Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-27
A WOODCHUCK HUNT.
Driving Through the Beautiful Seem
cry Of Washington County to
THE HAUNTS OF THE Willy RODENT
Sad Fate Of the Contemplative Observer Of
Nature.
A ROYAL FEAST, FIT FOR THE GODS.
rwnrrrEx ron THE p1spArcH.I

a Nv i AL 91hpA, HAA EVh LIE uvUOs
rwRIrrEN FOR THE D1sPArcH,I
''Mark." said Bailey carelessly, ''do you
want to take driver"
Mark did.
"Then put the little rife together. The
cart will be here in a minute"
Mark audibly wondered what the dickens
rife had to do with an afternoon drive,
but as the other was just then waging
losing battle with very bad pipe, he de-
clined an explanation as trivial, and Mark,
accepting the silence as an indication that
on this occasion it had something to do
with it, carefully put lock and stock and
barrel together and accompanied the pretty
silver-mounted affair to the dog cart.
This afternoon it certainly was dog cart
in every sense, for Shot, calm in his in.
variable position as the Oldest dog In the
pack, had settled his launches on the
drivers seat, while Shell and wad swirled
gracefully around the pretty turnout and
Toots, the water spaniel, barked frantically
as he hustled his fat little legs to keep up
with the graceful pair, though they landed
him very bad third, indeed.
The silence Of some friends is golden as
compared to the vapid utterances of those
whose mistaken idea of entertainment con.
sists in making noises with their mouths,
so probably the first half hour of that lovely
drive was made in absolute stiffness, broken
only blythe steady pounding of Billy's hoofs,
of the plaintive wall Toots set up now and
then when the other dogs left him too far
behind. Mark asked no explanation of the
rifle snugly lying between his knees, as ex-
perience had taught him such drivew would
be well worth taking, while Bailey offered
none, as he knew the other was content
Arrived at the top of the high hill Just
outside of town, Billy was given breath
ing spell. while the two friends looked
about them at scene Washington county
offers but once year.
The afternoon sun was settling Just low
enough in the West that its rays were tenn
pered into golden beams that touched with
cunning hand the glorious fall dress of
maple, hickory and chestnut, then showered
its yellow upon fields and fields of corn and
grain, and then finally laid bare the road
creeping in and out like huge golden SER
peut that buried its fangs in cushion of
purple haze and blue sky ten miles to the
south Of this garden Of Eden.
NICOTINE VS.. NATURE.
"Smoke? queried Charley, and the spell
was broken; sweet nature was forgotten, and
Mark would be darned if he'd smoke pipe
that fairly outraged the atmosphere as
Bailey's did. He was pacifed, however,
with cigar, and the two friends again sunk
into silence, and Billy started down the
long hill at pace that forced the two
pointers to lengthen their graceful bounds
while poor broken-hearted Toots was left
away behind, overcome by such cloud Of
dust and modification that he couldn't even
howl.
And so the drive went on all that after
noon, Bailey handling the horse in sort OF
aimless way, down this road and up that,
and on two occasions actually traversing
the same route. The sun had touched the
horizon at last, and beamed a mel
low good night from its kindly
face, then sank, and a faint idea
Of the Significance of that rife began to
dawn upon Mark as gray twilight settled
over the scene.
The woodchuck is rodent, and probably
as cunning as any animal living; as
tenacious of life as mule, and as ugly a
fighter as bull dog. Charley Bailey was
out after woodchuck, and had been driving
with the certainty of death that landed him
at an objective point at ten minutes after
the sun had set, when he knew that cute
animal would be before the door of his
domicile taking q survey Of the world be-
fore starting on foraging expedition that
would last until daylight. The tired dogs
were called in, and trotted contentedly be-
hind the cart while the rife was unstrapped
and long 20 inserted in the well-oiled
breech.
"Don't STOP" said Charley, "until you
get behind that bunch of trees. Take the |
dogs with you" and he quietly slid over
the back of the cart to the CONSERVATION of |
roots, who was trotting along with his eyes
shut and his mouth open. A low command |
10 the dogs sent them disgustedly after
Mark and the cart that ratified gaily on,
to the alert sense of any wood
chuck in hearing the idea that it still con-
tained two. Arrived at the point desig- |
mated, a quarter Of q mile awat, the cart was |
stopped, Mark stood up in order to get
better view of the scene, while the we'll |
trained dogs looked longingly back, but |
knew better than to take step in that d. |
.ection.
In some way Charley had got through the |
|ence, instead of climbing 1t, and he was |
now circling down toward the creek in order
hat little knoll might come between him !
Ind stump and bunch of reddish brown,
Papa Chuck, sitting bolt upright before his
,urrow.
THE DEATH SHOT.
The circuit was made and the hunter |
urned to advance rapidly over the velvet, |
yrassy cushion toward the wary game. Still
behind the knoll he moves slower now, and
low doubles up like jsck.knife as he eau
iously crawls to the very edge and can go
10 farther unless in plain sight of the
huck sitting there, but fully 100 yards
way. To go farther was impossible, as the
Highest sound or sight would have sent
he wiliest animal in the world deep
nto his hole. To shoot from there would
,e ridiculous, as the light was uncertain,
md besides, the animal must be hit in the
lead, as they will drag body actually torn
o pieces into the ground, to die perhaps the
1ery moment. Still Bailey was evidently |
,oing to try shot,
Actually rolled up like piece of parch-
nent, he stood there so long Marks strained
yes sought the horses ears for rest. When
le looked again Bailey's form seemed to
lave grown taller, but o second glance
howed no motion. Mark looked down, and
ooked again, and this time there was no
mistake; Bailey was unwinding himself,
nd by degrees so imperceptible Marks
Jack fairly ached with sympathy. It
must have taken fully ten minutss before
he hunter stood bolt upright, notionless
tump in the gathering shadows, and Marks
fonder as to how the man was going to get
be rife to his shoulder without perceptible
notion was answered BY CLEAN of steely
,lue pointing from his shoulder and eye
traight at unsuspicious chuck, still en-