The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-06-17

heached, and he party hjed the1n =
au ad5Areut uzafx6. where fke 1917
iof game Nas wont % enf1er ~
Hose5 nan, Who was nomina1Iv ~
ssa0sf g Ne rarsr. gave orders thxf
81 sn0n5d seiect stand, and none ffsx
until the game had keeu r5rs<sd srd
tize order Kivea By hirnseif. Ala far
INC weakness a human usturp -
each one vas making for his rerpertfre
stand, some stufks Sew up directly ia
lfont Of the captain. and unfniufiful
q his orders. be tAazed away. strange
70 ~ although usnztly good shot.
and although The birds were wsfhfu
twenty fe<t 81 him, Their cd moi m.
altnos1eh both barrels were esnpsied.
bis alarm flashed I'll the hiysls H, liz
nsaFshr and the crzrk, crack ct the
guns we're iseari on every side. When
the shooting ceased IL was found that
dozens 81 birds hsd been bag~esi
kyeryssSdy was iubaanf but the can
tair. Although be hal isas;ea zrd
Hired with marvellous raYadisy. ard
aimed ~ be claimed. areurs.eiv and
without excitement. he had not
dropped . bird. His rage was m
Eovefnaile. Throughou: the day the
same luck followed him. ana ~
snsoked bis pipe around the camp FIRE
that night suIlen and moso~e. Early
next morning tise REPORT Of rapidIy r.
curing shots awoke the parfy. and
glance 1T the empty cpssrk a the eau-
tain explained ub<rw they came from.
He returned in about two hours. Kane-
less. and with broken gun. How il
became broken. he did not explain.
and none dared ak him. for as that
moment.
When his frosn OF anger darby ssEI.
Hope witisssing aesi, and mercy sighed
This broke mp the party. and they
returned 10 the city II Was sir
months afterwards that mine host siis-
covered that his shells had been loaded
with sand.
An OFFICIAL VICTIM.
Shortly after the event described
another party left for deer hunt on
WILDLY Island Among the menu
isers was . gentleman, now q well
known county officer, 10 whom the
pleasure Of the hunt were PASTURES
new. 1ll-suek, contrary TO custom.
was met with, and ii was the second
night out, while the party were sit
ting around the burning logs a the
camp fire, that the party got taking
about muskrats. rafortnnateIy fer
the tenderfoot Official, be asked what
kind of rats they were. A wae In The
party said they were A. large 81 pad
dy.a referring 10 setter dog near by
and as the ineipient victim swai-
lowed this assertion with good grace
the cue was given for q little racket
that would relieve their present mon
otony. especially as the party was 70
return home IN the morning. The
value OF musksat skins was myste-
rioussy limited at, and the upStart Of
the matter was that q maskrat hunt
was arranged for an hour later. A.
the official was keen TO this kind OF
game, he was assigned the post of
honor; that II, he was ~ take IN a
position at one end OF the marsh while
his three companions we're TO drive
the game up 10 him. They left camp,
the post-of-honor man departing cheer
lily, though a little excited. into the
dark and sable shades where his post
had been indicated. lie has never yet
told how he passed the night. He
stole quietly into camp about 5 O'Clock
in the morning and paid no attention
to the muiiied sounds which came
from under the blankets Of his com
panions. He has learned that musk
ratsssare not indigenous. and any allu-
sion to the habits Of that jocund AMI
NAL are painful 10 him.
The writer left the Rod and Gun
club still telling tales and waxing
rnirthful. although the bird that her.
aids the coming morn had sent out
warning thrice. They evidently had
never read Burns, did not have far 10
10, or else the experience OF Tam
o'Shanicr had no terors for them.
= j. v. NJ.