Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-01-15
BIDDl''Y'I,'s BIG GAME.

| BIDDY'S BIG GAME.
Away up near the head or syca.
more fork the black tailed deer were
/ formerly SO numerous that the seasonetl
!. hunter would not waste i cartridge on
anything short Of q four prong buck.
! There, too, until driven back ~ the en-.
croaching cattle herds, elk used to range
and mountain sheep used to CROSS from
Harvey crag to the northern range.
Into this fine hunting ground, about the
time Of the first light fal j Of snow, came
Robert with q small detail Of men to
make the last round up q beeves for the
San Francisco market. Biddy Burke
was Of the party and had promised him.
self and been promised BY Robert some
shooting to be remembered and to write
home about fss s& 4 N
All you lately fellows. = said Rob.
ert, write home. I've been on this
range for 10 years, and I have no other
home. First year Twas here i wrote
back to the uncle I lived with like this /:
From where am now can see the
eternal SHOWS on Mount Shasta. Please
send me money enough to get home. ;
You see, ] left without mentioning it to
anybody ana left my hoe in the corn
field. The old man wrote back that 1
better stay rig where was. He said
the eternal SHOWS on Shasta were not a
patching to the cool welcome waiting for
me in Mizzoura And I've been staying
ever since. - II. NJ
Biddy had worked the whole season
through in the valley and foothills
without once getting up into the noun
tains among the big game. All summer
he bad been told about game so album
dant and so bold that horsemen had to
turn aside and give the right Of way to
bands of deer and elk. n. Az
And here he was at last in the heart
Of the game country. It was disap-
pointment to work the canyons and ra-
vines all the first day, looking for stray
cattle, and never start an elk or see q
fresh sign. Robert said too many pros
peotors had camped along the fork late
~, and that plenty Of game would be
found in the rough country higher mp
At early dawn Of the second day Bid
dy turned out to fetch in the horses and
had gone but few hundred yards from
camp when he saw his first elk. .'Buck
fever has been often enough described
perhaps you have had it yourself-but
It is worth remarkh,g that this malady,
like intoxication, ssGects different sub
jects in different ways. Some men have
it in the head, others in the legs I
know one who could not, in the pres
enee Of deer, shut one eye without
shutting both, making it difficult to
take aim. ~, 5&.as IA .~.,.l
Biddy hsd it in the legs. He aid off
frons his horse and raised his gun, bur
his knees trembled so that he must drop
TO the ground. Taking careful aim,
he fred and missed. Off with a bound.
the. game disappeared, and Biady,.
mounting, followed, sure, as every man.
is when he misses a good shot, that the
animal ismortaIly wounded and mnst
soon come down -@5s &
Urging his horse along over the roughs
ground, Biddy came suddenly to the,j
margin OF a;smaIl valley Or park, and,
looking across: it in the uncertain morn,
ing light, saw q small bunchs of gamer
quietly feeding; near the father side.J.
The distance. was too great foH; accurate
ahooting; 10Y leaving his horse, he
stslked them with great cares keeping
to windward'and; creeping along from
o IN ot,,s,,~ mt; xr, MIN 50,
range. The game still grazedfwithout I
lifting their heads. Resting his rife ON
. bowlder, and lis time with NO fever
to- distract hiB;ains, he fred and. brought
down the nearest animal. I.
The pleasure a man has q right to feel
ct . successfuls shot was mitigated. in
Biddy's case asshe rushed in to find that
he had shot s0me nrospeotor's burro,
whose asininGoompanions stood hywag-
Sjng their ears in! mild surprise 1t this
sudden re-enfaroement Of their number.
II am an ASST said Bddy tnthese, |
''hut Z am not als0&wslcher. ITegot
topay for thiE''" 5sS
He soon found the nearby camp,
wkered the mkempt- occupant, aroused
" the shot andaby the donkey 'ssSly,ng
Song, proved . hard man in q TRACE. I
But, finally aooepting.s large valhefor
ths dead BEAST, he became more genial
and invited Bmdy to Breakfast WITH him
ON sure enougH,elk. Bnt Biddy wasfor
hurrytng on to, fetch tho horses. The
other then offered togive him q quarter
of young elk meat, saying he was going
ID break Camu, that day md could not