Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-06-28

fashioned frying pan aud punch four
holes through the sides and rivet Old
| four pieces of hoop-iron about three
inches high, equal distances apart
around the sides of the pan. To the
top of these short pieces we will rivet a
hoop, so as to make the sides of the
pan higher and not let the fat pine fall
out when burning. We then with two
small staples fasten the iron handle of
the pan to piece of wood, like pick
ct, about five feet long. Now we want a
good sack with both ends sewed up and
long slit made in one of the seams at
the middle of the sack to put the pine
In anu carry it across the saddle, and
as we ride can reach the hand down in
the sack and get the pine to put on the
fire as we ride along. Now, if every
thing is ready, you put that sack of
pine on your saddle and get upon your
horse and / will hand you the gun.
and 1 will get on my horse and take
the firepan on my shoulder. Now,
let's be off, for it will be dark enough
to shine eyes by the time we get to the
hunting grounds.
Now let Us get down and make fire
in the par. Just hand me about a half
dozen of those pieces of pine while /
strike fire (for you must remember we
are hunting forty years before we had
matches) with my steel and flint, as I
take the flint and a piece of punk.
What's that? Punk is dry fungus
found on the inside of some kinds of
old dead trees, and if spark of fire
touches it it will catch fire and burn
until the last particle of it is burned up;
so we always have our bullet pouches
well supplied with it. Now we will
light that pine. See now how great a
fire little matter kindleth. Don't
that fat pine make good light? Now
you get on your horse again and I will
hand you the gun, which you must
carry, and now l will get up and we
will start. You must watch me and if
1 stop and put back my hand you must
hand NE my gun and put on one more
pieces of pine to make good light.
Now let's be off. | take the pan and
lay the handle across my left shoulder,
with the pan about two feet back of
my head and my left arm across the
other end before me. AS verde along
[ turn my face to the right and left,
always keeping the pan back of my
head, for I am always looking way
ahead in my shadow, for the moment
the shadow covers over the animal
the eyes will shine. AS we ride keep
turning from right to left, back and
forward in great circle. Hold! | see
eyes! Hand me the gun and put on
another piece of pine. That's an old
buck. What big eyes. Are you GER
tain? Well, to make sure will turn
the light on him. Do you see him
now? Oh. amt he splendid big old
fellow. What horns. My! Now hold
on, for I will turn the shade on him
again and shoot. All, he is down;
don't you get down until load, for he
may not be dead. Sit still. will shine
his eyes again. You can get down
now for he is dead, for his eyes don't
shine. Amt he fine old fellow?
Where did I hit him? Here it is right
between the eyes. That wasn't bad
shot. Shall we hang him up and go
on or shall we put him on one of the
horses and go home? AS he is good
and fat I guess we will go home.
All, how many times my old friend
Isaac and L have gone through just
such acts. A person should always
have partner fire-hunting, for it is
not very easy, without long practice,
the pan and gun. I never took but
one fire hunt alone on horse back, and
that cured me for always. | said when
l got home, that is the last time go
for some time and there |
came night that was just splendid. |
l felt l must go. but had no one to |
go with me. My brother would never
q
time before and when I asked the man
If that horse was sure fire; could I
carry n pan on him; could / shoot
yes stree, you can do anything with old
Charley; he knows more abonf hunt
ing now than you do; that's just what
he was raised on; he don't know any
thing else. 1 had an old musket had
bought of a mover sometime before, so
thought with old Charley raised to
hunt and with that old musket 1 could
about clean the woods of deer. After
getting my sack of pine and everything
.eady / mounted old Charley and start
I'd for the mountains. When L had
got about where thought was as good
, place to hunt as any / got down and
made up good light and got up again
.nd started for eyes. AS / rode along
noticed old Charley did not act as
hough he understood the business as
we'll as horse should that was raised
10 fire hunt. I thought several times
he acted as though he did not like the
ire; but we went on. At last as we
we're going along the side of the noun
ain saw eyes; yes, two pair of eyes,
,ut they were on the lower side and on
he wrong side. tried to turn the
horse around and instead of coming
round as well trained horse should ,
10 he commenced backing down the +