The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-01-27
One Of samson,s Big Ones.

OAS VI AAO - 40
On a chill evening in October, q par
ty-villagers and trayelers-sat round
the box-stove in the Office of the Conway
House, at Conway, N. H, and story tell
ing was in 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 il.
Uncle Samson Head heard this, and
then he thought it time to open, which
he did, as follows:
ga good many years ago, when I was
] younger n I am now, [ spent a season
down by Six-Mile Pond. It was a great
season for wild geese, and they took a
great fancy for that pond. I'd rugged
up a raft for fishin', and arter a time I
trimmed it with bushes, SO as to go arter
geese on it. But never mind about that.
From the winder of the chamber where
I slept I could see Almost the whole O.
the pond, and one dull, lowery mornin',
when I got out O. bed, and cast my eyes
out onto the pond, I saw a 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 fxins; and when all
was ready, down I 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,
soft I couldn't shoot at 'em from where
I stood. Wal, I was jest maxim for my
raft when I 'spied a fox, not more'n four
rods off, a lookin' at the geese. My fust
thought was to let drive at him; but,
thinks I, hold on. Let's see what he'll
do. And I held on, and it's plaguey
lucky t I 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 a rod of whar they was huddled
together, when he went down out O.
sight, and the next thing I seed was one
o the geese drawn under in a twinklin'
Ha twas a 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 goose's neck broke. He made straight
to the spot whar he'd took to the water,
and there he landed the fowl, right under
q clump O. hazle-wood.
"And then that fox set out for another:
and went through Jest the same ma
ouver And-to make a long story
short-thar I sot, hid by the bushes o
my raft, and saw that fox go and come
go and come-go and come-til he'6
taken the last one o. the lott
Sand, as MI. Fox landed with the las
goose, I Jest drew a bead on him, anc
let drive! Good-by, foxl I went an6
counted them geese, and found jes'
thirty-nine of EN-! Thirty-nine good
fat geese, and a rousin' fine fox ]
called it a 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 a while, then I'm a sinner 7
As Samson told his story, the Travelled
stranger looked at him ~curiously; ant
finally ventured:
"My friend, may I be permitted Il
ask you a question? ?"
"Jest as many as you please. O.
ahead"
"You tell us you got those geese il
the morning, before breakfast ?"
eyes"
"Well sir, perhaps you will explain it
That fox had to swim three and a hal
miles to reach the geese ?"
every bit of it, sir"
"Then he must have swan seven mile
for each and every goose, which woul,
have been two hundred and seventy
three miles, or thereabouts carrying
heavy weight weight very nearl
equal to his own-one way! Upon M,
soul, I can not understand it."
SAID Unc1e 5amP., as cooT and calm a
summers eve:
stranger, you said you freed a grizsI
6ear?"
"Ye-e-es," with considerable hesita
ton.
"Wal, I was watchin' that ere TO
swimmin' arter them geese at the sell
same time at you was watchin' a grizzl
bear clin1'Sn' q tree!"
The stranger pondered for a season
and then, with a 'tsmile that was child
like and bland" he invited the crowd in
to the little room pack of the nfficai