The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-13
UNCLE JOE'S LUCKY DAY.
HUNTING THAT RAISED THE ANTE
ON HIS BOY ANDY.

A Hawk. TIVE mig Wiidcats. ana = Bear
Brought In by = seventy nve-Year HnEts-
man In pennsylvania. nnd ne and ETisDoG
jackson Haa 70 Fight Hard 60 Do II. Too.
BEAR CREEK, Pa. June 12.-Unclo Joe
Shropshire is one Of the toughest and earnest
woodsmen in all northern Pennsylvania, al
though he Is now past as. The other day he
came into the tavern at this little lumber settle
ment with the pelts Of two enormous wildcats
strung over his shoulder. They were the
largest Of the kind ever seen In this region.
where big wildcats are no uncommon sight.
Uncle Joe was soon surrounded by q group Of
curious loungers, and everybody wanted to
know where he got the big wildcat skins. Ho
threw them on the floor, leaned up against the
bar, and said:
"whar lid I git emf why, I peeled EN-
often the two varmints they crowd on, o
coursoi whar did 20 'spect I got emil An
had a sight O. fun a doin'of 1t, too. Ye all re-
member how that boy Andy O. mine tackled tho
big buck he wounded last fall, an how he at 1t
for we'll nigh an hour till he was all but tore to
pieces hisself before he killed It'll That fight o
his'n was about the gamest thing that ever was
done in our woods, an I was glad he made It an
came out all hunky. but I KEEP a thinkin' 10
myself that l didn't calelate to let Andy be the
only man thore wssr this deestric'. and ben
keepin' my eye pf y ever since fer little streak
o. luck myself. VI looked fer II all winter. but 1t
didn't como my way, fer every bar or buck I
shot allus seemed to drop deader'n q stone.
There Want no fight left In 'em. I begun to
think that I guessed I'd have to wait till mex
fall or winter. when t'other day I accidently
diskivered that there was a big bar sloshin'
round in Keiley's Holler, not fur, nuther, from
whar Andy made his big buck give 1t up. l says
nothin' to nobody. but one day 1 calls old Jack.
son, my dog, an says to myself that l guessed
we'd meander out and see II me an Jackson.
an the bar couldn't pick up o muss betwixt US.
And 80 we meandered.
"Id ben out. / take 1t. fer bettern an hour. an
hadn't see nothin' O. the bar. 1t was purity hot
in tho swamp. an SO l begun to edge out lords
the openin' to get some fresh wind. Jackson he
KEEP huntin' round, an l know'd II tho bar was
anywhars in the country Jackson'd be sure to
hustle him out. When l got out on the edge o
the swamp / see q rousin' big hawk sailip' along
30 high up that l thort mebbe he mowt DO
sarchin' for q roostin' place on q cloud some.
whars. an I says to myself that I guessed I'd
see II I couldn't knock a feather or two outen
him. Jest to try my rife. 50 I up an bangs away
at him. He was q good ways up, but I've got
him nailed on my barn door now.
jackson no was huntin' round all the while
off in the swamp. an ! hadn't scarcely got my
gun down from my shoulder when heerd the
deuce and all OF a time 'mongst the laurels. I
nose s Sr If' oute snA his k kHSifG Place 9 G an the next nst
bar, but the wildcat that was wearin' the l~ittlest
o, them peltss, there an, that's big enough fer
lee whoo-o-o-o-i an Ihad to up an dire quick. The
consequence was that didn't get the ball VIVA
wan,sd it an, only list broke the vsrmint's
turned an sprung at me. ! hadn't no more loads
in my rife, an so i met the wildcat in the air
with the butt o my gun an kecled him over.
Then jumped at him bout as quick as he had
jumped at me, an, soGked one o my number
qeSid s SSSeldf h,ss plhfm an. on eom hts n FsF me- ,s0r ns he he
e S;Da s aisk,, t as an m. ef &, below an, his h1s' h1,. M 6,s
ankle as easy as Id spud the bark oten a hem:
but he didn't have a chance to clutch no more OF
1t, for I smashed his big head with a lick from
my 5iai es shs, " %ss ss If 6l nieS SR sn ,as es ss9s as far a. +.
nosin, his Teller out, but had KEEP, on huntin.
that I hadn't, had time to draw a long breath.
owner 9 that biggest hide there eep'Hf He see that I
had made carcase of his mate, an didn't wait
fer me 10 pitch in, but iist opened on me from
on him, But it didn't 't' seem TO- to have nrseAG no
more as e tssfss on bin him , n,s 4 ! was oo pound d.
ment jist more than circused the both of US
| HTOunu IldI ptICn U tln NJ btIOTF i ROL IN
my lucky whack that broke the wildcats back.
he had po9'y niFh l., cleaned me GU! g, clothes:
hands an a~rms-there, ye kin see EN- yit-an'
had souged old Jackson so he looked as IL some
body had been pickin' his feathers of an then
E.hfter T broke the cats back. though. he
wasn't much use to himself. but his spirit was
hain't said nothin' bout the yellin' an on 'arthly
Gatty he KEEP, up , cause hs!n,t got the
| cat fnlll | aaFvAh him 4 "a m q aa hat tinrhar IN
an then Isot down on thq ground bout as vii:
lin as ever I done ANYTHING in my life: After
matter, ali ALUM over say; says to a1 m S1tIf.q That snf |
guessed my two cattymopnts an the fight | had
an SO I Euessed ID csfti it a day an 60 home an,
leave the bar III next day, an then 30 out an
git him. which, says, I take IN raise the
my gun, tossted the Wildcats over my shoulder,
an, Piekin' up my hawk started fer home.
In. all, creation. an the first thing ! know'd ]
missed him. an then heerd him huntin' round
on hin him Sm nor q lock e Oh So SO chair n ya 1f"a ofts sSr Sim.
says TO myself that l guessed that II Jack SOL
didn't look out the first thing we know'd we'd
said II fore / heerd a hullabaloo in the swamp
an right on the heels Of II come the bar. an or
big one. Jackson clutchin' at his heels made
him mad, an he stopped an turned on the dog
Then; S isr I'm me sI h s nsae b Gp bis mind u th At l c Was e (
tearin' fer me like a steam inglne. with his jaw
open as far rs he could git EN-. The inside o.
EN- was as red as the inside Of u turkey gobbler'i
chin, an Iknow'd he meant business. Idroppec
the c~attymounts an the hawk an hinged away
at the bar. He tumhlei, but was comm %
overpowerin' fast to'ard me that ho turned I
feet, an stood up 80 close TO me that I had L
duck my head way back to git out o the way o
the swat he made at mo with one O them bis
paws O. his'n, and I only Jest got out O. tn,
reach of H., with not an inch 10 spare
The wind Of his paw almost took my breati
away. so ye kin. nnebbe imagine that II he'd
hit me | wouldn't be here to tell about the littl,
skirmish. Jackson was worritin' the bar from
behind, an / guess that saved me from a rasse
hat l was q leetle too tired to enjoy, fer the b'a
turned back on the dog, an that give me
that un settled hun. Then l says to myself tina
I puessed mebbe I'd Last Till ANDY went ONT an