictur' talk Of
the redskins. Now, lad, toss 'em straight
and toss EN- bigh. Henry, You take the
fust one, and I'll take the second. Now,
lad, wait for the word; ready with your
piece, Henry. One, two, three, heaveP'
The lad pitched the potato at the word.
1t mounted upward into the air, and as
it came to the apex Of its fight, Her.
bert's rife cracked and the potato disap
lpeared. 1as-a % .as -aJ
"Heave again r. said the trapper, and,
while the potato which the lad pitched
into the air was still going up, the bullet
of the trapper caught it and drove it into
thousand pieces. - o.' ,-i
"There," /" said the trapper to the judge,
"Henry showed You the science Of the
thing, for be waited as man should,
when life or honor depends on his shot,
and took it at the proper pint !; and /
showed ye the trick of the thing, and
shot as q man who is over eager for his
game, and don't wait till his Judgment
tells him to act. Yis, the boys shot was
a jedgmatical one, and shows that he
mixes his brains with his powder when
he shoots; and that will sartinly win agin
haste il there be chances enough, /
don't think that ye know for sartin who
has got that horn yit, jedge!' and the
old trapper laughed till his great strong
face fairly beamed with good nature.
"Come, iedge, what have ye got next ?
The pieces be ready, and the horn don't
know whether it's goin' to the settle
ments or stay in the woods yit."
s'We've got but one MORE" respond
ed the Judge, sand the committee did not
dream that they would have to resort to
| it. Nor do we suppose now that it will
be of any avail, for we firmly believe, as
do all to whom we have mentioned it,
that it is beyond the possibility of humsn
skill to accomplish it The target will
be flying one, and it will not be reveal.
ed to you until it is in swiftest motion ;,
for we shall place your backs to US and
deliver it over your heads. You may
take positions, and we trust you will not
blame us il the trial should seem unrea-
sonable."
"Lord a massy, jedge, Henry and me
don't care what ye start goin' over our
heads, for there be nothin' that goes SO
fast that bullet cant overtake it,onless
| it be another bullet; and ye may heaye
anything ye are mind to and set ii
travelin' as fast as ye please, and war
rant that we'll stop it for ye afore it gifts
hundred feet from the muzzle of our
guns. Come, boy, back up; the Lord
only knows whether it is a stun or pan
ther that the jedge has got in his hands,
and the sooner the thing gifts in motion
the quicker we'll get our eyes onto it."
The two men stationed themselves in
front of the judge with their backs to-
ward Lim-each in position, and each
rifle at pause. In moment the crowd
actually shook and swayed with tumult.
Laughter, and roars, and exclamations
such as "That isn't fair!'' "Yes, it is,
too" Let them try it, anyhow; there
isn't much danger that they'll hit it."
"Are you ready, gentlemen ?" said the
Judge. F<,- -"
aSartinly, sartinly," responded the
trapper; "let her come, jedge; panther
or stun, or whatever it is, the pieces will
bust if they wait much longer"
ssReady it's" said the judge. "Now I
He opened bis hands, stretched over
the heads of the two men, whir, a buzz,
a roar Of wings, and brown object
glanced through the air straight from
the two men as bullet could spin.
A fash Of lightning is not quicker
than was the motion of the two guns, as
Ithey were swept to their level. The ex
plosicn of one of the pieces, at least, did
not wait. The partridge had not gone
hundred feet before the bullet OF Her.
bert's gun overlook it and actually blew
it into fragments!
The trapper had not fired; he had
checked himself in the very act of pull
ling the trigger-his rife dropped into
the hollow of his arm, and turning to
Henry be said:
"The life that the Maker gives them Is
sweet to His creatures, Henry, and may
the Lord forgive ye for takin' without
cause the life that ye cannot give back
to the bird. No, no, boy, don't blame
Iye; ye was taken unawares, and it was
quick work, and came near jinin in the
murder myself. / tell ye, SQUIRE" said
the old man, as he turned to the judge,
aye have did an onwise thing, and in yer
merriment made an innocent man do a
deed he wouldn't naturally do. No, no,
the horn isn't worth life to John Nor
ton, even il that life is the smallest OF
Gods creatures, onless the takin' of it
can be Of service to man." s..4
The old trapper had said this with all
1 the solemn gravity of man who was
speaking from the conviction not only oil
principle, but Of lifelong practice, and
as one who bad forgotten, in the larger
and graver thonght, the smaller and
Tighter one of the sports around him -
And as be closed he turned to Henry in
4 the act of speaking; but Herbert-who,
while he sympa.hized with the old mans
sentiments,and deeply regretted that, be.
trayed by the suddenness of the event.
be had unnecessarily taken life, was
nevertheless anxious lest, in the mind oi
some of the crowd, not to say in the
mind Of the Judge himself, the old trap
per's fame might suffer-checked him by
1.-THE motion of his hand, and pointed his
finger out over the lake. as
The old mans face lighted, for he saw
mot only what Herbert had pointed at
large, fleecy plume that, torn from the
skin of the bird, was still drifting In the
: golden air-but also the generous
thought OF his companions heart fol
him. He turned to the Judge and said
"Do ye see, jedge, what the boy
means2 Do ye see that bit Of down
! floatin' out there across the sun, tha,