The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
FOR THE MAN WHO MISSES.
0PORTSMAR,B LAW as APPLIED
BY SOUTHERN HUNTERS.

seated in tho palm room OF the Boston Club In
this city ono day last week when a prominent
railroad official Of Tennessee. noted for his
love Of a dog and q gun. entered and was In
Vited to Join the circle. AS tho newcomer
drew up his chair and exchanged greetings. he
volunteered the information that he had been
hunting for a week OF ton days in his own
State and that birds, az quails are generally
termed, were unusually plentiful.
ANY Of you fellows ever shot up Browns.
Vile wayi" no asked, addressing himself par
tcularly TO the Doctor, whose skill with the
shotgun and rifle IL known throughout the
length and breadth OF Louisiana, and pausing
for q reply, which came In the negative from
every man at the table. WELL" resumed the
man from Tennessee, there's q heap Of fun in
store for you and I'll put You on the track of
more sport than you've had lodging yellow
Jack the last few months"
The refugees who found Now York and Chi
oago moro attractive than the Crescent City
during the recent scare. although business did
call them North. breathed n trihe harder and
said harsh things under their breath while wait
ing for the railroad man TO continue.
al had business up Brownsville way recent
"" went on tho Tennessean after he had
drained the last drop of a whiskey punch. and
wal invited to accompany the members OF the
Brownsville Outing Club on one of their weekly
shoots. When 1t came time to start for the
grounds a gun was handed to me that was
much too straight in the stock to suit my make
up, but I was forced to content myself with
It as there was no opportunity to get my own
weapon down from Memphis and l had serious
misgivings as to my ability to bring down any
thing with 1t. although you fellows all know l
shoot as we'll as most Of you-always taking
ssy hat off to you sir, this 70 the Doctor who
bowed ut the compliment.
IT was mounted on a big, raw-boned bay
horse that,had the true ambling gait. and, fall
ing in line behind the President, we started out
Of town. There were six of us all told, two Of
the mon being under 80. while the President.
who was the dean OF the crowd. was a man who
might have turned %. He was tall and lean.
and although he was sober Of speech, there was
q twinkle in his deep.set blue eye which betok-
ened o spirit ever ready for a quiet frolic. 1
was the only guest, and as we rode along
the President engaged me in a lively dis
B~ertation on the merits Of pointer versus setter
as % field dog. 1t was a lovely morning, and
the dogs ranged hither and thither, and they
seemed to be as glad as we were to be afield.
We had gone only O mile or two from town when
we left the main road for a well-beaten path
way, through a plantation which abounded in
what looked like splendid cover. The dogs
Blackened pace somewhat in q trench between
two fields where the cotton bolls cleaned white
and finally came to a point and a back, as pref
tily as any of the creations of Tracy's brush.
Get down, Mr.. D. it's your shot, said the
President. Mr.. c.. you will shoot with him.
This latter remark was addressed to one of
the members OF the club. who dismounted with
me, and to whom l had been introduced only
that morning.
He was q young business man Of Browns
Vile, and was considered one Of the best shots
in that part Of Tennessee. We walked in
quietly, the others holding our horses for us.
and we weren't twenty-five yards away from
the dogs when the birds flushed. scatter
ing right and left. My heart was in my mouth
when the futtering wings sounded, and | shot
courteously and then knocked down a left quar-.
tering dazzler in a way that indicated his abil-
= i NJ to s. Dgs pB Bs to his ia 5Seats C. set as a a fe %f Sssn ana
was in q blue funk. particularly as c.
killed prettily with his reserve shot:
iii irregular good game q billiards because his q.
TosdiitaS ns SpS M as a" g b be'iiiiRHs ike hi hn" so sp PH stuck !; s %y
tongue in T %S S ehssk H.. SH SssI It n%sr Sits' d Snd said ahd
'A S!%r.D SesAH VII II Shoot. said the President once
and mari I t fs u ns sf I nStiq sa1 a p sSspieio IN Of III ia Ssaa's
was thoroughly %s uS determined that the next
mind to give him plenty Of time before pahllins
the trigger; When he rose he looked as big as q
the sf very n do Fe}e ooS eei rep %esa afiiB' at an me as ssi tRt
away a'ff Il @as e@ba ar aetp for or @ 9Ssh for Sg my y co@:
panion killed his birds in grand style, and my
dent, ~ Who had been told that I could iI hold my
own with most men in the field or at the traps
Better luck next time was his kindly com,
Pc thought / had touched him with my second
barrel. The next bird and the next. and YET
with chagrin. i tried everything that i knew
] was quick and l was. slow. held under
to have a suit OF mail in place of feathers fol-
o covering, and they flew away unscathod.,
hsa f heard ts some sro ySgsSi h,nt out sslere ci s'SFf haf
some sort OF code which dealt with poor marks
manship, and I determined to inquire into II,
from my friends. who would bo only too giat
upon. It's z my y ability to hold a l. gun as straish,
as the average soqtherner. No.,
dent, how many times should a Stranger mis-
such shots as I've had before calling down the
contempt eHG& OF mathis tS,s 1 Ssye u Pon h mis n 8 asked tn
President, and I thought I felt the eye of ever.
man. in the party upon me.
Thought 1 not Noticed a slight iaaaS rising SIM infection fais on M tn
"When the dogs found a new covey 1t was in
broad open space with a brush fence on the RICH
ana an open 0elu OF a COuplo OF nunureu acre
on the left. There was nothing to mar the aim
and when the President called on me to shoot
startled myself by making q good double. I fel
my courage returning and resolved to mako a.
effort to retrieve my lost laurels.
Mr.. c. will shoot said the Presideh
when the b-st Of the stragglers. was marke'
down. G had been doing brilliant work an
ln:ready for the bird. 1t was one OF those bird
to kick out before they will get up,and c. wa
almost on top Of II when It jumped with a twis
and a snake-like turn and was gone like light
ming. There was a double report and as the Dir
passed me untouched / blazed away an
brought 1t down.
".'Oh. no. that's it, shouted the Presiden
from the back of his horse.
What's the matteri' said I, looking around
Ask Mr., c. what's the matter, said tn
what's the matter. To think Of letting o ma
from Memphis with an old potmetal gu
cluded he strobe toward the bushes pulling.
huge hunting knife from his pocket as h
i looked at c.. vino was the picture {
misery. He was watching the President as h
cut half n dozen Htnut sWitclps from a UefBiU