The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-08
A CRACK SHOT.
AN OLD-TIME HUNTERS SKILL
WITH THE RIFLE.
Kit Carson's Famous Shot at q Mon
ster Rocky Mountain Eagle
that was Flying Away
with q Lamb.

Krt Carson was the crack shot in the
Rocky Mountains in his day, and many
are the stories told on the frontier of his
quick eye and unerring aim. There will
never be another Kit Carson, for there Is
no longer great and unknown wilder
; ness to develop men of his peculiar type.
Occasionally now you find in the West
gray-headed, sturdy old pioneers who
knew Carson in his prime, when the aim
of his rifle meant death, for he was often
heard to say: 81 can kill as far as my
rifle can carry"
Captain l.. W. Cutler, one of the pro-
prietors of the Denver FicM anil Farm,
was "Fifty-niner," and he knew Car
son well, and in recent conversation
related an incident in the life of the old
hunter and scout which showed his
wonderful skill with the rifle, and the
story as told me by Captain Cutler
probably recalls as fine shot as Kit Car.
son ever made, and of which the Captain
was an eyewitness. 1t was in the spring
Of 1868, and Captain Cutler, then q
Deputy United States Marshal, was en-
route to old Fort Bent, below Pueblo,
this State. The country was sparsely
settled, only here and there finding a
small settlement along the Arkansas
River, which he was following. He was
travelling alone on horseback, and the
second morning of his journey broke
camp very early, starting out at dawn.
He had followed the course of the river
some distance. when just at sunrise the
loneliness of his journey was relieved by
the sight of q cabin in heavy growth
of cottonwoods on the bank of the
Arkansas.
Just at this moment he saw monster
Rocky Mountain Eagle darting down
almost with the rapidity of ightniDg.
Near the cabin was o corral in which
were q large number of sheep, and
thither the great eagle was bent for prey.
Refining up his horse the Captain awaited
the result. There was wild bleating
and rapid fight of the sheep, but q
moment later the eagle rose from the
corral bearing large lamb with it. The
lamb did not seem to impede its fight in
the least, and the great strength of the
eagle can readily be discerned by its
breaking some branches near the top of
the trees by the fearful stroke of its
wings. Upward and upward it scared,
the course of its fight being not far from
the perpendicular. At this moment q
woman came out Of the cabin and seeing
the eagle with the lamb in its talons,
uttered q shrek and fastened to the
house. A moment later Captain Cutler
saw man come out of the cabin with q
Long rife in hand. He was dressed in, a
slouch hat, pantaloons and white shirt.
Just think of it, white shirt in Colorado
as early as 1868. By this time the eagle
was soaring high, with its course over
the river. To the Captain it was becem-
ing more like a dark speck in the sky,
and when he saw the man raise his rifle
to shoot he said to himself: 81 wonder
what fool is going to try and shoot that
eagle" But hardly had he muttered
the exclamation till there was fash from
the rife. Only Q ,second had the man
looked toward the eagle,>and the stock
of the rifle had hardly reached his shoul-
der before he fired.
Fora momentit was difficult to tell
the result of the shot, as the eagle was
80 far away. The speck became larger.
The eagle had been hit. It was falling.
1t came down slowly, for it futtered
desperately, swooping its great wings,
trying to retain its place in mid.air. II
then circled round and round, and,
losing control of its wings, eagle and
lamb fell in some thick brush on the op
posite side of the river. With look oi
amazement, Captain Cutler rode up tc
the cabin to learn the name of the man
who had made such a wonderful shot.
The man had been leaning on his rifle
until the rider came near, when he ex'
claimed:
"Hello, Captain Cutler, is that you9'
"Why - it, if it isn't Kit Carson2
said Cutler, as he dismounted, and the
two old friends shook hands, and Cutler
continuing said: 81 saw you come out Of
the cabin, and was wondering what fool
was trying to kill that eagle. But had
known it was you, Kit, Iwould not have
doubted moment"
SWELL" replied Kit, 'I was little in
doubt myself, but T knew would hit
the bird if my gun would carry. can
hit as fur as gun will carry bullet.
But, as luck would have it, my old rife
made by Hawkins in st. Louis was
loaded" and the old hunter gave look
of pride at the now old-fashioned, long
barreled muzzle loader.
Mounting his horse, Cutler said be
would ford the stream and find the eagle.
"Be careful" advised Carson, "the eagle
may be only wounded, and if so, it will
be dangerous. shot for its head"
SITS head" exclaimed Cutler in aston
ishment, "Why how could you see an
eagles head that far away2" and Kit
Calson only laughed for reply.
Captain Cutler found both eagle and
lamb dead, the talons of one leg still
buried in the back of the lamb, which
weighed about twenty pounds. Return
ing to the cabin, the Captain said: "The
eagle was shot through the throat"
1.-THE throat?" said Carson, "well the
eagle was so far away it was hard tc
Judge the distance. I shot at the head
by aiming a little above it. I should
have aimed half an inch higher. ."-Neat
York World.