Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-19
A BAG OF GAME WITH ONE SHOT.
How Wild Cat, Fox,.a Martin, a
Weasel and Mouse Were Caught.

How Wild Cat, Fox,.a Martin,
Weasel and Mouse Were Caught.
Speaking about pot luck, said a veter.
an hunter and story teller one day, l
suppose have had some of the darndest
streaks of luck ever had in the state of
Maine. Everybody knows how l once
drove bear up tree, and then felled the
tree into the pond where the bear was
drowned, at the same time soaring thirty
or forty trout to death which rose to the
top of the water and the way | sot
bear trap and caught fellow who was
there to steal sheep; another time when
| sot a trap for critters what was arter
my turkeys, and ketched young feller
that was hangin' round to see my darter
Mary.
And the story bout my going to the
courts to prove that l hadn't cetched
trout in close time, by showin' that the
line and hook the trout was on had been
left dangling in the brook one day in
the legal season when | was fishin, and
got called away all of a suddent to drive
the cows outer the corn. In the excite
L
and line, and when one day arter the
law was on l was passing that way l
found that the hook had captured a
trout weighin' fourteen pounds and
seven ounces. | recl1oned by the appear
ance of things, as the fish was uncom-
monty spry, he had been hooked that
very mornin', but as it couldn't be
proved l got off.
Yes, all these and more, too, are we'll
known doin's on my part, but, as l said,
the darndest thing of all happened not
long ago. took down the old rifle one
day and told the old woman as long as
there was nothing doin' round the place
l guessed l would take a walk. Wal, as
luck would have it, | hadn't gone far
when l spied what l surlnised to be a
wildcat The critter probably got wind
of Inc, for he cut and run little ways
in about the direction l came from, and
then took a sneak along mossy bank
and hove in sight only to disappear
round large stump at the edge of my
clearin'.
didn't wait second; 1 just up and
let go, just as the cat got out of sight
The ball, l was pretty sure, hit him in
the hind quarters. | went forward to
secure him if possible and then and there
found out that he hadn't got wind of
me arter all, but was ON still hunt
himself, and he got his game just as my
ball hit him. That cat had fox, holdin'
him with his teeth, and, you may be-
lieve or not, the fox had ketched mar
ten. l could hardly believe my eyes
and looked again, and blowed if the
marten didn't have q weasel. Hold on;
hain't done yet. The weasel had
mouse by the hind leg, and the mouse
was trying to escape through little
hole in the fence of my back yard where
he had been and robbed my hens of
kernel of corn, which stuck out of the
little mouth
One of the young roosters was trying
to get the corn away from him, not that
there wasn't plenty more, but that is
ROSTERS nature, you know. Now, 1 had
a hound pup, and the antics of the young
roosters made him caper round arter
him, and this stirred up the old cat, and
she joined the dance by roundin' up her
back and spittin' at the hound pup.
Meanwhile the youngest kid was trying
to harness up the old cat, and the old
woman came out with the broom to see
what all the racket me'nt. She had heer'd
my gun go off, too, and didn't know by
the rumpus but I had gone crazy and
begun shootin' the children and other
domestic animils. While she was out
the fire in the kitchen went out, but my
lucky shot broke up the combination,
beside loading me with game, and the
only serious consequences was supper
being about fifteen minutes late.-Ban-