The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-09-11
Il COLLINS PATUIl
lHE OsER ATE STRAWBERRIES OUT
OF SEASON AND CAME TO GRIEF.

Away Unsatisfactory Result OF a Game
Protectors Investigation.
Game Protector Kidd of Newburg, who
Is always on the alert that be may miss no
opportunity to uphold the majesty of the
game law and that no offender against
IT, nor the incidental share Of the fine that
goes to the infornPr, may escape, heard
that James Collins Lad shot deer ouG Of
season James Collins lives at or near
Marlboro, where the strawberries and the
raspberries and the blackberries grow.
Protector Kidd went to Marlboro He
learned that James Collins was straw
berry grower. He called on james Col
Inns, told him who he was and said:
Mr.. Collins, am sorry to tell you
that am credibly informed that you are
guilty of having killed a deer out of sea
SON."
James Collins pondered moment, and
then said:
Are you any iedge O. strawberry
patches, protector
The protector replied that he knew a
strawberry patch when he saw one.
But my business here is with deer
killed out of season" said he. 1T has
| nothing to do with strawberry patches "
MOI" said Mr.. Collins. 'Hain't got
nothin to do with strawberry patches, eh?
Jest come along with me and see If it
hain'tl"
The protector went along with James
| Collins, who took him out to the straw
berry patch.
"Therel" said Mr.. Collins. Throw
your eye over that patch and sec if your
business haunt got nothin to do with It'll"
The protector looked at the patch, but
said he could see no connection between
it and his business.
"Whatr exclaimed Mr.. Collins Don't
you see how it's chawed and clawed and
! pawedY'
''I'm here Mr.. Collins" said Protector
Kidd, getting impatient, Ito show you
that you have no right to kill deer out Of
season, slr"
"And I'm here, by gumbo," said James
Collins, ito show you that deer hahn t
got no right to eat my Strawberries out o.
season, sir"
"Huhl" said Protector Kidd, nonplused.
"Thats what said, " exclaimed James
Collins "What right has deer to eat my
Strawberries ont o. season. See how that
patch is chawed! See how it's clawed
See how it's paved Maybe you think
cows done 1t. Maybe you think pasture
cattle on my Strawberries. l couldn't
blame you If you did, for it looks enough
as if did. But don't Cows nor cattle
didn't chaw and claw and paw that patch
the way it is. No, sir. Deer done it.
Jest as soon as the time was up when the
game law said deer couldn't be killed any
more, deer begun to come down from them
woods yonder and pasture on my straw
berries. Shoe 'em off? Not much They
knowed we didn't dare kill EN-, and every
time we tried to shoe 'em off they jest
bristled up and run us off the patch and
went on with their chawin and PAWN and
clawin. Why amt they here nOwY AT
accident happened to one of EN- t'othel
day. That's why they amt here now
guess they ain quite SO sure O. themselves
as they was, and they're layin low"
Gan accidenty' said Mr. Kidd, shifting
evidence. Yes, i" replied James Collins
zone O. the deer shot himself. Broke the
game law, by gumbo, and shot himself
out o. season."
Hail" thought the protector "TraI
gum"
"Shot himself daad" continued Mr.
Collins. "Shot himself dead was il
the patch here tryin to red things up anC
save a little o. next years crop, when {
deer came trottin down out o''the woods
drove me off and begun to chaw and paw
and claw. I've got an old army muske
that must "a had the same load in It tina
it came out o. the war with, but didn'
; know it. It'd been hangin up in the gar
ret for 80 years that musket had.
Ding it,, says |, IN git the old mus
; ket and sort o. strut out in the patch will
it, Maybe tho sight of it'll make the dee
think We don't care for the game Law
round here, and he'll skip
Il took down the musket and marched
out into the patch with it. l got within
20 foot o. the deer fore he seen me, he wa
so busy chawin and PAWN and clawin
Then he looked up He didn't turn scared
a bit. He turned madden than "A wild bull
and come for me a-tearin. l whipped
around and broke for the house, but tn,
deer ketched me- He ketched me jes
about three inches below where the hint
suspender buttons fits into the suspenders
and down went and plowed rs much a
ten foot through the patch. The old mus
ket was shook loose from me by the jar
and then's when found out it had LOAF
in it. guess maybe the butt end o. TIL
; musket struck that fence post yonder ant
ratified up the lock some way
, Anyhow, heard roar like Fourth
o. July salute, and when got up Their
was an amazin smell o. powder hoveriI
round, and the smoke was so thick
couldn't see anything for as much as
minute, guess Then it cleared up
Yonder by the fence post the old muske
was layin, peaceful as lamb, and owe
yonder, where you see that biggest CLAW
) in the patch, laid the deer, just as peaceful
as the musket The unfortunate critic
had shot himself Broke the game Law
and shot himself out O. season What
the reason your business here hain't go
nothin to do with strawberry patches, II
t like to knowr'
. "Mr. Collins" said Protector Kid
sternly, "where Is that deerg"
"Soon as see what had happened, re
- piled Mr.. Collins, Il run in the house ant
I told the folks, and then run down yonde
to tell neighbor When got back, tn
deer wasn't layin In the patch any more
l asked my neighbor, who knows all abou
deer, whether he thought other deers coult
have come out o. the woods and carried
that dead deer back with 'em, and he SAID
| L. hat 10, L 10,