Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-03-01

But they ere getting suspicious. /
don't believe they will answer. After
waiting he gave another call. Not fif-
. ty yards from us up fiew a turkey and
away it went; then another and an
other, and kept going from all around
Us, for we had got right in amongst
them. Well. they did not all get away.
4 We got up, picked up our turkeys and
started on, for We knew it would be OF
little use to follow those turkeys.
/ Often when out hunting I have start
ed up flock of quails and saw them
fly and light on the ground in full
view. / would walk slowly towards
them, with my eyes riveted on the
spot. and as I came near, nota quail to
be seen. Ihave stood right where I
saw those quails light, and have not
removed my eyes from the place, and
could not see them, yet they were
| there and | knew 1t. One time as T
stood looking the ground all over care
fully, saw the sun shine on, unaips
eye, and there that quail had been iy-
ing on the ground watching my eye.
As soon as he saw my eye fastened on
bis, that quail got up from there ana
away he went and the whole flock aft
er him; and then / haye stood within
few feet of them, and they watched
my eye; as long as it passed by it was
all right, but the moment the eye cen
tered on bird it was time for that
bird to leave, and so with other kinds
of game. And then all kinds of wild
animals have such keen sense of sight,
smell and hearing it is hard for hunt-
er to overmatch them.
After we had gone on we did not get
sight of anything we cared to kill until
oD our return. We had got back near
where we killed our turkeys. said to
my pard, You go across that low gap
in the mountain and I will keep on
this side, for this little hill is one of the
best places for deer in all these woods.
l have killed lots of them on this hiil.n
After we had separated and come back
almost to the creek, heard my old
hunting tutors hound and her pups
coming down the Knob creek way
above Ironton. ] stopped and watch
ed, for knew they were after deer.
/ did not think my old pard had time
to get around to where he could see the
deer as it came. I thought, now. old
pard, TIL beat you this time. just then
/ saw a splendid buck coming with
that easy, long, swinging lope. Didn't
he look splendid az he came quartering
towards me and within about one hun-
dred and fifty yards. drew down on
him and at the crack of my rife that
deer made a somersault and there he
lay. As I stepped forward to go to- 1t,
l saw my old pard not more than
hundred yards from me. He said.
did you shoot at that deer?n Eyes;
did you shoot at hiin?' "Yes. Well
we'll see who killed that deer.u There
was my bullet hole right through the
heart. His ball had hit 1t just where
the head and neck join. Each shot
was dead one. We could always tell
who had killed the game, for his gun
carried forty to the pound aud mine
just took an even hundred; but never
saw a gun that would kill farther ana
deader than that one in those DAYS.
We did not have Winchesters that
would shoot a thousand yards in those
days. Such thing as breech- loader
had not been thought of, nor were
there any revolver pistols. All these
new kinds of firearms have been
brought into use since my hest hunting
days. / have seen the time more than
once would have been glad to have
had one of those repeating guns-yes,
more than once.
After we had examined our deer IA
much as we cared about, we cut good
pole with our bunting knives and soon
had our game strung on 1t, and tsking
the ends on our shoulders, took step
and started for home, which we reach
ed about twilight, feeling pretty good
after eating good supper.
What joyful times we used to have
with reading, talking and joyous laugh
ter, intermingled with joke and song.
In the days when we went gypsying. long
time ago,
The lads and lassies in their best were
dressed from tip to toe.
We danced and sang the jocund song on the
forest green,
And naught but mirth and plenty around
us could be seen! al
And thus we passed a pleasant time, NOR
thought of care or woe,
In the days when we went gypsying, long !.
time ago!
T.P.R.