Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-02-26

had moved away from the fence some
distance toward the middle of the field.
A better shot could be had if I climbed
the fence, and crept slowly down to them.
1t was a stout picket fence, and /
should have to climb over. / had no
hesitation in thus displaying myself to
the geese, since l had had but recently
so convincing an exhibition of their
tameness.
I argued falsely in this, for just as ]
had raised myself to the cross-bar of the
fence, in the act of climbing over, the
geese uttered loud cries of alarm, and
began to rise slowly into the air.
In great excitement l raised my gun.
Although I was astraddle of a sharp
rail fence, I resolved not to be banked
in my hour of triumph. 4
As the geese rose, they slowly came
sailing over me.
Pointing the gun at the very heart Of
a great, fat cluster of them, I leaned
slowly over backward to get good aim.
Then I shut my eyes and pulled the
trigger.
When Ipicked myself from the ground
a little while after, l remember making
a painful effort to recall what had oc
Cured during the space of time that inl
tervened between the moment when the
fence became unmanageable, and the
first dawn of awakening consciousness.
The only experience 1 could confiden-
TALLY recollect during the same period
of time was that of the world rising
sud lenly up to meet the top fence
rail, and causing thereby a dull thud.
As I rose up half bewildered, my first
instinct was to see how much Of the
world still remained in an unwrecked
condition.. I gazed stupidity about.
The world was Still there. Then I re-
membercd the fence, and wondered
whether I could afford to pay for re-
building. I turned around to see
whether any pickets were left. Yes,
they were all left; the fence was still
there, and all of it.
Twas holding something in my right
riosity. f was a curious bit Of wood;
l examined it more closely. It proved
to be the remains of a gun-stock.
This reminded me of the rifle. Where
could that rifle have gone? walked
over to the fence, and looked about the
ground on either side. There were no
signs of any rifle ever having been
there.
My next sensation was a dim feeling
that there ought to be a dead goose
lying on the ground, somewhere near
by. Whereupon I made an ac-
tive, thorough mechanical exploration
of the vicinity, but did not find
even a g~oosefeather.
Then I brushed the dirt off my clothes,
and slowly walked back to the house. 1
entered once more at the front door and
assembled the stairs to my room. l col
lected my few possessions into the car
pet sack, and went down to the kitchen
where the old lady was just putting her
bread into the oven.
'eMrs. Bryce" said l solemnly, tI'm
very sorry to say that l must leave you.
A near friend of mine has just met with
a terrible accident, and l shall have to
return to the city at once" +
Gland sakes alive!" she exclaimed,
chow dre'ful!-How'd it come t. hap
pen, honey?"
"I-1-don't-exactly know yet" I
stammered, she met with an-an-ex-
plosion-or something-really I don't
recollect-had something or other to do
with the Land League-or-something
like that, you know"
"You don't tell me so!' she cried,
alphabetically.
'lndeed l do, Mrs. Bryce" said l.,
''and by the way" 1 continued, II be-
lieve my board is paid till next week
but never mind about that only
wanted you toto accept ten dollars
with my gratitude for your extra kind
ness-and- never mind - goodbye,
ma am-good-bye."
With which farewell [ dashed out of
the house, and up the road, never stop
ping until | had reached a neighboring
farmhouse, where l hired a team to
take me across the mountain to a rail-
way station. | was safe aboard the
evening train by seven o'clock that
night, glad that my vacation was ended,
and glad that I had got away safe.
However, it has always been a mat
ter of extreme curiosity to know what
ever became of that gun barrel
whether it bored itself down into the
ground, or tried to follow the flock of
geese:-Henry d. Bigelow, IN The IN
gelsidc.