Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-11-08
Old Times.

Ed. Register-One Saturday morn
ing, way back. when l carried the
mail from Arcadia to Caledonia, as
woke up saw it was just splendid
morning to kill deer. So l bounced
out of bed, and in few minutes l was
dressed, and, with Old Betsy on my
shoulder, l started for the woods. l
had not gone more than mile, as l
was slowly walking up steep hill, l
saw. about a hundred yards ahead of
me, on the top of the ridge, a fine old
doe coming towards me. l whistled,
and she stopped at the sound of my
whistle. just as l brought Old Betsy
to my face, l heard the breakfast horn
being blown at home. At the sound
Of the horn came to me l pulled the
trigger, and at the clear, keen crack of
my rifle l brought the deer to the
ground. went up to where the deer
lay kicking. said to myself, II must
hurry, for l must get home to start
with the mail" As had no time to
stop to carry the deer home, climbed
a small sapling that happened to be
growing there and bent it down to
where the deer was lying. with my
weight across the top of the tree. l
put the deer's hind legs on each side
of the tree and ran one leg through
slit in the skin of The other leg. / got
off of the tree and let it rise up to its
natural position, carrying the deer
way up out of the reach of any wolf
or other wild animal. Then l buried
home, Just as the family had finished
their breakfast. l told Giles l wished
he would take old John horse and 90
after the deer. told him just where
he would find the deer hanging.
When he came back with my deer, he
said he found an old buck lying not
more than ten or fifteen yards from the
doe. The same bullct that killed the
doe had killed the buck, and had not
seen the buck at all! Didn't know he
was there. As l was in such hurry
l had no time to look around.
Well, after l had eaten my break
fast. changed my clothes. and got on
my horse and started for the mail.
Every Saturday young man that liv-
ed by the road in Belleview would be
waiting for me to come along. His
horse would be standing hitched, and
about twelve or fifteen fine hounds,
some lying and some standing, about
the horse. When | came in sight of
the house, such racket as those
hounds made! and everyone came run
ming towards me, and such fuss as
they made jumping up to me on my
horse. l thought they wanted to pull
me off. AS the young man came out
to get on his horse he said, Il guess
you killed deer this morning, and
that's what they smell. These hounds
scented that deer before you came in
sight. Perhaps. you don't know it,
but at this time of the year, if you
handle deer and wash your hands
and change your clothes, the scent of
that deer. cling to you; you may
not smell it it. but dog will s,uell it
a quarter of a mile
Everywhere that young man went,
all of those hounds would follow or go
ahead, and such time as we would
have riding, watching them running
in every direction. When some one of
the gang would scent a track such
running and yelling as that pack would
make! 1t was enough to scare the life
out of any common animal; and away
they would 60 pell-mell, aud as they
ran the young man would just yell
with all his might; and when we got
to town all of that pack would lie
stretched on the ground by our horses
until we were ready to start for home.
There was one great, big, black hound,
with a white ring around his neck, and
a white tip to his tail. That hound
would pace or rack. just like his mas
ter's horse. used to watch him as he
would go pacing ahead of US.
On day 1 said, 1 wished 1 owned Old
Ring for that vas his name). The
man looked at me and said, You may
have him if you want. I have got
twelve or fifteen more" l looked at
him and said. "Do you mean you will
give me that hound?" He said, ..Yes,
you may have him and welcome. l
will make you a present of him."
When got to his house we got down.
| called the dog to me aud patted him
On the head aud coaxed him to follow
me. He seemed noways loath to do
so. The dogs master, as the dog
looked back at him, said, ..Go onr'
and. don't you think. that dog just fol-
lowed me all the way home and seem
ed to act as though he knew he be-
longed to me: that his master had
given him to me.
That night was a splendid night for
coon. So the boys said, ..Let's take a
coon-hunt tonight" After supper we