The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-27

D.. e
/ 1t is a <truism that drummers are fine
race of men. Not Founders of sheepskin,
mean, but the same class of commercial
Eenlssarles who were of such service to
the baldheaded Roman in Gaul. But it
Is also a truism that the service of the
house keeps them at work so constantly,
that if one of them emulates Friar Tuck
and quietly steps aside to kill at fat buck
at a time when the law forbids such
amusement, the lapse ought to be looked
at with a lenient eye. 1t certainly is in
this country; and, considering how
the same resulted, the good drummer need
not fear :gettins up against it, in con
sequence But he can tell the story bet
ter than can. ~ *a. a.@
! II couldn't make the town before the
10TH, though tried very hard" quoth the
drummer: land when got there every
body was too busy, or out OF town, and
it was me by my lonesome. One good
fellow loaned me rifle; another drew a
map of good country to hunt over; an
other gave me note of Introduction to
a good settler some ten miles out of town
and a third drove me to said settlers
shack and left me with many wishes for
a ten -pronger. -.
But the settler was busy getting out
logs for a new house and couldn't be
tempted to go out after anything else;
and again IT. was me to the woods alone.
had the map, good compass; there was
a big lake on one side of the country I
was to hunt over; a big river on the other;
the settler gave me the local landmarks
$50 that a child ought to have known
them by heart tx yet IL hayent seen that
the morning after I reached it.
1T was beautiful morning; there was
la fine tracking snow, yet not enough to
make walking difficult; I had a lunch
with me, and the last thing the settler
told me was that, if by any chance I got
lost, to build a fire, shoot at intervals,
and stay right there till he came for me.
But you can't account for a FOOLS actions
anyway known to man; and if a man
lost for the first time in the woods does
not Immediately turn into a fool I'd like
to know what he does turn into. -;
Jumps a Big Buck.
IT hunted the heft Of the" morning, and
then jumped a big buck, the finest I ever
saw, and put two bullets into him before
he got out of sight. And it was me right
after him, you hear me! 49,.
Il didn't stop to think, anything else,
and didn't do a thing but chase him like
a hound on a hot scent. I put him UP
twice, and added another bullet to the
stock he was carrying, each time, and
about o'clock in the afternoon put him
up again and dropped him. .. -.
Oh, but he was a corker! I've seen lots
! of fine ones, but he took the cake;tI tell
| you! 49, - ri +,
1T was getting dark then, but dressed
| him, covered him with green boughs and
| ate a lunch, before I troubled myself tc
| think where was at. Then did a little
thinking, and figured about where the set
| tier ought to live, and as soon as I de-
| ternined it ought to be about southwest
from where I was, held the compass or
the way I had decided T ought to go, an6
| the crazy needle pointed about northeast
| Passes Up the Compass. -
"Of I: knew the compass ought
| to be right, and I just, knew that it was
wrong. Explain that mental condition Of
mine, if you can; can't. And like the
| fool that was, I followed my own notion
| and let the compass slide. -.
And I walked, walked, walked and KEEP
on walking. I went straight, take credit
for enough sanity to do that. I went
through big swamps, through blow downs
of the most. Internal descriptions; I crossed
several frozen lakes and / saw the pretti
est sight of my life, for one compensation
Ever see frost fall? Well, till you do vol
haven't seen one Of the most wonderfully
beautiful displays Mother Nature has tt
make. The moon was brightly shining
and when the frost began to fall, it came
! a perfect shower of diamonds. The ali