The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-04-18
"OId Residenter."

did talk with draWl which Indicated
that he didn't regard time as very
valuable commodity. He sat on the
fence as the train came up to Seigfried S
Bridge with the three Eastern fancy
gunners aboard, whom he was to pilot
across the country after quail. His
gun, having the lock tied on with a
string, reposed across his knees, and his
dog, looking like the ghost of starva-
ton, reposed at his feet. The Easton
men came up to him.
Do you know Abe Hertzog?"
"Y-a-a-s, | know him.
"Where can we find him?'
"R-i-g-h-t hyar, | guess"
care you Mr.. Hertzog?n
"Y-a-a-s! that's what Pm taxed for,
any way"
'Jimminy!" said one of the party,
soto voce, IS can this be the man that
Cap told us was personally acquainted
with every quail family in Allen Town
ship?'' ..
q You fellers want to 60 arter some
quails, eh?''
"That's what we come for Do you
know any thing about them?''
"W-a-a-l, yaas; | can tell one when
I see it,
"What kind of gun have you got
THEREOF
W-a-a-l, We see, mister, that guns
an old residenter; bin into our family
ever since the first old Hertzog moved
up hyar. That guns rifle, mister,
an she shoots mighty quick. Handle
her little careful, mister,'' he continu-
ed, as he handed the old thing over for
inspection; "she has way Of tumblin'
apart if she's used rough-like."
The old rife had barrel about long
as fence-rail, with iron enough in it
for young Calling gun, and bore not
larger than healthy rye-straw, while
all the stock it had was absorbed in a
brass trap-door leading into the cellar
smelling of verdigris, and filled with
grease and little pieces of rags.
6 How do you kill any thing with this /;
knock it DOWN."
W-a-all, yes! sometimes. That's
the way busted the stock thar whar
the rawhide bandage air, a knockin' a
fellow down what made fun of it.''
At this point the investigator sudden
~ lost interest in the gun, and the party
moved off into the country. As they
climbed the fifteenth fence, the old man
paused on the top rail, and waved his
hand indefinitely over the fields before
them.
Scents, there's quails all about hyar,
and over yander-yaas, an thar's one
on 'em now," he added, as he drew up
Old Residenter and knocked it over
where it sat.
"What! do you shoot bird on the
groundP Why, old man, that's internal
potting."
as that so?' inquired the old man,
humbly, as he picked up piece of his
gun-stock that had been Jared off by
the shot,
Just then small covey of the birds
took wing, and the man who scorned
pot-hunting blazed away with both
barrels of costly breach-loader and
missed.
"Whar! whar do you shoot 'em, mis-
ter?" inquired the old man quietly, as
he put his patch and bullet on the muz.
Gle of his rifle, which he held between
his legs while he rammed the charge
home, and then as a stray bird flew
over head he raised and dropped it: sis
that ar the way you want it done, mis-
ter?''
The objector said nothing, and the
cunning proceeded; but it soon became
evident that the sportsmen were doing
the cunning and the old man was doing
the shooting. The lock tumbled off his
gun occasionally, and the barrel had a
loose habit of parting company with the
stock; but the old man had pocket
full of strings, and as fast as it gave out
he tied it up, and made ready to- shoot
whenever bird showed, and he occa-
sionally varied the monotony of the
proceedings by coolly blazing into the
bushes, whereupon his mean looking
dog would rush in and drag out dead
rabbit.
The Easton party hunted faithfully,
according to their lights, and shot upon
the most scientific principles; but, some
how, the cid man got the game, as the
count showed five quail and pheasant
among the three for the days work,
while Mr.. Hertzog toddled along under
twenty-five quail and four rabbits; and,
as they sat on the board-pile at the depot
bargaining for the old mans lot, he re-
marked:
Ye see, gents, Old Residenter be'ant
much OF gun to look at. She amt
purity nor handsome at all, but | tell
You she's mighty on the shoot. All
you's got to do is jest to grease the
patch right well, and ram the ball down
close, and then, if you pint her at bird
and pull, that birds got to stop. Least
wise, l alters find it SO. Ye see, gents,
where man has SIGH an awfully purity
gun his 'tention's kinder taken up adj
mirin' OF it like. an the bird goes away