Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1888-11-28
A Day With the Amphibians, Ripeds
anes fScssc.sts af Union Co.
A Time that would make the Shades
of Dan Boone and Kit Carson
waller" With Envy.

, A Time that would make the Shades
of Dan Boone and Kit Carson
waller" With Envy.
While yet the world was cloaked
in peace Saturday morning, we hi.
lariously arose from natures sweet
restorer, dressed as usual, enclosed
our neck in spotless Raphael col.
lar, looked in the mirror for part.
ing glance at our nairette beauty, ate
a hearty breakfast, and was away
for the wildwood like a waltz oil
!, Strauss. We carried a No. 10. side.
break, breech-loader shot gun of the
, Cooper pattern, which we had never
met before. We stood on the bank
Of the river at the mill just as the
winters sun rose above the Iowa
coteaus into an autumnal sky OF
sweet promise. The gentle south
wind which arose with the sun fam
ned our hopeful sideburns and rat
tied and fingered in the leaness
boughs. The sand bars of tie river
were clalky white in a mantle of
heavy frost, and as the sun looked
down upon them turned to a silvery,
cleaning strand, family suggestive
of the golden shores unveiled. Some
poor men when asked how they
would spend their time were they
to come into the possession of
fortune have replied that they would
become hunters-gentlemen sports
men, rs you like it. Though may
hap an indolent, it was not bad
taste. The human being who sees
no pleasure in the chase is not
child of nature. He is a cynic of a
gloomy type, and will bear watch
ing. As we threaded our way
around the first bend, a mist arose
from the river and shimmering in
the light of morn, set us to
thinking of some old Scottish
lyrics and lore-of Bonny Doom
and Robbie Burns, and lochs and
loughs. The first game that met
our eyes was fa,herly owl who
was just commencing to don his
Christmas garb of ermine; he was
sluggish on the wing, evidently had
injured his eyesight watching for
Us, SO we we were merciful and spar
ed him to his family, and passed on
giving vent to the tender strains of
Fischer's Hornpipe. But the tune
soon changed. Going up to well
covered point of the rivers bank we
peered over and out on the stream a
muskrat Of the early rising order
was trying to scull his cargo against
the current. Gazing at him along the
shining barrel to be sure he was COW
cred, we closed our eyes against the
awful scene Of carnage about to en-
sue and pressed our finger against
the little Oh, my! When we awoke
we were holding the only nose we
ever had cupped in the palm of our
hand. Gathering our dismembered |
ideas we felt that something had |
just happened, and arising, saw our
victim towing for shore i'm zigzag
curves. We poked him out with a
last years fish pole,and by this time
our dazed proboscis began to come
back to consciousness. The gentle
man who loaded that first shell will |
be tried soon by the semi-quarterly, |
tri-annual assizes of the wigwam
court for salt and batter. eve are
not qnite certain Of our legal phrase
ology.) Next, a pintail was flushed
and went the Sackville West route.
We might have bagged her had she
not smelt the musk" rat we carried
and resigned her situation. All,
there! A few rods ahead was
flash OF old gold-a fox squirrel
and he makes for one of those cot
tonwoods which have waved in the
accords and braved the discords for
an hundred years. He ascends with
alacrity, and the use Of his supple
claws. We are soon beneath him,
moving about the trunk Of the tree
to catchsa CLEAN of his feather;
there he is, stretched out on stub
Wy limb and hugging itexpectantly.
Our first feeling is to do him no
harm, he looks SO innocent; but our |
board bill is robust and our salary
takes a holiday on Saturdays, and
50 we send up our compliments and |
be comes down to our feet, CULVER
ing in the throes of the cureless mall
ady. And the sylvan solitude rings |
with the bang! bang! OF the gun.
The quack! quack! Of the alarmed
ducks, and the swish swosh Of the
water as they get up perpendicu-
larly. Cotton tails are as scarce as
the proverbially toothless chicken.
Only one was sighted. The dog
had run it out and with heart-break-
ing hi his, pursued it among the
tangle and lost his grip on the trail.
The squirrel shooting is the best; it
Is ideal hunting. You pit your