The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-06-26
JACK MASON'S WAGER
HE WON 1T IN GREAT STYLE WITH
OUT "TURNING A HAIR"

From all accounts JACK Mason In MS
youth was the widest rattling young
blade in the country. One of his sport
ing escapades is household tradition
down i'm old Quantico TO this day, says
Alexander Hunter in Outing.
There was large plantation in the
section owned and worked by n Scotch
man. an elderly man. who employed no
overseer. but filed the place himself.
He was the typical stern, bigoted
Scotch Covenantcr as drawn by the
immortal pen of the Wizard of the
North. He was fanatic in all things
and was utterly out of place among
the pleasure loving Virginia gentry. 1t
was the irrepressible antipathy OF the
Cavalier and Puritan-the rising of the
bristles of the boar at the approach of
the staghounds. He herded by himself,
and they left him severely alone. The
canny Scot was himself no sportsman,
nor would he allow any of the neigh
bors to fire n gun on his place.
Now it happened there was n large
ball near by. with Jack Mason in at
tendance. of course. and during the
night the young planters discussed the
chances of autumn shooting and de-
plored the failure of all their efforts to
be allowed TO hunt on the Scotchman's
preserves. Jack Mason offered TO bet
his favorite horse against any of equal
value that he would shoot over that
preserve on the morrow and with the
full and free consent of the owner. He
was asked IL he knew him personally
or had unknown means of winning his
favor.
He answered I'm the negative and
added he had never even met the Scot
I'm his life The wager was closed there
ana then.
The next morning as the old Cove
nanter was walking up and down the
porch enjoying his after breakfast pipe
strange apparition advanced up the
gravel walk and took off his three cor
uered hat and made him a sweeping
bow. The Scot winked his eyes and
looked again. He saw a slender. effem-
mate looking fellow some twenty-fiv
years old who seemed literally TO have
stepped from the ballroom. His ruffled
u
mond. mother of pearl buttons cleaned
on his sky blue coat. and his satin small
clothes glistened I'm the sunshine. A
pair of silk stockings We're gartered by
n love knot bow of blue ribbon. and his
dancing pumps were decorated by a
jeweled buckle. He carried gun In
one hand. and two pointer dogs trooped
at his heels.
"well. what do you wantg' asked the
planter.
In mincing voice the intruder asked
his gracious permission TO shoot a few
birds. saying he had been dancing all
night at Warwick hall and needed a
little morning exercise.
The Scot gazed mt him with the same
feeling perhaps that his stalwart noun
tain bred ancestor had at the perfumed
| dainty fops of Charles Ills court. He
was about TO utter n curt and positive
refusal when his grim Scotch humor
got the better OF him. He came near
hilarious laughter as he saw that deli
cately clothed creature standing so
clean. jaunty and nice and then pic
tured him returning from the hunt. his
costly attire In rags. his tender limbs
scratched. his morning glory all gone.
So he smiled in his beard and asked
him II he intended TO hunt Just as he
was dressed. He was answered I'm the
affirmative. So he gave his assent that
his unknown guest for that one day
might shoot all he pleased. and then he
started of for the low grounds to at
tend TO the cornshucking.
A shor. time after his negro manager
came running up TO him and said:
"Marster, there won't be bird left
on dis here place. DE mans a debbil,
and the dogs is the debbil. and the gun
is a debbil."
Dropping his work. the owner hur-
ried to the scene. and he opened his
eyes very wide indeed at what he saw.
In the front of the house was n stubble
field of several hundred acres that had
been harvested in wheat the same
year. 1t was as level rs n table and an
ideal feeding place for the quail. For
many years they had whistled. mated
and fed around the place all undis-
turbed until they became almost as
tame as barnyard fowls. The owner
| saw the dogs stand motionlcss. saw the
dandy sportsman pick his way gently
where they were. saw few birds rise
and two puffs of smoke. followed by
| nearly simultaneous report. Two
birds dropped. then the dogs retrieved.
and the game was handed to monde
script negro lad whom the sportsman
| had picked up somewhere, who had
tied the birds TO n string and wrapped
them around his body until he was
| half hidden from view.
The gun was loaded and capped in
side OF a minute. The performance was
repeated. The man never hurried. the
| dogs. beautifully trained. never bun
| gled. the gun never missed. and the
| dandy had. I'm sporting parlance. never
turned hair" The stockings were
a little colored by the chickweed. but
he was ready TO lead the minuet that
moment.
The Scotchman at first was furiously
angry. but as he saw the matchless
work of the trinity OF destructive
| agents-man. gun. dog-so perfectly
blended into one. and beheld I'm the af-
| fected coxcomb the same metal which
under Rupert had again and again
broken the steel fronied squares Of
| Cromwell's Ironsides. he advanced and
| asked his name. and when IL was given
he answered. Il might have known it"
And that's how Jack Mason won his
bof