Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1901-02-01

WOODMAN'S TRIP
AFTER DUCKS


NTOODMAN had been waiting
w with no little impatience ever
since the duck season opened for some
water to get into the marsh, so he could
go and get some mallards. 1t was a
very simple proposition, as he stated it
to the Office The maysh was now all
dried out and the birds wouldn't linger.
There was nothing there but a few
yaller-legs and redheads. 1t was un-
derstood that Woodman was in tele-
graphic communication with the marsh
daily, and as soon as the water began
TO come in he would be off, and great
would be the slaughter of the birds.
Herbert said he thought the game
law ought to be amended so a man
couldn't kin more than a dozen birds a
day, just as it is in the matter of TAX
ing perch and pickerel, bass or wall.
eyed pike; but Woodman said that
would only affect pot hunters, and pot
hunters wouldn't mind the law, any
way.
Nearly every day disreputable-look-
ing characters would come into the
office to talk to Woodman, and the
manager regarded them with evident
suspicion. They generally resembled
thugs, and one was quite evidently a
porch-climber. Sometimes they had
dogs with them that acted as if they
were away from home and fearful ol
bad treatment.
At length it rained and sleeted for q
couple of days. The Office shivered and
hugged the radiators, but Woodman
sat in his shirt sleeves with his window
open two or three inches and his face
wreathed in smiles. Bromley said
something about rheumatism, and also
made remarks about some people get
ting out on the roof, but Woodmar
Needed him not. He whistled tunefu
bird calls as he read letters from the
agents All the others had taken theii
vacations in July and August, but
Woodman had his coming.
One morning Woodman came dowr
with his gun in a canvas case. He tool
it out and put it together, and the cir
stenographers ran into the back room
He eXpatiated ON the barrels, which
were indeed of CLASSY smoothness, anC
looked quite regular and straight. H,
said they were double-and-twis ant
made of welded horseshoe nails Brom
ley said they were probably made il
Germany of welded fiddlesticks, bui
Bromley was promptly silenced Wood
man exhibited the action and the but
ternut stock, which was the finest evel
put on pair of barrels. The air-cush
ion was explained, and the weight an,
composition of the cartridges was dwell
upon at great length,
Woodman also dlvulged a secret
known only to a chosen few, of S,
splitting or manipulating a cartridge
by cutting it open and contracting thi
air chamber by the insertion of bi
of chewing gum or something of tha
sort, that the shot would carry tire
mendous distance without scattering
to the inevitable and complete annihi
lation of any unfortunate bird that go
in the way
Bromley made notes of this to senC
10 the game warden and to illustrate
his next lecture before the Audubon
society.
AThen came the anxiously looked-foi
wire that the water was in the marsl
and some ducks had been seen in tn,
neighborhood of Browns island, an,
Woodman announced that he would b.
lost to the world for the next tw,
weeks.
His scheme was mapped out, in stric
confidence, as follows; He and hi
companions would go down to Wilder
and there take a tent-raft and a calto