Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-06-24

| knowledge go hand in hand with know
ing how to shoot. Then, il you keep
your powder dry, you'll tumble things
tremendous And l followed his adj
vice, and i have tumbled things, take
IL. Indeed j have. But of all the tum-
bling of things l ever did nothing ever
reflected more credit on my remark
able father than a neat bit of tumbling
I did once down on the lower Sinnema-
hone. l claim no credit for il for N.Y.
self. II was neat, indeed; but far be il
from me 10 say that ! ever would have
thought of doing il if IL had not been
for the precepts and example of Reuben
Pettibone. Never!
| "Of all the multitudinous things !
have tumhed i have seldom gone out
with vengeance in my heart 10 tumble
'em; but this time did. did, indeed.
Good reason had for il, too, although
had been more than patient. When
the ninth sheep disappeared from my
pasture, though, l thought il WIS time
TO call halt on the bear, and took
my rife and went out, vengeful and de-
termined. got on the track of the bear
! about a mile down the Sinnemahone
and followed II three miles. The stream
made a sudden bend right there, and
As moved cautiously around the bend
came in sight of the sheep steaIer,
stretched out on the bank sound asleep
a hundred yards or so ahead of me.
He wasn't in position FOR ine 10 olive
him dead shot, and Vengeful as ! was
| could not bear 20 think of giving him
even moment of suffering. l was on
the point of hollering at him TO scare
him up and show me a proper shot
when happened 10 raise my eyes. and
there five rods ahead lay a 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 l concluded TO 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. I
was just about to run my eve 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 a big
'
sooner seen them than a comprehensive
idea struck me, and | proceeded at once
TO carry il out.
This will be the neatest piece OF
work | have ever done said | TO my
self. 4 wish father was here TO see it,
II was apprehensive of only one vning,
and that was that the bear might wake
up before things were in proper shape.
! watched the two pheasa rs 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 70 his
feet, broadside 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 ms 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 | woke him.
"If you could see this. Reuben Pet
tibone,' said | it's pleased you'd be,
I'm sure. to know what an apt plr>il
, 1 nave bttH, lluttu, anu 10 see HON
deep your lessons did sink i'm
~Yes. The bears spinal cord was sew
cred at the neck, the bullet having
powed there just deep enough 10 do it
and then gone on its way. There wasn't
mark on the pheasants. The bullet
had skinned that bunch Of nerves on
each and shocked them 10 death. The
right vcntricle OF the deer's heart was
cut in two as if IL had been done with
a knife-so nice had been my"
The man in the red, blue. pink, yell
low, green and purple mackinaw jacket
got out Of his chair. lifted one hand
and opened his mouth as if TO speak.
Here, Mackinaw," said the man from
over Sinnemahoning way, handing hlm
his plug OF tobacco. take a chew with
me-"
Macliinaw 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 a moment and then went
homeward, grinning as If he had been
having fun.-N. y. sun.