The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-03-20
Cunning for
Big Game

wv brothers and / and our play
mates, but we were full of life, and that
means full of mischief too. Brother
Fred was natural born" Nimrod-
he always wanted to hunt, even though
there was little game to be got, and
we brothers liked to go off with him.
In those times boys had to hustle for
anything they wanted, for father was
a minister with nine children, and
couldn't spare money for playthings.
How we all worked and saved our PEN
nies until we had money enough to buy
a shotgun! 1t was not a new one, but
an old secondhand thing, yet we all
thought it was the greatest OF treas
ures. The barrel was bent, and
though we worked over it good deal,
we never could get it quite straight.
But a little defect like that didn't
bother US. We learned TO "allow for
the curve" as Fred said, and il we
wanted to hit a certain object we knew
just how far away from it to aim.
Fred was the best shot, and he used
to say with great pride: Il can shoot
around corner with that gun, and
pTODaDly ne coulu.
Well, there wasn't much cunning in
the neighborhood. We wouldn't Kill
small birds, because mother had taught
us to love them. Once in awhile we
could get a partridge, but as we be-
came expert in shooting we boys longed
for bigger game. We wanted to
shoot something that would need a
l. + a
more fun than TO use shot.
Our neighbor, Farmer Eaton, didn't
seem to appreciate our efforts at
sport To be sure, we tramped down
his grass. and once we broke his
fences in chasing a fox, but when his
woods caught fire from our Indian
camp" Mr.. Eaton got really mad and
forbade our stepping foot on his
premises again. We boys couldn't see
why he should ''be so set" about it, for
you know boys don't look at such
things as older folks do. He really had
stood a lot from us boys, and we ought
to have been grateful for it. Instead
of that we debated long and earnestly
about how we should get even" with
him.
'.I've got it," said Fred to half
dozen of us one fine afternoon.
''Got what?" we all asked.
'Why a way to get even with old
Eaton"
"How?'' asked the boys in horus.
'That's a secret, but YOU fellers fol-
low me and you'll see," answered Fred,
mysteriously.
At once we were all eager to know
what the scheme was. Fred sent one
of us to get the gun, he put in a big
charge of powder, and then, much to
our surprise, put in a gooG-sized stone
marble.
"What's that for?" I said.
''That's for a brf7let-couldn't buy a
lead one. Big game this afternoon"
This made us still more curious, but
before we could ask further questions
Fred said:
'Now, boys, follow me. single file,
don't make sound, and do just as
lido"
BY that time we were so worked up,
so consumed with curiosity, that we
would have almost followed through
fire and food.
Fred led the way back of the barn
and over the wall into the big field of
tall grass that stretched between our
house and Mr.. Eaton's. Then he got
down on all fours, and we did likewise.
creeping noiselessly toward the Eaton
barn. As we got nearer, a twig beneath
us snapped with a noise that to our ex
cited imagination seemed as loud as
pistol,
Hist" said Fred, lying fiat on his
stomach. The rest of us did the same,
keeping perfectly quiet, though the
beating of our hearts made noise
enough to let everyone know our pres
ence-at least it seemed so to us. After
an awfully long time, Fred put his gun
out in front of him, and then glided
noiseless1y forward with the snakelike
motion affected by the Indian who
would surprise his enemy. The six
boys also followed along like snakes.
We couldn't make out what he was 60
ing to do, and we didn't even dare to
whisper. for we could hear Mr.. Eaton
talking to his men in a field not far
off. and we all had a wholesome fear
of him.
The board fence to the Eaton barn
ward. on the side nearest us, was al
most hidden by an extra high growth
of timothy and clover. The pigpen was
on the other side, containing monster