Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-12-16
Dear Horn Hotel.

WEST VIRGINIA, Dec. 9Th, 1892
The Shenandoah Sporting Club pai'
this place a visit this week, and entertain
ed us with their gay and lively tales o
hunting adventures. On Monday the fol
lowing hunters had arrived; Bluebeard
Esau, DR.. Clarke, A. Coffman and Richard
Thompson. They found the hotel in baC
condition but few hours work soon made
it snug. About 2 o'clock they started
into the woods for some fun. Bluebeard
caught sight of fine four-pronged buck
which, at fully three hundred yards from
him, was running at full speed. In a
moment his deadly rifle was athls shoulder
and with the report the deer fell dead.
The other hunters soon gathered and the
deer was carried in triumph to the hotel.
This ended the first day.
Tuesday proved rainy and the party
remained in camp telling stories and
cleaning their guns.
On Wednesday they started on the war
path again but met with no success until
they had gotten about four miles from the
hotel when DR.. Clark was taken violent
ly i'll and started back. On the way he
met a fine four-pronged buck which
showed fight, but the Doctor did not feel
disposed to give the road, and he stuck
"Shellbark," bis two-bsrrelled gun at him.
The first Ghot at 40 yards brought him to
the ground. Forgetting the other load he
instantly bounded on the deer and COM
menced saving at his throat for deer life.
His illness was soon forgotten, and after
taking out the heart and liver and hang
ing the deer up he started for the hotel
where he soon had a fine fry awaiting the
other hunters.
The rest of the party continued the
hunt and Bluebeard got so close to deer
that he could have touched it with his
gun. Thinking it no honor to shoot at such
close range he invited the deer out into
the open ground This it refused, and he
fred one shot which did not prove fatal
on account of the thick ground oaks.
Coffman then came to the front getting
two shots at a deer but without effect.
Thompson next came in contact with
buck so large that he felt like climbing a
tree as his gun was too light to kill such
an enormous antagonist. But there being
no tree convenient he took one shot at
long range in order to scare it away until
he could get another gun. The shot
frightened the deer off and Thompson
was safe much to his joyous relief. He
claims that the animal had seven or eight
prongs and would have fed a regiment.
Esau next tried his luck at deer that
came within 80 yards of Pifer, and was
running at breakneck speed. The first
shot took effect in its head but seemed
only to increase its speed, but with the
next shot he broke its neck. Upon going
to it be found that lie had killed the finest
and largest barren doe ever killed in
this section. The party then shouldered
the deer and started for the hotel. They
were surprised on nearing it TO hear DR..
Clark singing his favorte song, "He is
good fried, be is good stewed, be is good
anyway at ALL" On learning of his sue
cess they gave him three cheers and then
sat down to his steamng supper eating to
his good health. So ended Wednesday
On Thursday they again started out
placing men at different points in the
mountain while Esau and Thompson
started to drive the thick ground oaks,
They succeeded in starting very large
deer which nearly ran over Mr.. Richard
who ran towards bis comrades firing bis
Winchester while the deer was trying to
chew his ears off. So ended the hunt,
the result being two bucks, one doe and
small game in proportion. In dividing
1p the game Jeffic, a member of the as
ISOLATION, though absent was not for
gotten, he receiving a portion.
A SECRET HEARER.