The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-03-27

tie. wiry fellow, all muscle ana ZONES,
had been famous hunter in his earlier
days, when the old-fashioned muxzle-
loading guns were the only ones in use.
He never met his superior In marks
manship, and his skill seemed - great
at three score as when he was only one
third Of that age.
My brothers, before they were out Of
their teens, were almost his equal in
experiences. They invariably won the
prizes at the country shooting matches
that is, when father didn't take part,
and, as you may imagine, the three
made mighty strong team whenever
they went on hunt through the woods
for the game, which is still plentiful in
many portions of Pike County.
But somehow or other they monopo-
lized all that kind Of skill in the Hop
kins family. l practiced with one OF
their rifles for hours at time shooting
at mark behind the barn, but never
hit it unless by accident. The boys
used to have great deal of fun slyly
watching me and then telling father
and mother about it at the dinner table.
They insisted that could never pull q
trigger without shutting my eyes; that
when the gun went of started SO much
that it wobbled and the bullet went
yards wide of the mark.
/ had passed the age when Jim and
Bob received their weapons, and felt
quite sore that father refused to give
me similar one. But he always re-
piled that l should have it when l
earned it-that is. as soon as showed
any sort Of skill in handling the imple-
ment
"But don't mean that you shall go
through the country banging away at
game, said he, land killing the neigh
bors' cows and horses and pigs. and more
than likely knocking some of them over.
No, sir, Jed; first show that you know
how to use wippon and I'll give you
one of them new-fanglcd breech-loaders,
just as good as either Jim or Bob's."
NV brothers were kind to me. They
gave me points in shooting and in
structed me the best they knew how.
wonder at their patience, for ! was q
woefully stupid pupil and ! believe
there were times when couldn't have
hit an elephant fifty feet away. But |
was determined to keep at it until !
mastered the art, or at least learned
enough to hold my own with the gen.
crafty Of hunters.
Either Jim or Bob would willingly
loan his gun, when he did not need 1t
himself, and spent many hours rowing
through the dense woods, on the hunt
for deer or bears, which. perhaps fort
unately for myself, kept out of my way.
One afternoon in autumn Bob. my old
est brother, gave me permission to take
his breech-loader and spend the after
noon in the woods. He and Jim were
going to town, and father had started
of an hour before, to look for huge
bear that was known to be somewhere in
the neighborhood, and that had been
creating such havoc among the domestic
animals that there was serious talk OF
the farmers banding together to bring
him down.
you had better keep away from the
old gentleman" said Bob, ''for II he
finds you are after the same game he
will know there is no chance for him
and will give up and come home"
"Never you mind" replied, with q
shake of my head; ''some of these days
I'll astonish YOU"
you've done that already by your
skill in missing things when no one
else could"
An hour later was in the depth OF
the forest tract to the rear of our farm.
1t was many miles in extent. and there
had been the best of hunting within its