The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-01-21
One Of Sams0n's Big Ones.

One OF Sams0n's Big Ones.
On chill evening in October, q par
ty-villagers and travelers-sat around
the box-stove III the Office of the Conway
House, at Conway, n. H., and story tell
ing was i'll order A traveller big,
self-important manifold several very
large stories, his last being of an en-
counter with a grizzly bear, which took
TO "a tree, to escape his furious dogs,
where he shot it,
Uncle Samson Head heard this, and
then he thought it time to open, which
he did, as follows:
"a good many years ago, when was
younger n | am now, | spent season
down by Six-Mile Pond. 1t was a great
season for wild geese, and they took q
great fancy for that pond. I'd rugged
up n raft for tishin', and arter a time L
trimmed it with bushes, SO as to go arter
geese on it. But never mind about that.
From the winder of the chamber where
slept could see Almost the whole o.
the pond, and one dull, lowery mornin',
when got out o bed, and cast my eyes
out onto the pond, L saw flock o. wild
geese jest ligthin on the water, away
over the far side.
you can bet your life, it didn't take
me long ter dress, nor ter git my old
duckin' gun and fixins and when all
was ready, down L went to where my
raft was. As most on you know, the
pond is six miles long, and the geese
were, at least, three to four miles away,
so't L couldn't shoot at EN- from where
l stood. Wal, L was jest maxim for my
raft when / 'spied fox, not more'n four
rods off, Il looliin' at the geese. My fust
thought was TO let drive at him; but,
thinks L, hold on. Let's see what he IL
do. And l held on, and it's plaguey
lucky t l did. And now I'll tell you of
jest the neatest bit of gamin' t you ever
heard on. Listen:
THAT ere fox had got his eye on them
geese, and he meant to have 'em. Into
the water he went, swimmin' as beautiful
as you please, till he come to within
about rod of whar they was huddled
together, when he vert down out o.
sight, and the next thing L seed was one
o the geese drawn under in twinklin'
Ha twas neat job, now-just as true
as you live Wal, the fox come to the
surface agin jest about where he went
down, and then made for the shore. with
the gooses neck broke. He made straight
to the spot whar he'd took to the water,
and there he landed the fowl, right under
clump o hazle-wood.
"And then that fox set out for another;
and went through jest the same ma
MOWERS. And-to make a long story
short-thar l sot, hid by the bushes o.
my raft, and saw that fox go and come
go and come-go and come-till he'd
taken the last one o. the lot!
''And, as Mr.. Fox landed with the last
goose, L jest drew bead on him, and
let drive Good-by, fox l went and
counted them geese, and found Jest
thirty-nine of 'em Thirty-nine good,
fat geese, and a rousin' fine fox /
called it pooty good mornin's work
and done afore breakfast, at that ]
picked up the game and carried it home.
and if Their weren't some tall pickin' O.
feathers for while, then I'm u sinner -
AS Samson told his story, the travelled
stranger looked at him curiously; and
finally ventured:
"My friend, may be permitted to
nsk you question ?"
Jest as many as you please. Go
ahead.
you tell us you got those geese in
the morning, before breakfast 2"
eyes"
"Well, sir, perhaps you will explain it.
That fox had to swim three and a half
miles to reach the geese ?"
Every bit of it, sir"
! "Then he must have swan seven miles
for each and every goose, which would
have been ttcO hundred and serenity.
three mites, or thereabouts /! carrying a
heavy weight weight very nearly
equal to his own-one way Upon my
soul, can not understand it.
Said Uncle Samp., as cool and calm as
/ summers eve:
Stranger, you said you freed grizzly
be0r?"
"Ye-e-es," with considerable hesita-
| ton.
oval, / was watchin' that ere fox
swimmin' after them geese at the self.
same time at you was watchin' grizzly
tSdr CHM n' q heey
The stranger pondered for season,
and then, with "smile that was child.
like and bland" he invited the crowd in
TO the little room back of the Office