Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1891-08-29
A HARD MAN TO SURPRISE.
One OF His Own Experiences on Ship
board as Related by Himself

o
board Related by Himself
A party from the village where old
Uncle Bill Williams lived camped out
a few years ago on the Hsisons bank
about a mile above West Point Their
stay was cut short by an incident which
was not over welcome. The cadets at
the Point had been having a mortar
drill and had been firing at the target
on the face Of Gro Nest. the mountain
that towers half a mile north Of the
military academy There was a eessa~
ton Of the fusillade. ana one Of the
camping party was collecting frewood
IN the rear Of the tents The unexpeet-
ed report Of a large gun at West Point
broke the stiffness Of the air Almost
Immediately following came a whirTing
sound. Looking up the camper saw a
black object coming straight at his
heard from the direction Of the Point.
He didn't stop to examine into the
nature Of the flying mass, but made for
the bushes with all speed. He had not
gone fifteen feet when the missile struck
and buried itself three feet in the earth,
Just beyond the spot on which he had
been standing BY great good luck he
had cleared the tents and no one was
injured. After much labor the myste-
rious messenger was dug out Of the
bank and turned out TO be an iron
shell. weighing l76 pounds.
Fortunately il was empty. II it had
been loaded it would not, in all proba-
bility, have been carried home, as it
was, for a souvenir of the trip.
With singular unanimity, consider
/ ing the circumstances, the party that-
! night voted to return home the next
day. The reader may have some diff
Guilty In seeing what connection this
tale of the camping party has with
Uncle Bill Williams Here il H.
The shell was taken home in one of the
boats, and was shown 10 the old man.
and its story was told him. The mar
rator Of the tale expected that it would
astonish him. but he reckoned without
bis host.
"Humphi~ grunted Uncle Bill. that
amt much. why. Cap'n Broat an me
es had lots O. them things 60 through
our mains'l while passin the Pint One
time we was comm down ther river ON
ther slop ,slOopl with a load o wood,
an when we got down opposite ter Cor
Spring the wind guv out There was
a big tide rmnin down. and so wa
KEEP movin The fellers on the Pint
was affirm at their targets on ther
water. Some of their shots hit pretty
clost to ther targets. an some of EN-
didn't We was lOOkin at 'em SO hard
that we didn't see where we was goin.
when all Of a student somethin coma
kerthrash through the mains1, am
dropped inter ther water on ther tother
side o the slop
"'Lor. Bill. what was thatf sings
out the eap'n.
Looks as though it mought be a
shell from the Pint, cap'n.' ses l. just
then mother shot come through the sail
'Look-a-here, Bin yells the cap'n,
we've got ter git out o this. OF there
won't be nothin left o US.
That's so, cap'n. ses l. but what
yer goin ter do about itf
Why, there amt narthin we kin
do. Bill, but sit an cuss.
"An kin tell yer we did cuss them
West Pint fellers. while they sent
shells through our mainsl an iib, an
knocked of more'n half our load o.
wood One o the shots come within
er foot o my head, an its wind knocked
me over fat on ther deck"
Didn't you try TO get some explana-
ItiOn from the officials at West POints
Uncleg' inquired the listener.
"Ya-as. went 20 ther colnmandant,
but he laughed az me Taint no Ess
) tryin to git anything out o. them feis
, lars n-NevV York Tribune.