The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-15
LES GRAY'S YEARLY SHOOT.
IT PUTS GUILE INTO HONEST NUT
EN SpNRJSME EN-.
H1s Thanksgiving Match varied nv n
Scheme TO Get Square, Baked Oak
Targets, n Bombnrdmcnt Of HIS Hes.
coon. and Mnrd.Clder Dnhntc.

Tom. in the Milton country, on Tuesday. GRAY
Ia an elderly Yankee farmer, who is rs sharp in
driving a trade as the best OF his townsmen, and
his annual Thanksgiving shoots have been an
attraction for many years. From the fact that
there has been lately some objection on the part
OF friends of the Society for tho Prevention of
Cruelty TO Animals to the shooting Of live birds
at Grays matches, tho shoot was held earlier
thah usual this season 10 avoid any possibility
OF interference from tho officers of the law.
of the best shots In titchfeld county make
a practice of attending these events, which are
called field trials" by Farmer tray.
About seventy five men and boys were Mt.
tuesdays shoot, which was confined 10 tho
killing OF chickens with shotguus ut ten rods at
10 cents per shot. and the slaughter OF turkeys
with rifles Mt forty rods ut % cents per bullet.
For those who did not care tn shoot at live
FOWL. Gray had provided circular targets OF
seasoned chestnut wood. about five inches in
diameter, to be shot ut for chickens only,
three shot to stick in the ring At his
former " field trials" Gray has been accused Ivy
some OF the shooting fraternity OF certain sharp
practices, by means of which he has been bene-
flied at their expense, and. although he con-
vincingly denies this impeachment Of his in
tegrity. several attempts were made by his
patrons at this weeks affair to get even with
the old man for alleged wrongs.
The shooting went merrily enough until Hank
Pratt arrived at about IL O'Clock. At this tilne
GRAY had lost thirty pairs OF chickens and
twenty-thrce turkeys. his receipts for the same,
however. being quite satisfactory to lin. In
arranging the birds to be shot at the chickens
were perched on top OF n box to which they
were tied by one leg and the marksmrn were
not regarded rs having won a bird until they
had wounded It severely enough to cause it to
fall down. Some of the chickens were shot at
twenty tinaa he fpre thpy fall Tho f,runy.
were suspended by the legs from a rail. These
fowl were awarded to the m~arksmen drawing
blood on them.
Hank Pratt is a burly farmer and a fairly
good rifle shot. He lives on Yellow Mountain.
As NIL the marksmen present were aware that
Hank and Gray had q dispute over shooting at
the last years field trials and that Hank had
vowed to get square with Gray this year. all
eyes were centred upon Pratt as he drew bead
upon a fat tom turkey which Gray's score
marker had hung upon the rail. Pratt fired at
the turkey. and Ned Vessels, the marker. almost
Immediately called ont "a ringer meaning
that Hanks bullet had drawn blood on the
turkey: and that the bird, consequently. was his.
at a third with the sam result; at a :eurtli
with equal success. and at n nth, which he
killed outright; At this j%nnctnrc Gray called
out 10 stop. All of the mark >nrn had stopped
shooting by this time; and were watching IN
.opcn,mnuthed wonder Pratt's deadly work with
the rifle.
There is an unwrittcn law in the code of
shooting match ethics which makes it allowa-
allow n marx. man to shoe; If it be believed that
the gunner is u sure shot. but Gray said he
would not enforce hi- prer%s"tiye nntA ne had
Prait's gun; which appeared 90 be II very ordi-
nary breech-lnader; Then ie walked down to
the pile OF wounded turkeys. Nearly AL OF
these he found had been wounded Ivy "a slight
cut across the leg, The wound did rot
Gray tSns Was Was t mystit md"' lPIyy finally iig''", %al Hnd
OIL the grounds after telling Pratt to cont nue.
