Wichita eagle., 1889-10-01
GIRLS SKILLED WITH THE GUN.
Two City Brunettes Shooting Woodcock Oh

Two City Brunettes Shooting WoOdcock OLE
the Wing on the Pocono Slope.
Two handsome and dashing city brunettesr
at one of the hotels of the Pocono slope, near
here, became voluntary heroines IN a little
rural sensation that interested many of the
other guests One afternoon while the girls
were shooting at targets in the grove, gen
tieman acquaintance came along with three
brace of woodcock that he had just shot in
front of a resident sportsman's setter, and
the sight of the plump birds led one of the
girls to declare that she could shoot wood
cock on the wing if he could. Anyhow, she
was going to try it, she said, before another
week passed away, and the other maidens
laughed at her.
That night she found out where the owner
of tie setter lived, and the next day she stole
away. called on him, got him 10 give her a
lot OF information about woodcock shooting,
took notes of what he told her and borrowed
his dog for the following Thursday. From
him she also learned that the birds were
pretty plentiful in the corn fields down III the
Paradise valley, two or three miles from
where she was staying, and that it would
probably be better for her to try her skill
there than in a rough locality When she
got back to the hotel she told four girls and
two gentlemen what she was going to do on
Thursday morning, and she began right
away to fix up hunting costume for her
self.
Delightful weather favored the plucky
maiden, and there was a good deal of a stir
around the hotel right after breakfast on the
morning in question Her four girl friends
climbed into a seatless lumber wagon filed
fri Of pl
ton and excitement over the event Then
the rosy checked bird shooter tripped out
with double barreled shotgun across her
arm and the eager setter at her heels. Size
wore a neat checked skirt that came to the
tops of her boots, red jersey and brimless
hat, the rest of her outfit being composed OF
a cartridge belt and game bag. The two
gentlemen helped her to snug place among
the other beauties ia the mass of straw, and
then they got IN the wagon themselves and
started Tor the valley Each of the four girls
had a field glass, and as the wagon rumbled
down the ravine and past the farmhouse all
Of them tried to talk at once. 1t was jolly
party, but the coolest person In 1t was she
with the gun.
Near the corner of a large corn field the
team was hitched, and the girls got out and
stood by the fence. Nervous fingers quickly
took the glasses from their cases and brought
them to bear on the waving corn, and then
the bars we're let down ard the handsome
huntress ard her eager dog entered the field
1t was easy for the others 10 keep track of the
red Jersey between TIE rows, and the quartet
of beauties looked through their glasses ana
gigglei
The well trained setter began to beat about
- / .,-..r- -.
woman held her gun as the old hunter had
directed her to, and kept her bright dark
eyes wide open for rise. After q little while
there was sound of whirrIng wings, a flash
of gray feathers in the sunlight above the
corn tassels, q crack, puff OF S 1loke and the
red Jersey was motionleSs fog moment
None of the party supposed that the daring
brunette had hit the bird, and IN a lliiy one
of the girls sang out IN Z musical voice from
the fence:
TRY again, dear; you may have better
luck next time" and then they AL laughed.
For minute or 50 the huntress kept stu,
but when she spoke it was TO the point Her
soprano voice didn't tremble particle as
she sang out:
"Of course, I'll try again, but don't be in
too big fret about il, pieasei See beren'
and she held a dead woodcock tar enough
above the corn tops for them all TO see 1t.
The girls didn't laugh then, but one of them
said TO the others:
She knew what she was about, didn't
shel" And they ali agreed.
Then the red Jersey went out of sight, and
for an hour none of them got q glimpse of it
During that time they heard the fair shoot
er,s gun crack half q dozen times, and after
awhile she emerged from the field with five
birds in her game bag.
I've shown you girls that can shoot birds
on the wing, and now I'm ready TO go back
TO the hotel" she said, as she caressed the
sleek animal that had driven up the wood
cock and fetched the dead ones TO her.
On the return trip one of the girls ex-
claimed:
We'll. don't care! I've hit the target
lust as often as you have, and II you can
shoot birds on the wing | can.
who cares if you nave hit the targeti
guess You'll find that hitting a bird on the
wing is quite a different thing. Just you try
it. and see how cheap you'll feel when the
bird gets away was what the huntress SAID
in reply.
But the other maiden did try it on the fol-
lowing week, and she didn't give up until she
had shot three woodcocS il front OF the same
dog. Both girls have been out shooting three
or four times since them and their s.ll with
the shotgun made them very popular among
the crowd of boarders up there