Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1882-05-30
[TOr The News. ]
A Race for Life.


being poisoned by strychnine. had
been rather successful in bunting wild
game which abounded In that county,
especially deer, The State of Minnesota
4 had short time before passed, through
her Legislature. "wOlf bounty act, !"
allowing $40 for each scalp. This, with
about - 30 for each good skin, made it
I some iuducemant for those on The from
Tier 10 limit and kill these canine pests
| that are 10 be found In all newcOunti1es.
One Of the most effective ways to get
| them was TO poison them with Strirh-
nine, SO procured bottle Of the poison
and sailed out one morning in December
| for n deer HINT. Away from the scttlc-
ment, some three and a half miles north
of my house, towards the Big Tank Lake,
where there were no settlers, there was
about four inches of snow. In the after
noon shot fine large buck Slipped
on him while he was lying down. After
cleaning him and hanging up The ''sad-
die" put some poison in the entrals and
went home. That night there fell about
two inches ofsnow, enough to eflace my
fresh signs. SO next day | Went again,
and on arriving at the place, | found II
large dead wolf lying right OF the bait,
so felt encouraged. The day after that
was Christmas, and Iagain wentinto the
same section of country and killed two
nice young deer. ] cut off their heads
and carried them to Il lake, or rather two
lakes connected. (tlIere was plenty of ice
them "primed" them and left one on
the south end and one on the north end
Of the lake, and in about two days went
again to see II had any wolves. The
first head had not been molested but the
one on the north end of the lake had been
removed, aud fresh tracks Of Il Inahwere
Leading to and from the spot. The snow
had then fallen half thigh deep, and from
the peculiar shape Of the tracks knew
ii TO be one John Mattcrml who was
building log house about a half mile up
IN the timber from the lake. lie lived
about three miles west in u shanty dug
OUT in The side of Il hill. As soon as |
saw. the sign felt as though | had been
shot at, or something as one feels Just
before entering into a battle. | knew
human life was at stake, and it might be
too latcto save it; but did not delay.
ran with all my might through the deep
snow. | came to the wall of this crea-
lures house, and he happened to be
there. said; "Why did you steal that
deer head?" He only shook his head
and said "NiX, nix, nix ferstay." He
could not understand English, though |
thought at the time he did not want to.
But the more | talked, pointed and ges-
tulated, the more voluable his tongue
became with mix, nix, nix ferstay.
happened to think of the poison in my
vest pocket, so pulled it out with the
label Of skull and cross bones, that UNI
mlslakable emblem Of death in all civil
lied nations. Then my Workman"
turned deadly pale He crawlcd down,
crying. "Vrow, dinner, mine vlow,
dinner" "Well," said !, "run. your
wife may be dead now" He went about
fifty yards to get his overcoat and OF in
another direction for his axe. / began
to curse him. (probably feeling safe us he
could not understand it But my patience
was pbout gone. watched lin mo-
ment ms he started, and saw that gait
would not do, so ran past him and gave
my shoulder good turn like we school
boys used to play "chicken." | sent him
headlong IN the snow, ms the track he
had made was zgzag one, and if ever
was In earnest, unless II was once when
running n wounded bear, with the bear
In the rear, II was then. The exceedingly
cold air seemed to cut my lungs through
and through. At last ] arrived at the
hut, expecting to find all in it dead. The
woman was standing by her little cook
stove stirring hash and was in the act of
tasting 1t with Il spoon. 1t was up to
her mouth and she was blowing 1t to cool
1t. ! knocked the spoon from her lips.
picked up her pan and poured It's con-
tents into the fire. Their little dog lay
dead MS a maokerel under the stove If
ever ] saw puzzled womAn,i it was then.
She must for n moment have taken me
for 4 crazy or Wild innh. | had In the
meantime dropped down exhausted ON n
bed and poinlctl TO the dead dog. "Yaw,"
she said, "yaw him 20 death, him 20
death" Soon her husband came III, and
IN n perfect clattcr he soon told hcrwhat
was up. II turned ont That that even
ingope of their nciyhbQrs and wife We're
invited 10 dine wiihthonL HnII w
Ever after that these pcOpe seemed TO
think more Of me than any one else.
suppose they Thought that someone
had killed n deer and left the head. So
fur rs the flesh being spoiled was con-
ccrned, II would have kept good until
spring But lrNc seen no one, before
or since, who would ever eat q deer
head,
This broke up my tinkeriug with poi
son. had mnny ups aud downs during
my oyrr SIX years soiourn IN the Indian
land OF clear water, Minnesota, with her
beautiful lakes. ...
."Ilcrs are not Temples nor Arcndia's
spring,
Nor the long summer Of COrthcgan
wales.
The vines, the flowers, the air, the skies
That Ming
such wild cnchnntment DER BoccOcla's
tales.
ar A. lRUnnnn u.I fla, uA. ,..I a., ,..l..a.