Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-06-06
NO. 1877.
Gales ana skettbts.
THE GREAT UNLOADED.
Continued from yesterday. }

bounds to his popularity. The young TEL
lows liked him because he made them
laugh. lie had been educated | cannot
doubt, at an English University; and he
had accordingly a fund of experiences to
relate. He had way of interlarding his
conversation with quaint words and
phrases that was very taking and, but for
his cloth. he would doubtless have been
perfect mint of strange oaths. Then his
laugh, especially at his own jokes, was
most Infectious rich, gurgling laugh
expressive of deep enjoyment, and by
quivering of the whole frame. @
| By the ladies he was equally beloved;
partly on account of his prowess at lawn
tennis, and partly (this was an instance of
the converse of courting the child for the
sake of the nurse) for the sake Of his "be
loved charge, who was currently believed
to be a nobleman in disguise or temporary
disgrace.
TO Tom he had become indispensable.
He was a good talker, and when it suited
him, better listener. He allowed Tom
to hold forth to him for hours upon his
hobby for the time-politics, agricul-
ture the relations of capital and labor, or
whatever it might be; and just spoke
enough to show that he was listening in
telligently These conversations were ut
ter destruction to shooting, as not bird
| within earshot would sit; but then neither
Tom nor his tenant cared much for shoot
| ing.
While the return of October brings in
pheasant it sends undergrad
yates (and their coaches) back to their
| labors So to accommodate Mr.. Johnstone,
Tom good-naturedly agreed to shoot his
best coverts in the second week of Octo-
ber The autumn shooting at Bogmore is
of a most enjoyable kind The bags are
not enormous, but there is chance of
getting all kinds of game, including black
game, woodcock (Which breed there) and
occasionally roe.
On the 10Th of October 1.-The Great Un-
loaded arrived punetually, accompanied
by his man John (surname unknown), his
toy" and sack of cartridges. loaded it
may be here mentioned, with sawdust
powder. This same sawdust powder,
which was at this time on its pre-
baton, Mr.. Johnstone preferred to the
powder of commerce, because Gas he eX-
plained) it caused les, concussion and less
smoke. and also Gas he did not explain,
but as now believe) because it made less
noise. The beat before lunch was one Of
the best in the days work and special
pains were taken to post the best guns in
the best places-and, of necessity, the bad
shots in the worst. Mr.. Johnstone, ac-
cordingly was relegated to a spot OF great
natural beauty, which was usually unpro-
famed by shot. He was not told this, SO
he went to his post blithely. To punish us
for thus grossly deceiving a good man, no
sooner were the beaters well otf, than it
was seen that. contrary to their usual GUS
tom the inhabitants of the wood, both
furred and feathered. were, with one ae-
cord. tlocking to The Great Unloaded's'
corner. 1t was necessary to reinforce him
at once.
Run. Frank shouted Tom-"rm on
to the gate and head them they are
breaking away in scores. Poor old john
stone is being mobbed.n Would that l
had left him to his fate he could have en-
dured it. at once hurried up the hill to
the rescue, only to find that reinforcements
were neither desired nor required. Tom
might have ''stowed" his pity; poor old
Johnstone was doing pretty well in his
painful position.
As rapidly approached the scene of the
reverend gentleman's labors | heard the
incessant report of the sawdust cartridges
and on coming within twenty or twenty-five
yards of the spot, a remarkable sight met
my view. 1.-The Great Unloaded'' was
transformed: he was spectacled and un-
loaded no longer; as he would have said
himself, spectacle wos out, cartridges
wos in ~ He stood with his back towards
me, at one side of ride, with his great
eyes. unobscured by glasses, raking the
covert opposite The ground around was
strewn with game. just as arrived a
cock pheasant came rocketing over his
4 t, l. e . IL
nearly at his feet, and reloaded in an in
stant. | was about to compliment him on
his success. when to my astonishment his
man John, who had picked up the bird,
proceeded to put it into an enormous inside
coat. His master at once objected to this,
but not on the ground should have ex-
pected and hoped. Not him. John--not
him; how often must remind you, he's
as tough as old boots. No, no; give Mr..
Douglas his dues. Oh, the tiorid taste +
the uneducated and unrefined, IIa my
Young and artless maiden, my white
fleshed darling and oh, shame down
came a young -pheasant-"this is sad
here to-day, in the pot tomorrow; pouch
her, John; she's worth ten of her worthy
old sire"
And so he ran on, speaking partly to
himself and partly to John, and killing
everything that showed itself with rapidi-
ty and accuracy. No protracted aim, no
empty barrels here, After killing a
pheasant and an old blackjack right and
left, he exclaimed.-
james, James, (this is my author-
ty for believing his name to be James)
''this is imprudent but must let out to-
day. Nothing more in your line, thank
you Monsieur le cieur AlphOnse may pro-
ceed to the bosom of his family"
The last remark was addressed to an
old hare which had hobbled on the ride.
and sat up listening. AT this point cry
of "woodcock," :" arose. If Mr.. Johnstone
was excited before he was electrified now.
He waited with admirable patience while
the graceful bird wound its way through
the tops of the young trees; but as it
darted across the ride, he dropped it ten
derly on the turf The sawdust seemed
l L .. II .t. Ill.