The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-25

His Good Bag and How He Sc
cured 1t.

ETNHE doctors reputation as an
III unerring wing shot grew cut
Ill OF the professors seaf-assertiye
boastfuuzess as to his own skill
In tina. direction. TIE professor was an
old-t;rne hunter, a kesn lower OF sport, an
exceptionally good shot. and an enthusi-
as Of the first water. The doctor was
nothing Of the sort. He was an Indifferent
shot and had never hunted muca. One day
the professor had occasion 70 call on the
doctor, and as he was leaving re said.
brsskiy:
This is fine weather for bird-hunsing.
hear that quail are thick / must go out
with my dogs Ever do any hunting. doc
tor?''
The doctor said that he wasn't much OF
hunter. bat that he enjoye! the spor,
and felt as II ne would IKE 90 have a day
cut In the fields and the woods with good
dog and a gun. This made The professors
eyes dance. He said. heartily: Just the
thing ] have got two OF the best dogs
in all this country. and ] Will take you
out with me. What do you say TO tomor-
row.
After some discussion they agreed TO go
the following day. The professor got on.
his gun and cleaned II up. and the doctor
did likewise. Bright and early the next
morning the professor appeared with his
dogs and MS gun. The doctor was wait
Ing. and they got into carriage and drove
swiftly back into the country about twelve
miles, where the birds were reported % be
thickest. Arriving there, the professor
jumped out. stretched his legs. declared It
was an ideal day for sport, wAis;ied TO his
dogs and started OF. The doctor followed.
and soon they were tramping across the
fields, with the dogs running easily before
them In long circuits.
There had been 4 light furry Of snow
r. ~xf~ h. G.4sA ND ittZr
covered. The air was bracing and the sun
shine brilliant. Every hing was lovely.
but no birds were 20 be found. After more
than an hours tramp, both were getting
discouraged, when suddenly the dog which
was nearest 10 the doctor stopped, became
rigid and pointed directly ahead. The doc
tor raised his shotgun and saw bird
nesting in a ragweed patch. The bird
heard him just then, but before II had time
10 flutter wing he let drive and blew II
all to pieces. The professor, who had been
watching the performance, came bounding
across the field, emitting strange oaths and
cries. He was plainly angry clear through.
and in language exceptionally forcsble he
turned loose on the doctor for his action.
lie said that shooting bird on the ground
was a crime that surpassed highway rob-
berry, wholesale murder. or any crime in
the calendar: that IL was the act OF a pot
hunter, unsportsmaulke. and so on. He
Insisted that the birds should be shot on
the wing or not a all, and ne deeply i'm
pressed the doctor with his violent aenun-
Citations The matter adjusted, they pushed
on. and another hour was spent in fruitless
search Then the doctor saw a rabbit
crouched behind bush. and instinct pre-
vailed over the advice he had received and
he knocked the rabbit over before 1t had
time to move This brought down on his
head another torrent of abuse from the
same source ard for the same reason. but
he said nothing. He was bird and rab
bit ahead Of the professor.
The hunt continued but nothing else was
found, and the irritability OF the men In
creased. Finally they came 70 "A place
where the road forked. The doctor wanted
10 go one way and the professor the other
Neither was In a good humor, and IL was
finally decided 10 separate So each took
dog and started Off. The doctor had gone
abou. Il quarter OF a mile when his dog
came TO beautiful point directly upon
the end of huge log. The doctor walked
around cautiously and peeked In. He saw
about dozen birds nestled beneath the log.
sheltered from the wind and the snow. The
sigai was TOO much for him and he stepped
back and let go with both barrels Then
he watched and just two biris few out
The doctor ran up. and by actual count
he found nine birds that he had killed with
his two barrels. He was now IN deep
quandary. He had shot the birds on the
ground and he knew the professors anger
would be terrible. There was no nope for
II. IL was wasting good ammunition. but
he walked twenty yards and fired of his
gun twice. Then he waited few moments
and walked In another direction and shot
twice again. This he repeated until he had
fred dozen shots Then he picked up his
birds. placed them IN the bag. and rramped
eff TO meet the professor az the appointed
place. When he came up the professor
said. sneerIngiy:
Lots az shooting over there"
Yes" said the doctor. serenely. III you
want birds you had better come with ME
next time"
Relations between the two were strained
fer the rest Of the day. When the profess
scr reads this. and II he recognizes the In
eldent. !, will re his first intimation as to
how the doctor got his birds that day, for
the doctor never dared tell him.--New