The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-27
FlGG WAS THE STAR
Did Not Shine in Shooting the Rab-
bits, but Made a Fine
-: Retriever.
Perry Werden and Hank Morse
Have Sport With the Bun
nies-Figg Disguised,

1t came TO pass some three weeks ago
that Perry Werden, Frank Figgemeier, and
Hank Morse conceived the idea of a rab-
bit hunt. Now Perry is known among
those who have shot with him as a mighty
hunter, and Hank as a clever handler OF
ferrets, but Figg had his reputation to
make. That is it was still to be made
when the party started out. When the
nimrods returned the reputation was made
good and plenty-such as it was.
Hank had borrowed from a friend cot
tage originally designed for g. summer
home, but fitted up with all needful ap-
planes for making the inmates comfort
able in cold weather. So, after establish
ing headquarters in this cottage, the party
took the trail across the snow fields early
one morning. .~,., ~ H. .,~r..-s ... !.
AS to what happened that day the &C
counts differ Figg says that the first time
he fired the smoke froZe in the barrels OF
his gun and put the weapon cut OF com
mission until he could get back to the cot
tage and thawsit out Perry aVerred that
.Figg was no great shakes as O. hunter,
but that he was the original human re-
triever. BY piecing together the different
stories, however, the following fairly &C.
~curate narrative was cleaned. >....
Bunny Leaves by Back Door. =. =
Now as. everyone who has hunted rab-
bits knows, bunny's house has several en-
frances and exits, and as some of these
are usually covered with snow, only the
seventh son of a seventh son can tell
where the ,cottontail is going to emerge
when the ferret drives him out. Figg,
however, didn't know this, or else he had
forgotten It,. So when Hank sent ferret
into the first rabbit hole, Figg stood
watching. this end of the burrow, while
bunny jumped out Of the back door not ten
feet behind his back and made for the tail
trees, hitting the high spots only Hank
and Perry rolled on the snow and gasped
for breath, but Figg recovered in time to
turn and blow two large holes in the snow
" 'Wot tell are you fellows laughing
about?'' demanded Figg. Suppose car
watch four ways at once? Why didn't one
Of you get him? %
Another burrow was soon located, and
;Figg and Perry settled themselves to
watch for the appearance of the rabbit
Figg unwittingly stationed himself just
a few feet from one of those snow Gov
cred holes, and Mr.. Rabbit came out
with rush, going five feet in the air ir
cloud Of snow spray, and ramn1ine
head first into Figg's chest. The TWEEN
tieth, century Wrinkle at down in a soft
spot of the nearest snow bank, and the
shot whistled harmlessly over the head
of Hank who fortunately had thrown
himself full length in the snow. =
"Where'd he come from, anyway
I,queried Figg, as the rabbit, went, up the
/ hillside like a. .mogul bucking a grade
nearly made the hilltop; blazed away
Bunny turned a back somersault, ant
rolled down again nearly as fast as HI
had gone up, landing in Figg's lap a
last with a final kick. - ~.
Il think you fellows put me there or
purpose" muttered Frank with dis
gusted air, as he handed the corpse tt
Hank. 'In get one pretty soon, any
way" 1892. p
:, Hank Fears for the Ferrets.
"Well,.I don't care about myself" sale
Hank, because my life's. insured any
way, but it'll cost me some money il
anything happens to any Of these fer.
rets: L: thought you said you'd shot s
81 have retorted Figg, when was
hunting big game out in wyoming witt
Roosevelt - - - -.r-', Fl.
.,"Cut it OUT said Perry. after thi.
we'll give Figg first shot. All he need.
is}a little practice" ~~, s.'-.~ ~ =
''All right replied Hank, ''but Tn
blessed if I want to make a. human tar.
get of myself to furnish him practice.
bar he stands in front Of me next time ,
This program was agreed to. Figs
says he really would have got the mex
rabbit, but that some would-be joker
(here he looked hard at Perry Slipped
pair of blank cartridges into his gun
Anyway Werden landed bunny after
Figg had" expended two charges of pow.
der, and Frank picked up the game
with a muttered aside about Somebody
getting fooled if they wanted him t
keep on making a blank water spanie
of himself 80. 7.~ = ~
They landed at the cottage toward.
noon with some. twenty cottontails, bu
Figg says rabbits nre too small game fol
a good hunter to waste his time on an,
way. go. .