The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-03-15
ADIRONDACK MARKsMANsHIP.

ADIRONDACK MARKSMANsHIP.
IFrom the Golden Rule Story of 1.-THE Man Who
Don't Know Much."l
"Now,' said the judge, "we will give
you flying shot. And the man that
stands the test will get the silver horn"
"Ye'll have to split it, then," said the
trapper; for I can see that Henry's
warmin' to the work, and his piece is
workin' to perfection. What be the trial,
jedge?"
at is this" was the reply, and he took
a couple of potatoes from his pocket and
handed them to the lad.
"All right" said the trapper. "Yer
languagei is as plain as the pictur' talk of
the redskins. Now, lad, toss 'em straight
and toss 'em high. 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,
heayep
The lad pitched the potato at the word.
1t mounted upward into the air, and as
it came to the apex of its flight, Her
bert's rife cracked, and the pot&to
disappeared.
Heave againp said the trapper, and,
while the potato which the lad pitched
earnestly into the air was still going up,
the bullet of the trapper caught it and
drove it into thousand pieces.
There" said the trapper to the judge,
"Henry showed ye the science of the
thing, for he waited as man should,
when life or honor depend on his shot,
and took it at the proper pint. And
showed ye the trick of the thing, and
shot as man who is over-eager for his
game, and don't wait till his Judgment
tells him to act. Yis. the boys shot was
iedgmatical one, and shows that he
mixes his brains with his powder when
he shoots; and that will sartinly win
agin haste if there be chances enough.
1 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, jedge, whathaye We 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."
"We've got but one more" responded
the judge, "and 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 is beyond the possibility of hu-
man skill to accomplish it. The target
will be a flying one, and it will not be
revealed 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 if the trial should
seem unreasonable"
"Lord a. massy, jedge, Henry and me
don't care what ye start a goin' over our
heads, for there be nothin' that goes SO
fast that bullet can't overtake it, onless
it be another bullet; and ye may heave
anything ye are a mind to and set it
travelin' as fast as ye please, and war
rant that we'll stop it for We afore it gifts
a hundred feet from the muzzle of our
guns. Come boy, back up; the Lord
only knows whether it is a stun or a
panther that the jedge has got in his
hands, and the sooner the thing gets in
motion, the quicker we'll git our eyes on
to it."
The two men stationed themselves in
front of the judge with their backs to-
ward him-each in position, and each
rifle at a poise. 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.
"Sartinly, sartinly," responded the
trapper, let her come, jedge; panther
or stun, or whatever it is, the pieces will
bust if they wait much longer"
Ready it's" said the Judge. "Nowm
He opened his hands, stretched over
the heads of the two men. A whir, a
buzz, roar of wings, and brown OBJ
ject glanced through the air straight
from the two men as bullet could spin.
A flash of lightning is not quicker
than was the motion of the two guns, as
they were swept to their level. The ex-
plosion 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 fragmentsl
The trapper had not fired. He had
checked himself in the very act of pull
ing the trigger-his rifle dropped into
the hollow of his arm, and turning to
Harry he said:
"The life that the Maker gives them
is sweet to his creatures, Henry, and
may the Lord forgive ye for takin' with
out cause the life that ye cannot give
back to the bird. No, no, boy, / don't
blame ye; ye was taken unawares, and
it was quick work, and came near jinin'