The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-06-12
DICK TOBIN'S PLUCK.

DICK TOBIN'S PLUCK.
If | only had a decent gun now" "
murmured Dick Tobin half aloud
Here's the shootin' season Just COM
in os. an all I've got is that old muz-
zle-loader pap and grandpa used in
their time. An Jim Ferris says $l5
will buy dandy breech-loader down
at town. 1t might as well be $50. Pap
won't give me the money, SO there's an
end of it.
From the old tavern window where
Dick stood the clearing sloped to the
rivers edge. and beyond the spark
ling stream. rubbed into ripples by
the rude autumn breezes, rose the
forest all golden and scarlet in the aft
ernoon sun, stretching away in slop-
ing hillsides and sharp ridges until it
faded dimly into the blue October haze.
1t was a view suggestive of hunting,
and to Dick it was doubly tantalizing,
for well he knew that over in the woods
and hollowS the pheasants and rabbits
were rustling the dead leaves and up
on the sunny slopes the quail were
feeding.
Dick was only IL, but from the time
he was 10 years old he handled a gun,
and the free outdoor life in his noun
tain home had given him perfect
knowledge of woodcraft.
His father had kept the old tavern
for more years than Dick could re-
member. 1t was really only a back
woods store, where the few lumber
men at the settlement and the trap
pers in the neighborhood bought pow
der and shot tea and tobacco. Once
in a great while Il belated trapper or
hunter from the far-Off cities stopped
over night.
Jake Tobin's tavern it was still
called, though no strong drink had
been sold there for Years. Dicks
mother had died when he was u baby,
and Dick had a vague knowledge that
the cessation of the liquor traffic dated
from that sad event.
On this particular October afternoon
Dick was alone. His father was down
the river s.lmon-tishing and would
hardly return before sundown. No
customer had been near the store all
day, SO Dick had plenty of time to
think. and all he thought about was
tHttt gun tIldb ~ iii TcITIS
had described to him. He fully under
stood the possibilities of a breech-
loader, for with his old musket he had
missed many fine chance through the
loss of time in reloading, and he really
felt rs though life would in future be
all bitterness without that much-de-
sired gun. So he continued to stare
very gloomily out on the autumn land
scape, the little frOwn on his brow deep
ening as the faint report of gun
echoed once or twice over the distant
hills-a lantalizing sound in his pres
ent frame of mind.
Presently the creaking sound of
wheels caused him to forget his troub-
les, and, running out on the porch, he
saw coming down the rough mountain
road lumber-wagon, driven by two
grizzled old mountaineers, Silas Heck
and Luke Carter. AS they drove up to
the tavern door Dick noticed in the
wagon what appeared to be big
wooden box.
'Hullo there youngster! Is your pap
in?" demanded Luke Carter, jumping
to the ground and hitching the mule
to Ii young sapling.
mo. he's gone tishin'," replied Dick.
Gone a-fishin', be's he?' cried
Luke. He hesitated moment and
then said. briskly. 'Wa-al, L reckon
you'll do jist as well. You see me an
Silas here is goin' down ter town to-
morrow. an we hev package to put
up here over night. We got a panther
in that box. Catched it in trap day
20 crit
good price for it, beiI' it's alive an
klckin'. Jest tell us whar to put it an
we'll tote it right inside. 1t won't do
ter leave it outdoors, fur all the dogs
in the settlement'll get wind of it,
''Get out you brute he cried, snap
ping his whip at mangy-looking
hound that had come up unseen and
was smiling about the wagon with
bristling hair.
Dick looked at the big box with sud-
den interest He hardly knew what
answer to make. for no guest of that
kind had ever been accommodated at
the tavern before.
Harry up. youngster." cried Luke.
Its gettin' late. an we're goin' across
the river ter Bill Williams yet ter
night"
Bring her in. then" said Dick, "an'
put it in the room at the end of the
hall"
Luke and Silas wanted no further in
vitation. With much putting and blow
ing they carried the box up the porch
and showed it roughly along the hall.
Dick ran ahead and opened the door.
1t was small apartment, furnished
with a rude bed, but there was no 9TH
er place in the house. and Dick cer-
tainly di,.n't want the animal in the
store-room. So the cage was showed
up against the wall and they all came
out and shut the door.
You needn't feed it, youngster." :"
said Luke. 1T was fed this mornin',
and that'll do till ter morrow"
They put mp the mule and the wa
gon in the tumbled-down barn at the
rear of the house. to wait on their re-
turn couple of days later. and then
started off to visit their old crony
across the river, promising to appear
bright and early in the morning, for
they were going down to the town forty
miles away. in a batteau.
They had hardly been gone ten min
utes when Dick saw his father coming
up the slope with gun on his arm.
I've been folleriu' Il flock of quail
| fur mile back. Dick" he said as he
| entered the tavern. AN l didn't get a