The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-12-12


Well, consulting with Port, who had
a rifle to replace his shot |
gun (of which hereafter), it was de-
cided we should engage the enemy in
the vicinity of Jess Jomack's field, be-
cause, said Port, the negroes are afraid
to hunt around Jomack's. He has
some hogs, and don't allow freedmen
shooting around him, and squirrels are
plentiful there. ALI right. I knew
Jomack would not come calling up
turkeys about as. So, after due pre-
parations, we set out for Jomack's on
foot. It was a fine, frosty morning,
and the sun (yet to be more pointedly
mentioned) was shining like a day
star, as suppose the sun is, and was
in the days of the inspired writer of
old. We had no dogs. Port declared
he would not hunt with dogs. Any
body could kill squirrels if he knew
how, without a dog. All that was re-
quired was to sit down when you saw
q squirrel run up tree, and wait pa
tiently until he came down and then
kill him. He was certain to come
down in a few minutes. This theory,
or practice, entirely upset my old plan
Of looping through the woods and sur
prising bunny; but submitted, as in
duty bound, and we proceeded to the
hunting ground, reaching there little
after sunrise.
The first squirrel found was little
grey fellow about the size of one of
Endom's well-fe.l rats. He was too
risky to live, and so out of pure spite,
after he had got into his hole, we let
him live. The next was an old grey
fox squirrel. This scribe saw him a
mile off, and chased him up big
black gum. He knew his hole and
found it. We waited some minutes,
but there was no response to the call.
We then went into the hills, where
Mr.. Rogers, who was at the moment
passing in search of cypress bark, said
there were plenty of squirrels. But
they were all in bed it seemed, and our
steps led back to the swamp. After
tramping about and waiting patiently
several minutes, Ports well-trained ear
caught the chatter of a fox squirrel.
Hurriedly proceeding to the place, we
fellow climb up to the sky. Here
again we sat down to wait and watch
for the descent, and not for what fol-
lowed.
Port kept his post, while went q
few rods away to answer the call of a
little grey who was chattering like a
Frenchlnan. saw him first-and last
as he went bouncing into his house.
And I then went on post. AS the
watch progressed, Port heard a terrible
racket in his rear, and turning he saw
through the vines fine doe and fawn
approaching at bounding leaps. They
stopped within forty yards, but almost
obscured by the vines and bushes.
Port thought they would get into
fairer view and he would bring down
one of them with his rifle. Vain OK
pectation Pausing only few sec
onds, mother and child, fleeing as I
have no doubt from a too fond sutton,
bounded away into the dense jungle
and were seen no more. Port felt the
disappointment kccnly, and by way of
retaliation slaughtered two squirrels
before leaving the spot, to my none.
sympathised with Port, and as on
ward from that spot we passed, crossing
the bayou upon which we were, which
like all the bayous about here just now
are dry, we discussed the loss of the
venison and the probability of my
killing deer with squirrel shot. I
said to Port that once l had killed a
fine buck with squirrel shot, breaking
both of his fore-lcgs, and it was a feat
I had never forgotten. l was not then
dreaming was soon to be reminded
so wildly of this boyish achievement.
Port said that Jim Suitivan's daughter
killed deer with a wedding hoe. I
had never heard of Jim Sullivan, but
was eager to hear how his daughter
had accomplished what seemed to me
an impossibility.
C,,43 =