The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-05-09
UOId RpSidenter"


he did talk with a drawl which indicated
that he didn't regard time as very val
uable commodity. He sat on the fence
MS the train came up 60 SieFfried's
Bridge, with the three EastOn fancy
gunners aboard, whom he was to pilot
across the country after quail. His gun
having the lock tied ON with string,
reposed across his knees, and his dog,
looking like the ghost of starvation, re-
posed at his feet. The Easton men
came mp to him.
"Do you know Abe Hortzogg'
"N-a-a-s. | know him"
"Where can we find himY'
"R-i-g-h-t hyar, guess.
" Are you Mr. Hertzogg'
"Y-s-a-s that's what I'm taxed for
anyway"
" Imminy Z" said one of tho party,
soto Uocs, /" can this he the man that
Cap told us was personally acquainted
with every quail family IN Allen Town
ship -"
"Nou fellors want to So artor some
quails, eh p
That's what we come for. Do You
know anything about them 2"
W-a,a-l. yaas; l can tell ono when l
see il.
"what kind Of gun have you got
therel"
w-a-a,l, We see, mister, that gun's
an old rvSidentor: bin into onr family
ever since the first old Hertzog moved
mp hyar. That guns a ride, mister, and
she shoots mighty quick. Handle her a
little careful, mister, he continued, AS
he handel the old thing over for inspec-
ton; " she has u way Of tumbling apart
II she's used rough-like
The old rifle had barrel about As
large rs fence rail, with iron enough
IN IL for Young Gatlug-gun, and
bore not larger than a healthy rye straw,
while all the stock II had was absorbed
in brass trap-door leading into cellar
smelling of verhgris and filed with
grease and little pieces Of rags.
How do you kill anything with this;
knock il down2'
"W-a-a-l, yes sometimes. That's
the way busted the stock thar whar the
awhide baniage air, a-knockln' fellow
down what made fun Of IL -
Al this point the investigator suddenly
lost interest IN the gun, and the party
moved of 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.
" Gents. there's quails all about hyar
and over yander-yaaS, and thar one on
EN- now, he added. as he drew up Old
Residenter and knocked it over where II
sat
"What DO you shoot a bird on the
ground? Why, old man, that's internal
potting"
"S'that SO ?" inquired the old man,
humbly, as he picked up piece of his
gun-stock that had been Jared of by
the shot.
just then s. small coyey of the birds
took wing, and the man who scorned
pot-hunting blazed away with both bar
rells of a costly breach loader and
missed.
"Whar whar do YOU shoot 'em,
mister ?" inquired the old man, quietly,
as he put his patch and bullet on the
muzEle Of his rifle, which he held be-
tween his legs while he rammed the
charge home. and then rs a stray bird
dew overhead, he raised and dropped it.
" Is that ar the way you want 1t done,
mister?"
The objector said nothing, and the
/ cunning proceeded; but il soon became
evident that the sportsmen we're doing
! the cunning and the old man was doing
! the shooting. The lock tumblei of 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 il up, and made ready TO shoot
whenever a bird showed. and he occa-
/ sionally varied the monotony Of the pro
/ ceedings 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 old man got the game, as the
count showed five quail and pheasant
/ among the three for the days work,
while Mr.. Hertzog toddled along IN
der twenty-five quail and four rabbits;
and, as they sat on the board-pile at the
depot bargaining for the old mans lot,
/ he remarked:
"Ye see, gents, Old Residenter be'ant
much of a gun 10 look at. She amt
purity nor handsome at all, but l tell
you she's mighty on the shoot. All you's
got to do is Jest to grease the patch right
we'll. and ram the ball down close, and
then, if YOU pint her at bird and pull,
that hird's got 10 stop. Leastwise, /
alters find it so. Ye see, gents, where a
man has such awfully purity gun his
tention's kinder taken up almirin' OF il,
ike, and the bird goes away after he
shoots. Leastwise | alters find it so. "
just then the lcck dropped off "Old
Residenter for the eleventh time, and,
as the old man wasn't going to shoot any
more that day, he put it in his pocket
along with his game money, saying:
Thank We, gents, thankee. Come
/ up soon again, aud I'll take Old Resi-
/ denter out any time; we'll be purity sure
/ to get something" And he meanders
I off into the Indian summer haze. e.-Eas-
l ton { Pa. } Free Press.