Pratt, after missing two shots. again began to
make havoc among thr turkry-. according to
Marker Wesseis's announcements. six. seven.
ard Pratt was about to shoot at his eighth bird
when GRAY once more called out 10 top from
behind n tree mt the lower end OF the felt. nnd.
threw him down. and spe Oily iishcd n large
open jackknite from one Of his pockets. There
There yelled Gray trlumphantly. DUN
it. That's the way Hank Prait's been shooting
Vessels been elashing 'em with his knife and
crying out ringer for Hank after each shot.
never hit bat one Of them turkey"
There was a loud laugh Mt this. and then the
up a job on Gray; bv The terms OF which Wes-
sells was to draw blood with his knife on every
, ,h r Prs,' iired at; Tn; two were to d,Ytde
Guilty in securing the office OF marker to carry
out the, scheme. Now that the game was dis
covered the two c0nspirators retired from tho
field minus the bag of turkeys they had counted
on. and with the lAugh on them>eiver;
Liberal rotations of hard cider hal begun to
affect the marksrnen when. two hours later.
Gray encountered his next difficulty. which
ceme near preripitnttnR a tght; Charles Marsh
were supposed to have n grievance against
Gray. drove up To the match with u new double
lie wanted TO Try the targets for chick
en-: so Gray, who had put on = new
to - I, a basket of the targets and get one
ana na"I - on the ten-rod post. This was done.
away at it. "S"Gthing%! called back the the m aG1er
after an inspection of the target. Marsh. fired
again. Nothing. came back from the post.
again the marksman sighted his piece ana
I'm dinrcd II believe it," ripped out Marsh.
angriIy. " must have stuck AT least one shot
NO, ycn haven't, yelled back the marker,
" but you've peppered all around the target"
Marsh bla1ed away three times more. and
when he was Informed that he had not stuck a
i his rsn sn smd " w ak ed '" dSMn ne to t G%.' pos,. lad down
" Les. GRAY" he ronrcd oAt. there's some
trick about M. | never missed six shots hand.
running before, not on your life
:Ys:, KY i: GosI Il! hsmioeEs, !hsy Is!
stead of chestnut. and baked white oak at that!
VINO in he'll do yon suppose could stick n shot
IN baked whitn OAK. Les, Gray? You air foxy.
Gray threw up his hands and cmphatcally
White" o, ,%1'' The men r]n i" sro"nl him wt;h
angry glaucrs a. he talked. II swear" SAID he. ,
- tnht'- none OF my 'iOing~. made my targets
of soft chestnut, and ! don'tknOw nothing about
the white oak, 50 help me tod!
The men looked over the contents of the
basket anh found every on" of the targets made
of the white unH stun that mad been base i
unttl it WAS almost AS hard as arork and thru
planned ~ snluuta R> 4 MIRROR. A close -crulimy
OF the tarkct Marsh bad fired nj showed where
several snnih had left leiden marks aN they
struck. only Ia rrDnnnl from the MIHmauliuC
lhe men grew nngrier and nrnkr ~
in lltte knots, talking eagerly. ~ fcw took sides
with Gray ANA iruIDlc seemed imminent. An
thai Gray could sag was That some OF hms enc
mes had irtrd to get him into hot water ny
su bstituting the baked oak for his chestnut
targets. and that lhry had succeeded. Al nus
moment Eiipialct i%irllinr, one of GRAY,
came running forward from Il neigh
buring stone wall and rnld:
II guess trays right, boys: there's his
chestnut targrl- 0,er the wall And. sure
on the further sido OF the wall lay IA
Of the cArstnut tlrXeis Gray had msui",
" here they hai been thrown by some on" who
had substituted the oak ones for them earlier in
the day.
Alter this Gray hrcathrd rather more freely.
and the shooting was resumed. AZ the marks
men were now sdiisue that lie WAS mot II party d
to the deception ~ targets. The day was nos ~ ]
pass, however. without further trouble. 1t
-., ,.I-, No.. Il, l,Y, IA .,,r. al,, d., 80.