New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-11-06
"A RAM p AGE.

ARAMPAGE.
The Sorrow Of Young Hunter
Out With a New Gun.
Henry Sykes. a young man of this
town, went hunting a few days ago,
says Louisville correspondent OF the
New York Sun. He had fine new
double barreled shotgun, and wished
to distinguish himself. He concluded
to try his hand at shooting ducks.
About fifteen miles below here on the
Ohio river in a marshy spot wild
ducks are frequently found. A friend
told Sykes Of this place. The railroad
runs through it, and Sykes went down
on the train in the morning before
day. He hired countryman to take
him out in a small slziff, and at dawn
they were watching for the ducks.
They padded around quietly for about
two hours, but saw no ducks. Sykes
began to grow impatient, but the mo-
notony was interrupted by an event.
The boat was old and the timber was
rotten. The countryman incautiously
ran against snag. A big hole was
stove in the bottom, and it Immediately
filled and sank The water was not
over waist deep, but Sykes in his tum-
BILE dropped his fine gun. After a half
hours cropping in the muddy water it
was found and they waded to land.
Sykes dried his clothes and his gun,
put IN a new load, and concluded that
he had enough Of duck-hunting. He
thought he would try Notwithstanding
as the forest ran down to the waters
edge, and his boatman told him that
squirrels were abundant in it. He en-
tered the forest and hunted until noon
without seeing a squirrel. Then he
found that he was lost. After two
hours wandering and nothing to eat
he came to a house and was told how
to get to the railway station. He was
also informed that in the fields on the
way there was some good quail shoot
ing.
Sykes came to one of the fields
described and thought that he might
yet redeem himself by popping over
a few brace of fat quail. He climbed
over the fence and made his way
through some stubble, expecting to
scare up his game. A herd of sheep
was feeding in the field. An Old ram
was at the head of the herd, and when
he saw Sykes he made hostile demon
situations. With head down he started
on a run for the hunter. Sykes was
badly frightened. He thought it would
be better to kill the ram than be killed
by him. So he raised his gun and dis
charged both barrels at the coming
catapult. His hand trembled so that
all the shot flew wide. Then he turned
to run, and the ram struck him a
glancing blow, which tossed him into
the stubble on his face and sent his gun
flying from his hands. Abandoning
his weapon he sprang to his feet and
ran for the fence, pursued by the ram.
He was knocked down again, but
finally managed to reach the fence and
scramble over into safety. He found
that he was considerably bruised but
not hurt
Sykes threw stones at the ram for a
while and wondered how he was going
to get his gun back. After consider
able searching he found the house of
the man who owned the field. The
farmer sent the hired man back with
him, and they obtained the gun. It
was two miles to- the railway station
Sykes shouldered his gun and started
for it, still aching from his adventures.
He determined to sell his gun as soon
as he got back to the city and never go
hunting again He came in sight of
the station just in time to see the last
Louisville train pass. He yelled and
worked his handkerchief, but the train
did not stop. At this last misfortune
Sykes broke down. He sat on the
depot platform and actually shed tears.
There was no hotel at the little station
and he spent the night at small farm
house near by. He did not sleep any,
for the mosquitoes riddled his unpro-
tected face and it was covered with
bumps the next morning. He got up
at daylight determined not to miss the
next Louisville train, although it was
not due for three hours. and waited in
the depot until it arrived. Then he
came to Louisville, hunted up a doctor,
sold his new gun for half price and re-
lated his tale of woe.