Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-11
ROYAL SHOOTING EXPEDITION

After q season of respite from hair raising
escapades on the part of the Car of all The
Russias, and cold -bloodcd hilarity on the
part OF the newspaper paraeraphcls, who
have felt called upon to embalm these little
incidents of royal life in the Immortal
types" like bomb-shel exploding under
the imperial couch at four o'clock in the
morning, comes the Startling announcement
of a revival extraordinary Of pihiism-
nothing less than .wel-nigh successful at
tempt upon the life Of the Car, while that
too.unsusptcting potentatc was returning
home from the delights of tho field, lin
eight slcdges with number of servants
The fact that the Car felt secure enough
20 start out on a shooting expedition,
without being cncased in a cast iron boiler,
and with an advance guard 10 iuspeci
the other side of every tree along the i'm
rerial route is proof presumptive that the
number Of explosives discovered daily in the
royal apartments has been much diminished
of late. The Nihists have evidently been
putting Alexander upon his good behavior
a kindness which that obstinate monarch
has, no doubt, thoroughly appreciated anu
enjoyed, but which he has been 10th t.
reciprocate in the spir, in which it was Offer
ed. The result is that, his time of probation
having elapsed, his dutful subjects hav,
promptly reloaded their guns and set out 10
bag the royal bird. 1t certainly was not
the fault of the six men in the road, who
blazed away at the Cars back as his sledge
whlrled by, that the Cars shooting eXpedi
ton did not result ina case of--in Carlylian
sense-thc tailors being severely tailored
Their intention was good, but they were sOrcly
out OF practice, aud the result was that the
Car was only wing.tipped. Had they usec
shot guns instead of rifles the result miph
have been different, as we gather from tn,
account OF the affair that the Car was no.
more Than dozen rods away when The pla
toon fired, and some of the pellets, certaiuly
ought 10 have found a resting place in MS lie
voted person.
According 10 our observation, however
royalty IL the slippeiiest game to bring t,
bag Of all the animal creation. Innumerabl
have been the instances in history when tn
blundelbuss or pistol of the aggrieved sub
iect has been aimed at this shining mark
with no more appreclable result than a pres
rine-club firing, at hundred yards ram &c
at hulls-eye the size of n wash tub
We suppose, for one reason, that the wo
sort Of buck fever" must attack III
presumptuous aspiraut for royal gore.
might, we should think, lie somewhat pre-
ductive of nervousness in the shooter to re
1ect that, whether one missed or not, III
recol was pretty likely 10 prove fatal. Ha
the six men who salutcd the imperial part
on the road to Gatchina palace had no lofti,
aspirations tLan to bag halF-dozen fat cou
tiers or brace of army officers, their all
wouli undoubtedly have been better. and III
days sport would not have been SO poo
Still, We cannot help marvelling that /.
men who knew thow TO manipulate a ~
should have all blazed away at the san
time, with the same definite object in yiey
and made so poor score. They shou
have spent more time in practice, permittil
each OF their number in turn to perso
ate the Car, and letting loose
him as he skipped evasively abo
among the trees, or lodged in IN 81
sive way across lthe snowy fields. T
Nihilists will probably never again have
good chance to supply the nation with ca
steaks, aud it is greatly to be regretted, (
their sakes, that they made such a miserat
bo'ch of their only opportunity. The op
season for Cars closed at three o'clock
the afternoon of December II, 1888, and
only way in which this coveted bird can NJ
be taken is by some miserable pot-hunti
scheme, like a bomb-shell under the 70,
wash-stand, or dish Of paris green Season
with welsh rabbit.