Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-07
Cunning for
 Biz Game

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 playth1ngs. How we all worked and saved our pen- nies until we had money enough to buy n shotgun! It 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 ss little defect like that didn't bother us. We learned to "allow for the curve" as Fred said, and if we wanted to hit 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: II can shoot around a corner with that gun," and probably he could!
 We'll, there wasn't much gunning in the neighborhood. We wouldn't kill small birds, because m other had taught us to love them. Once in awhile we could get a partridge, but as we be- came expert in sh ooting we boys longed for bigger game. We wanted to shoot something that would need bullet to kill it, for this seemed far more fun than to use shot.
 Our neighbor, Farmer Eaton, didn't seem to appreciate our efforts at his grass, and once we broke his fences i'll chasing a fox, but when his woods caught fire from our Indian camp" MT. 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 1t, for you know boys don't look at such things as older folks do. He really had stood 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 t6 half . dozen of us one fine afternoon.
 "Got what?" we all asked.
 ''Why way to get even with old Eaton"
 Howl" asked the boys in chorus.
 "That's secret, but you fellers fol- low me and you'u 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 big charge of powder, and then, much to our surprise, put in good-sized stone marble. Mt
 What's that for?'' said.
 "That's for bullet-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 I do."
 By that time we were so worked up, so consumed with curiosity, that we would have almost followed through fire and flood.
 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 MT. Eaton's4 Then he got down on all fours, and we did likewise, creeping noiselessly toward the Eaton barn. Aswe got nearer, twig beneath us snapped with noise that to our ex- cited imagination seemed as loud as a pistol.
 "Hist," said Fred, lying flat 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 noiselessly 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 go- ing to do, and we didn't even dare to whisper, for we could hear Mir. 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. yard, on the side nearest us, was al- most hidden by an extra high growth of timothy and clover. The pigpen was on the othe side. containing a monster white sow that Mir. Eaton was specially, proud of, and was planning to win the prize with her at the next cattle show, Fred made for this spot. I was right behind him, and as soon as saw he was going toward the pigpen I turned round. and forgetting, in my eager ness, the necessity of keeping covered and silent, almost shouted to the boys behind:
 Great Scott, he's going to shoot the pig!" 1 We boys were more scared than ever. For this was far more serious business than we had bargained for. Luckily, my action had not ''given us away," and in few moments more we were all up to the fence. The pig lay facing us asleep in the sunshine, one ear down, the other up-a funny habit pigs seem to have when they are per- fectly happy. Fred stuck the gun through the fence in a place where a long board had been broken away. Pale with dread and fear, but not dar-