The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-11-26
HARD TO KILL A LOOM.
Hes a Daring, Hardy Diver That Fools
Folks New to the Adirondack


Folks New to the Adirondack
or all the Adirondack birds the hard
est to kill is the loon, writes tho Os-
good Lake IN. " correspondent of
the New York Sun. Indeed. if the
guides are TO be believed. nobody over
did kill a loon with the ordinary inn
plements of the chase. 1t is one of the
pleasures OF the guides to see a strang-
or pride himself on his workmanship
the pleasure of the guide is all the
keener. for the chances are that the
clevereSt marksman unacquainted
with the peculiar characteristics of
the bird will have the modification Of
shooting again and again and seeing
his animated mark sail around Sc.
renely as il possessed Of Il charmed
life.
Perhaps the fact that the loon is al
most impossible to pluck and almost
incdiblc after he has been plucked and
cooked may account for his immunity
from attack by sportsmen. Besides
this, however. he is quick diver with
a marvellous power of staying under
water and such is the toughncss OF
his skin and the thickness of his reath.
ers, that even those who are Skillrul
enough to hit him are far from sure
of killing him. The guides Solcmnly
assure the unlearned in Adirondack
lore that the loon will swim miles IN
der water and that his coat will turn
any ordinary bullet.
Il tried once when | didn't know rs
much as l do now To kill a loon nm
at Meacham." said n bronZed Old
guide. Il thought | had him where
he couldn't get away. / never should
a tried it but for that The lake was
nigh froZe over. an when l Spied him
he was swimmin' round and round in
little space OF water tryin' to keep
1t open so he could fish. Well. | saws
to myself, Mr.. Loon, l got you this
time for l knowed that every time
he dived he'd have to come ND in about
the same spot. because there want
no other place for him to come uD. /
had Il rife, mind you, and when saw
MIN | was up on bluff more'n fifty
yards from where he was Swimmin'
round.
The first time | fred hit him. be-
cause l took him by surprise. He
Owed. and l waited for him to float up
dead. hut he came up Just as live as
ever. l fired the second time Just as
he came up, and felt sure had him
That time. But bless YOU. he popDcd
out Of water and went on swimmin
aus, as If nothin' had happened. We'll.
l was pretty mad about that time. so
| looked round TO make sure that no
body wasn't watchin', and / gave il
TO him again. Down he dived. and ND
me- came Just as if bullets was bread
pills kept that up for sixteen shots.
madden each Shot than the last. and
every time that loon came up lust ms
If he liked it. / knOwed that hit him
every time. because / could see him
sag when the bullet reached his back.
After the sixteenth shot I gave 1T
uo "S Il bad job, and that's why
Know YOU can't kill loon with a rife
unless you hit him from the rear lust
as he's diyin' / knowed then TOO
why tie looms hide we used 10 cover
gun locks never wore ont or IT,, i'm
water. There never was a better thing
TOT lhat purpose, but YOU don't often
see EN-, because the looms SO hard 10
kill.
Fact is. pursued the old man. with
a reminiscent smile. 81 never did KIN
a loon. properly speakn'. ana the only
one ever got I took in q net That
was MP at Mcacham. too We had
an English girl as cook at the hotel.
'trappin hing, that could outfit any
of us boys ana She had u temper hot
tern % becchwood fire.
brought in the loon. and the boss
told me to give IL to- the cook ana tell
her ii was q wild goose for dinner.
gave 90 TO her. and then we waited
around To sec her pluck o.. How She
pulled at them feathers. SHE twisted
and she turned ard shp yanEcd. and
She sWorc and mo-, % feather budecd
from lhr hide Eilin' water diGu't do
DO good. and ] guess she'd % been
puil.n' at tncL feathers uu now FL
She hadn't heard one OF u.s. fcliers su.e
ger Then She kuowcd she'd been
Fooled. and She gave chat loon n.r-
that SEN. ii ccan out OF the Hicl-
And we wcrtn loag foucuu i-