Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-01-29

trade of the village, and the coming
election were all discussed Marlowe
and Chandler occasionally ventured a
remark or asked a. estion, to keep
the conversation from tagging Nc
Dewitt listened attentively, ana nodded
or shook his head when appealed to,
but said little.
AT last the talk drifted to hunting;
at which the loquacious Jep frightened
yisibly-until he completely outshone
his younger rivals
"Talkin' bout huntin," he drawled
through his nose, "ther' used to be an
OF Teller in these parts, by the name
o Josh Springer, who could spin some
o the whoppin est huntin' yarns you
ever heerd tell of. He was a funny
lookin critter, too. One leg was two
I three inches shorter n t'other: an
he sort o hitched along when he walk
ed. An his face would ave made a
pattern for comic yolcntinc. His chin
was double, his nose was blue an
bumpy; an he chawed tobacker on
his snaggledy front teeth--like a
ground squirt linawin' a nut.
But | started out to tell you some
o his whoppin' yarns. One of 'em
was bout shootin' squirt off n a tall
shellbark hickry. Said he freed it,
an tried fer quite a spell to git a shot
a it; but it kept movin' round an
round the tree, fast as he did. Said at
last he got mad an hit the tree elite
with his gun, bendin' the bari till 1t
looked like half wagon tire.
THE squirt was on the opposite side
o the tree from him, of course. So he
ups an pokes the muzzle o. the gun
round the trunk-elevatn the bari
at the proper Anglican blazes away.
Well sir, he said the result was start
lin He said the bullet went circlin'
round that tree trunk, 2ippin' the bark
an climbin' higher an higher as it
went. Said the squirt got 'xclted at the
bang o the gun; an 1t went to cir
elm round the tree, too. 'Cordln TO his
own tale, Josh stood an watched the
prlormance-an' nearly died laugh
in. Round an round went the suuir-
l-taster n a streak O creased light
MIN; an after tan gainin' little by
Iittle-whizzed the bullet Josh said it
was bout 10 minutes by the watch,
Tore the bullet ketched up with that
squirt an killed It,"
Jep scored a hit. His auditors laugh
ed hcartily-more at the serious man
nar in which he told the absurd tale
than at the tale itself, Encouraged by
the applause, he went on:
IhDtg loot uap,tN1n ~ Oh, ,.......
that OIL Teller used to spin. He was
chuck full of 'em-fuller n a pumpkin
Is o seeds. But the one that knocked
the persimmons was the one he used To-
tell bout shootln' the 10 pigeons. Ever
hear that oneY-With a sweepInr
glance at his audience.
i never did" laughed Crider go
on-tell 1t, anyhow"
We'll the way Of Josh told Il was
TINS: He was out huntin' pigeons one
day in the fall O. the year-ther' used
to be scads O. pigeons in this part o.
the country in the early days-an' he
run cross a small flock of em roost
IN In big ellum tree. They was all
settln' In row on long, slim limb
Jest like clO'es pins on line. Josh
said he had rl1a with him. but only
two bullets-ona in the grn an one in
his pocket. So he studied how he could
git all them pigeons at one shot. know
in that what he didn't kill the first
crack I'd up an fly away.
AT last he hit on a plan He makes
a little noise in the leaves. TO skeer
EN-; an jest as they was tlptoeln' To flv
away, he cuts loose with his Of rifle
The bullet split the limb; an the toes
o ~ o the pigeons was ketched I'm
the crack. He said Their was 20 OF
EN-, all together; but one of EN- didn't
happen TO git ketched.
"Of course folks Id ask him how he
got EN- down out o. the tree. An he'd
say he loaded up agin. shot off the
limb they was strung to-an' down
they dropped kerslap.
one time Cy Plumley said TO him.
Josh, If was tellln' that story
I'd say ketched the whole 20 n
wouldn't Spite an even number the way
You do
Well, says Josh, crustler n a burnt
'orn dodger, maybe you'd tell a darn
lie Ter one pigeon, Cy Plumley; but
Again this laughed-.Jep bolsierous-
". II Is but fair to state. however. that
Clark surreptltiously consulted his
watch, and that Marlowe and McDe-
witt yawned behind their hands.
SAY" Crider exclaimed abruptly.
J mad an experience tho other day.
worth relating. Want to hear IT,"
Is II another Josh Springer warm"
NcDeyitt asked grayely, wlnllng at
Ralph.
Now hear him try to Guido Tucker"
Chandler.
Stop your chatting, you fellows "
Clark cried. let him spread himself
We're touPh-we can stand II. Go on.
rider. Your hours about up."
The drummer deliberately lighted n
'resh cigar, pulled away in silence for
iome seconds, and then began:
Let's see-today's Friday. Well n
vas last Monday; and was on The
Katrina, coming from Marietta ND 10
lowell There were quite a number of
passengers aboard; and among them n
all, scrawny. oldish-like man. who had
leen over in the West Virginia noun
aims. hunting deer That's what he
aid. at least; and ! suppose nc told
he truth. for he had two deer bounds