The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-06-09

He was probably christened James,
but is always jim now. and, along with
the greater part of his christened name,
he has almost entirely lost his surname.
If he had been few shades lighter, he
might have been "Colored jim" but
black being the absorption of all color,
this name would not fit him. So he is
known, wherever known at all, as "Nig-
ger JIM" He is AN expert trapper and
fisherman, but, rather singularly, con-
sidering these gifts, poor marksman.
For years he logged about or carried in
his boat an ancient flint-lock Queens
arm, so deadly in its action that it would
kill pickerel with only charge of
powder, so Jim said; yet he rarely
brought home any spoils of field or flood
but such as were gained by trap or hook.
Once, however, he made n very telling
shot. It was on an October morning,
and he was padding his light trapping
skiff up the channel of Womakakatuk as
silently as any Indian could, when, as
he rounded bend, he saw through the
tall stalks of the wild rice at least a
dozen ducks sitting among the lilly-pods
in the edge of the channel, not six rods
from him. Here was his long-sought
opportunity, and no sooner did he descry
them than backward stroke of his pad
die stopped the Roadway of the craft just
before she poked her sharp nose in sigh
OF the unsuspecting fowl. Then he laid
the paddle in the boat without the
slightest noise. and as silently lifted
from her resting place his old gun, whose
true inwardness at that moment consisted
of all the powder in her owners posses
sion and a handful of b B shot, both
wadded with half-pound or so of
waspnest. He cautiously thrust her
muzzle through the rice stalks, cooked
her without q tell-tale click of the pom
derous lock, set the breeeh-plate firmly
against his shoulder, laid his cheek to
the stock, took such long and deliberate
aim that spider, setting his snare
among the rushes. made fast an end of
his web to the rusty barrel before jim,
shutting both eyes, set his teeth, and,
with a sturdy pull, unhitched. There
was n dazzling fash in the pan as If n
kettle full of lard had caught fire, and
then the noble weapon belched forth
horizontal column OF flames and smoke,
kicked Jim and his skiff half the boats
SbNC a iOdl tlhb NOhb
believing down the creek, across the
lake, and was tossed back aud forth from
Split Rock Mountain to Shellhouse for
five minutes before it lost its voice.
When jim got his eyes opened and his
wits gathered, he peered through the
eddying smoke and saw-not feather
raised, nor one wounded duck fiuttering
its last, but some riding unconcernedly
with their heads knocked off, and some
keel up In a quarter-acre of fine splinters.
Then up rose two Boston men from
among the rushes, and the fire, and
smoke, and uproar, and vicious recoil of
Jim's gun were as nothing to the Walls
of wrath which they poured out upon
his curly, devoted head. Never was such
padding done on these waters as Jim
did till he put half a mile of Wonakaka-
tuk's channel, seething with his rapid
strokes, between himself and the scene
of bloodless slaughter. Then he showed
his boat into the rushes and skulied
ashore. Next day he offered his gun
for sale, giving as reason that she
burned so much powder no poor man
could afford to keep her. He effected
sale at $l.50, and has done no duck
shooting since. He says with emphatic
shakes of the head, "Any man that'll try
to fool ducks with them wooden images
will steal sheep! Yes, sir, course he
willv'-FOreSt and Stream.