Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-12-17

ing how 10 shoot. Then, il you keep
your powder dry, you'l tumble things
tremendous And | followed his adj
vice, and | have tumbled things, take
il. Indeed | have. But of al! the tum-
bling of things ! ever did nothing ever
reflected more credit on my remark
able father than a neat bit OF tumblng
| did once down on the lower Sinnema-
hone. / claim no credit for il for my
self. 1t was neat, indeed; but far be il
from me to say that | ever would have
thought Of doing it if il had not been
for the precepts and example of Reuben
Pettibono. Never
"Of all the multitudinous things
have tumblcd | have seldom gone out
with vengeance in my heart 10 tumble
EN-; but this time | did. did. indeed.
Good reason | had for it, too, although
| had been more than patient. When
the ninth sheep disappeared from my
pasture. though, | thought il was time
TO call a hat on the bear, and | took
my rifle and went out, vengeful and de-
t"rmined. | got on the tract; OF the bear
about a mile down the Sinnemahone
and followed it three miles The stream
made a sudden bend right there, and
rs / moved cautiously around the bend
came i'm sight of the sheep stealer.
stretched out on the bank sound asleep
"A hundred yards or so ahead of me.
He wasn't in n position for me to give
him a dead shot. and ycugeful as was
could not bear to think Of giving him
even a moment Of suffering | was on
the point of holleriug at him TO scare
him up and show me proper shot
when | happened TO raise my eyes, and
there five rods ahead lay big buck
chewing his cud in sweet contentment.
Deer were uncommon scarce that sea-
son, and ! had use for just such "A buck
as that, so | concluded 10 postpone my
vengeance a moment. kill the deer and
then attend TO the bear before he could
get into the brush, Cor | knew he would
be up and off at the sound of my gun.
was just about to run my eye over the
gun barrel and let the buck die with
the taste Of his cud still in his mouth
! when what should come strutting out
into the open side by side but big
cock pheasant and his hen. | had no
sooner seen them than a comprehensive
idea struck me, and | proceeded at once
to carry it out.
This will be the neatest piece OF
work | have ever done said l to my
self. i wish father was here TO see IT.
Il was apprehensiye of only one thing,
and that was that the bear might wake
up before things were in proper shape.
! watched the two pheasants as they
strutted on out side by side. l was
ready TO act the instant they got to the
point my nice calculation had fixed on.
They got there at last. | gave yell.
The bear woke up and sprang 10 his
feet, broadsde toward me. The buck
rose like "A flash at the same instant.
The birds got up neck and neck. fired.
The bear sank down and lay there as II
he had resumed his nap. The two
pheasants dropped to the ground side
by side, just the same as they had got
up. The buck tumbled where he was
lying when l woke him.
"'lf you could see this, Reuben Pet
tibone,' said | it's pleased you'd be.
I'm sure, TO know what an apt pupil
| have been, indeed. and to see how
deep your lessons did sink I'M
Yes. The bears spinal cord was sew
cred at the neck, the bullet having
plowed there just deep enough to do IL
and then gone on its way. There wasn't
a mark on the pheasants. The bullet
had skinned that bunch of nerves. on
each and shocked them TO death. The
right ventricle of the deer's heart was
cut in two as if il had been done with
n knife-so nice had been my"
The man in the red, blue, pink, yell
low, green and purple macldnaw jacket
got out Of his chair, lifted one hand
and opened his mouth as if 10 speak.
Here. Mackinaw," said the man from
over Sinnemahoning way, handing him
his plug of tobacco. take chew with
me-"
Macknaw took the plug, bit off a
chew, put the plug into his pocket and
passed out slowly, looking dazed.
The man from over Sinnemahoning
way unused moment and then went
homeward, grinning as if he had been
having fun.-N. Y. Sun.