Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-02-28
SHOOTING WITH A STICK.
These Are Days when Things Are Not Al.
ways What They Seem.

ways What They Seem.
Lets take a tramp in the woods,
said my friend Jim TO me one Sun
day.
The invitation was too tempting tc
be resisted. The weather was glori
GUS, and for genuine beauty the au.
tumnal tints on the foliage just
double discounted the much vaunted
decorations of New York city during
the Columbus celebration. The dog
"a fine setter-seemed to enjoy it as
much as we did-or more-for he
wagged his tail, jumped, barked and
INDUCED in every manifestation of de-
light known to the canine race. The
spirit of the heathen was upon me.
by Jover / could not resist ex-
claiming, Il wish it weren't Sunday
and we might have some shooting.
II feel a little that way myself, I"
said Jim with smile, but we may
get partridge or two
Howe Do you think they are
going to fly right into our hands, you
old idiot2"
mo, not exactly, but it is the un-
expected that happens sometimes,
you know"
didn't see the point, but ] had OBJ
served before that Jim s observations
sometimes lacked pertinency.
We came to field of stubble. Sud-
denly the setter, who was deeply
heretical in his ways and views, made
a point.
My sporting blood rose.
IF had a gun I'd take q shot If it
cost me ten years in purgatory," I
said, and felt better for having said
it. Jim said nothing That's one of
his provoking ways. He never gets
excited. He turned his back on me
and began monkeying with his walk
ing stick.
Gee whizr l exclaimed as the
partridge flew up, what a chance
that is missed"
Jim wheeled round and brought
his walking stick to his shoulder.
Trying some hypnotic
But before | could finish the SEN
tence there was flash and report,
both proceeding from the walking
stick, and as I'm living sinner that
partridge dropped as dead as ham
mer.
Then Jim showed me what the
walking stick was made of. 1t was
a walking stick outside and shot
gun inside, and the whole business
1idnt seem to weigh more than a
rifle over two pounds To load it
you just gave the handle turn and
| yank and there was breech ex
)osed. Into that you showed the
gave the handle another
urn and yank, and lol the walk
ng stick was loaded, cooked and
eady for business, the handle tax
ng the place of a butt, and by means
# joint, hardly apparent when the
hing was used as a walking stick,
N angle was formed, thus providing
very good substitute for a stock.
'ou pressed button in lieu of a
rigger and the stick did the rest.
II call that my Sunday gum" said
i'm. 1T cost me only twenty dol
lrs, and I've had twice that amount
( fun out of it already. You see it
'ould never do for me to be seen
Ding through the village with a gun
n my shoulders on Sundays. l
hould be made the target for no end
Indignation. But the walking
tick is above suspicion. And when
get into the fields and partridge |,
ONES my way have my fun OF
curse 1t isn't as handy as a regular
hotgun, but it is surprising how well
ne can get along with it with a little !
ractice. Z
I've had lots of fun out of it, too.
another way. Irate and misan
iropic property owners have some
mes accused me of shooting ON their
remises. Then / put on a look of
Irtuous indignation, want to know
ow In thunder could shoot with a
alking stick and all that sort of b
ling. And the property owners go
! perplexed and apologetic, wonder. =
& where the shots they heard SO
ainly came from.
Take il all in all, there's lots Of /;
ort TO be had out of n walking stick (
otgun. New York Herald. a