Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-11-29
Old Times.


Ed. Register-One lovely day in the
latter part of October, took Old Betsy
on my shoulder and started out to kill
an old buck. For once, l took Old
Ring and Old Cuff-the two dogs. !
very seldom let dog go with me when
hunting for deer; but just thought
would let them go, as l wanted to see
Old Ring fight an old buck. had
just got to where Mr. VIM. Thomson's S
lake is and / saw, about two hundred
steps from me, a splendid old ten-point
buck feeding along, going quartering
away from ne. He stood in such a
position l could not just tell where his
heart was. but drew down on his side
so as to hit his heart. 1t is very
difficult to get a sure aim when deer
is going from you; but l made the best
guess 1 could, and fired. At the crack
of my rifle that old buck kicked high
and ran about hundred yards and
laid down, right under these great oak
trees in Mr.. Thomson's yard. The
dogs wanted to 60 for the deer, but l
told them to just hold on till l got my
gun loaded again. l could see the
deer all the time was loading. After
l got ready 1 walked slowly towards
the deer. 1 could have shot the buck
again, before he could get up, but l
wanted to see fight. so let the dogs
loose, and before they could get hold
on the deer, he was up and off for the
hills. As those dogs followed the deer
| could hear Old Rings voice as he
ran. Soon l heard them make a turn
and coming back towards where was.
In few minutes | saw them all CON-
ing towards me; the old buck was hook
ing at one dog, then lat the other.
The dogs did not seem to be trying to
catch him, but just driving him to me.
AS he came l walked oyer to them;
thought when they saw I was there
they would take hold OF him. So
set my gun up against tree that hap
pened to be standing near and told
the dogs to take hold of him. And
don't you think those dogs walked off
and sat down, as much as to say,
there's your deer. now kill him your
self if you want him killedr' The mo-
ment the dogs left that deer put down
his head and made jump at me. AS
he did so just stepped to one side. and
as he passed me caught his left horn
with my left hand and jumped astride
of his back and clinched my feet to-
gether under the deer, and away the
old buck went, and l riding him! /
said, .'good, old hoss! / can ride as
fast as you can run" l tell you he
was splendid riding pony. He car
ried me about hundred yards when
he came to a little dry branch that
ran across our way. He made jump
to cross the branch, but was too heavy
for him, and he came short of the 9TH
er side and pitched head first into the
branch, and 1 top Of him! AS he
could not get up with me on top. he
tried to kick me off with his hind feet;
so l stretched myself fiat on the deer's
side and stuck my feet against his
hind legs close to his body, so he could
not kick me off. l then pulled his
head around-I had never let 60 of his
with my right hand got my
knife out and cut his throat; and l
never let up on him as long as could
feel his flesh quiver-until he was
dead, dead. then got up and cut me
a good CAD and 1 walked up to Old
Ring and took him by the nape of his
neck, and just gave him a good whip
ping; then went to Old Cuff and served
him the same way.
l found Old Ring was not much on
the fight, but he was a splendid tracker.
l found that when dog is trained to
run in packs he is not much good by
himself; and on the other hand a dog
that is trained to hunt alone is no good
with lot of strange dogs. Well, l
found, after keeping Old Ring few
weeks, why his old master was so will
ing to let me have him, for a bigger
thief and suck-egg could not be found
in the State of Missouri! l tell you,
the women part of our family made
war about that dog. They could not
leave pot or kettle any where that
that hound could reach it, but he
would have his nose in it. He would
sneak into the pantry, into the cellar
and milk room, if there was possible
chance. He kept the women mad
night and day.
A black man came to fathers one
day, with a team, for load of pota
toes to take to Fredericktown. He