The daily gazette., 1878-01-21
A HUNTING ExPEDITIony
BY y.P. g.

quaintance-a college chum Of days long |
gone. He was ''up to his eyes In bust |
ness" as the saying Is, being editor and
publisher Of prosperous country news
paper; nevertheless, all could say 10 the |
contrary bad no effect toward preventing
him from climbing out and preparing for |
q 'sgood time" as a. he was fully cons
vinced that my presence was q reality.
I was just from the East-he was q
resident Of the East. Eastern people,
ere they cross the Alleghanies, usually
read much Of hunting In the Western
States, talk much Of hunting In the Wes-
tern States, and think much of what fine
hunts they will have when they get TO
the Western States. Residents of the
West know all this, especially If they
themselves are originally from the East.
This knowledge led my friend to engage
forthwith in planning hunting expedi-
tlon to Smother's swamp, q wild region,
some eight or ten miles from the village.
A relative Of my friend, whom l shall
call the doctor, accepted an invitation 10
accompany us. q ~ ttA n
Bstimes next morning we were on our
way, armed and equipped to the best ad>
vantage.
Neither the editor nor the doctor had
ever yet visited the swamp, and therefore
neither the editor nor the doctor knew
anything about 1t, only from hearsay.
Everybody said 1t was an excellent place
| for hunting, and what every body says Is
| generally conceded to be true, the world
over. We were sanguine of success in
consequence of what every body had said,
and as, in order that we might enjoy the
romance of q hunters fare, as well as q
hunter's life, we took nothing with us,
In the eating line, save bread and salt.
In due time we reached the swamp and
fell TO hunting like Indians. From ''ruff''
to ''ruff'' and from glade to glade we
blundered on till night was about to close
In, and yet not so much as a rabbit or q
squirrel had fallen TO our share. 1t was
q complete failure and Its consequences
led us, with faces none the shortest and
spirits none the lightest, to kindle our
campfire ana sup on dry bread. Some
great author, don't know who, has said
that "a short horse is easily curried."
II Is true and, in like manner, we
found our slim meal easily to be dispos-
ed OF, or, IN other words, supper was soon
overland we felt better. Regarding II
In, the light Of good joke, and consoling
ourselves with the reflection that a bad
beginning often leads to good ending
we were soon as happy as circumstances
would permit.
At an early hour next morning we lift.
ed our sack Of bread up into the crotch
lof small tree, where we left 1t for safe
keeping, and sailed forth In quest o
meat for breakfast, intending to return
as soon as the desired article had beer
secured. Noon came, and found us q:
unsuccessful as we had been the day be
fore, and very hungry besides-ay, anC
on our way TO campto try the bread onct
more.
As we neared the bread tree the doc
tor, who may have felt his .sslimness'
more sensibly than did the editor ant
myself, hurried on to get the sack dowr
and have all things ready. We soor
came up, but. contrary to our expecta-
tioRs,we found no preparations MAIDEN mol
was the doctor even eating. he was sea
ted upon log, looking the very picture
Of despair.
"Why, doctor, what on earth is thu
matter?" said the editor.
He clasped his hands together ant
started his thums In a rapid circuitous
pursuit of each other, but did not speak.
. "What's been happening, old fellows
continued my friend, ,slapping him on th'
shoulder.
Slowly he disengaged his hands, after
which, within most woe-begon expression
OF countenance, he pointed TO something
that lay on the ground short distance
| from where we were standing. Tb'
editor bounded toward 1t. | bounded
toward 1t also. simultaneously we
seized 1t In our hands, and Instantaneous.
ly we discovered that 1t was the chewet
up fragments of what had, doubtless,onc
been asack.
Like an electric shock thought strucl
us also, and simultaneously we looke'
up for the bread. 1t was not there. Tn
crotch IN which We had left it was vacant
And then came our turn to look blank
Who could wonder at IL? Ten miles from
. civilization, no game in the woods, an
our bread knocked down by somethln
and eaten up by hogs! A man who woul
not look blank under such circumstar
ces must be hardened wretch, truly.
swell, the fun was up, and feeling th
necessity of action, we acted; at least tn
he took his gun and disappeared In
Jungle, A little later and we heard
! report, and then, pretty soon, we saw hiI
a retul ming with a nicely>skinned ham
some animal in his hand.
"Lnck at last!" said he; ~ knew ther
must be deer in these woods"
:. "Perhaps there is," said the docto
looking somewhat suspicious; "and ther
q may be hogs also"
: My friend would not take the hint; s.
J. after receiving his assurance that u
! ham was venison, we cut into It an
I, commenced roasting; still We could nj
n help remarking that it had a very Pc
9. ceivable porkish taste. This the edit
Z, = readily admitted, ,attributing it to the ia
: that the deer had been feeding upe
,k acorns.
ie Our repast finished, we took other ste
they were toward the village.