The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-01-27
QUEER TALES OF HUNTERS

DESIDES the killing of many moose,
Id thousands of deer, crates of birds,
and more than a dozen men, the shoot
ing season in New England has been
remarkable in other ways. John Mer-
rill, the fictionweaving guide of Lake
Cobbosseecontee in Maine, shot at a
mink recently in the stream which runs
from the lake into the Kennebec. Ice
had formed, and John was on his way
down toward Spears Mills, looking out
for ducks, when he saw mink dive
from rock in the first rifles. Hating,
he waited for the temperance of the
mink, and soon saw him swimming
toward the spot where he crouched, but
apparently laboring to overcome some
kind of a handicap.
Thinks to myself" said John, in de-
scribing it to some members of the
Molazigan club, iii just wait t. see
what that feller's a-goin' t. do. Down
squats as low as 1 could, an keeps an
eye on him. Tn mink, he was a-swim-
min rig hit at me, but he seemed to be la
borin' under some difficulty or other
Once there was a terrible churnin' un-
der his chops, an'eI knew right off that
the little devil had fish in his mouth
l thought it was a bass, but it wasn't,
an that wasn't the funniest part of the
whole thing, either. The mink kept a.
comm, an seq l to myself, L see your
finish, Mister Minley,' but l guess I
wasn't SEEM very straight, for didn't
get him.
How was that? Well, I'll tell yer
TIL mink he reached shelvin' rock an
crawled out with a ten-inch fish in his
mouth. It looked like a trout, but it
wasn't. Tn mink had him fast by the
middle of the back, an the way that
fish rassled the mink around was a
caution. They tumbled over and into
the water, an out they came again.
Once the fish Topped out of the mink's
mouth two feet into the air, an that's
where I got fooled. I was just DRAWN
q bead on the mink's head, for didn't
want to riddle his pelt with shot, an I
was a-pressin' of the trigger when the
ash Topped. That's where l got rat
lied. I wanted that mink, for his hide
was worth five dollars to me, an it was
close season on the fish; but I'm darned
If l didn't up an let go at the fish when
he was in the air, an the mink he got
away. Now that comes from shootin'
on the wing.
Hit him? The fish? Well, l should
say so, an femme tell you, boys, that
fish was salmon. kinder expected to
hear from Commissioner Carleton on
the KILN of the fish out of season, but
as it was an accident kinder guess the
commissioner thought as how it would
be little rough to soak me for an &C.
cidental KILN an do nothin' to them
fellers that drill holes through men up
in the woods
:: Out woodworking one day in the
Wayne alders, about dozen miles
north of Augusta, Will johnson, the
proprietor of hotel in Augusta, killed
. woodeock with his hand which had
been missed clean with both barrels by
old Joe Lewis, the dog trainer. They
had pulled up in the road to work a lit
tie cover which Joe thought to be like
y. Johnson remained in the carriage,
while Joe put the dog in. The cover
was small. The dog made game as soon
as he cleared the fence, and before Joe's
gun was ready the dog was stiff on a
point.
. "Come on, Mr.. Johnson" said Joe.
don is on"
johnson arose from the seat, wound
the reins about the whip and was about
to jump out when the bird got up. The
bird started straight away from the
road, but Joe's first barrel turned it,
and back it came straight for the car
rage. Joe let go again. It was cross
shot and by no means difficult, but the
bird was not far enough ahead. The
cock was badly ratified. Itfew straight
ut Johnson, who struck it with the palm
Of his left hand, breaking it's neck. It
fell to the road and Don picked it up
and carried it to Lewis, who stood in the
road behind the wagon heaping impre-
cations on his gun for his i'll luck in
missing.
Tom Mclaughlin, of Hallowen, Me-,
frightened rabbit to death in a cedar
swamp near the national soldiers home
in Togus, and he was so impressed by
the occurrence that he sold a fine new
hammerless 12-gauge for half the orig
fnal cost. Four men and three hounds
were in the swamp at the time, and Kill
gore's hound Bugle and the other two
dogs were giving the Dummies a merry
L
The business, and several rabbits had
crossed with safety the wood road in
which he was stationed. Losh Haines
had killed two ahead of his hound Spot
and had started down the road to give
Tom pointer on how to shoot at run
ming game. He had almost reached
Toms station when Bugle put ont : big
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