The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-16

! II s go, was MS reply.
/ We hadn't gone farther down tbs
creek than a hundred yards when ole
( Don stiffened into a point, head for
ward, tail stiff as a ramrod. eyes glued
| to a brush heap right on the edge OF
the creek. We stepped forward, and
one lone bird whirled away over toward
Bricks side. and the rest of the bevy
about thirty, a splendid bevy, darted
across the creek and disappeared i'm a
cornfield that flanked the creek on that
side, and in among some scattered I'M
deTgrowth along the edge of the corn.
Buck killed his bird that had swung
in to the right, and then we came 10
the banks of the creek.
All over" says Buck.
Andy over" said 1.
TN find a pole" he remarked as he
went up into the woods.
He soon returned with a pole that
looked to be about thirty feet long. 1t
was pretty heavy and was dead TIM
Der, but looked strong enough to hold
church up. We took our guns apart,
tied them up in our corduroy coats,
and then slung them across the creek,
where they fell on sand bank on Inc
other side.
X
Then We "flipped" to see who should
go first, and I was the lucky man. |
took hold of the pole and with his as
sistance stood on the overhanging high
bank on our side of the creek and
stuck the pole into the sand on the bot
tom of the creek. Then. with a silent
invocation to the fates, 1 gave a jump
and a swing forward, aiming TO heave
syself fairly across by the aid of the
pole. But l was not an adept at pole
vaulting,' and / came down in about
two feet of water at the edge. buried
my nose in the sand. skinned my
wrists a little, and was half submerg-
ed in sand and water, scrambling TO
my feet as mad as a hornet and thor
oughly disguised with my effort.
But it pleased Buck, that was easily
10 be seen. He was rolling around on
the bank above me. almost exploding
with laughter, and every time he tried
TO stop he would begin again and laugh
some more. This did not improve NV
feelings, although l had to grin a lit
tie when l thought of myself coming
down spread eagle fashion" kerr
souse, in the mud and water. Finally
l tilted the pole back to Buck and re-
marked, as he was just about to take
his flight, I'D give farm to have you
light right in the middle of the creek. -
impossible, me boy" said Buck,
condescendingly, best pole vaulter in
Ann ArbOr in my time. Little distance
like that mere bagatelle, assure YOU
do it with one hand. but won't take
any chances" And then he had an
other fit of laughing at me-
It locked as though the laughing was
on me sure enough. for I knew him
well enough to know that he could
make good in any Branch of athletics
that he said he knew anything about.
He swung off in easy, graceful style.
and had apparently made up his mind
to light away out in the cornfield. high
and dry, but then. why, well. dear me.
sad. wasn't it, but as a matter of fact
the blooming pole broke square off in
the middle when Bucks extra sixty
pounds of weight was hoisted on to it
and the champion pole Yaulter of Ann
Arbor" disappeared for a damp mo-
ment under the waters of Little Sister
"crick"
When ne came up. soaked to the
marrow in icy water. he lost no time
in splashing and wading ashore a mat
ter of a few yards, but his merriment
was entirely restrained. As for me,
knowing that he never had been in the
slightest danger. | whOoped and yelled
until l was exhausted. Buck "stood
the gaff' elegantly. only suggesting
that | keep on hunting. as he was go
ing to cut for home to get dry. I'll
go with you, Buck said l, and 1 went.
Since then, if Buck and I meet i'm i
crowd and the talk turns on athletics,
| have only to commence about as fol-
lows: when Buck and I were hunt
ing quail down in Illinois one fall -
when Buck viii hold up a warming
hand and say, Ssh, hold on, what'll
everybody haye?"