The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-04-16

i
canoe or the paddler he could see
nothing.
1t was almost time TO discharge
his nash-light; and he could scarcely
contain his laughter at the thought
of the shock which the sudden brill
liant glare would give tho pot hunter,
when he heard the quick, unmistak-
able click of firearm I'm the canoel
And there was no game there-ex-
cept himself. Like lightning it
came upon him that his own eyes
or his glasses-had caught the light.
He was being stalkedl By a lucky
impulse he dropped upon his hands
| and knees, k: ocking over the tripod.
AS he dropped, a rife shot banged
from the canoe.
The long gpUrt OF fame seemed
almost to reach him, and the acrid
smoke was blown in his face. In
stinctively he tried to shout, but his
throat failed him. Only a sibilant
whisper came from his lips.
This was drowned in a yell from
the canoe.
That hit him! He's down."
shouted two or three boylsh voices,
and the canoe darted toward land
with t"eat splashipg Of paddles.
Again Murray tried desperately to
call out, but the relaxed vocal cords
refused to produce round. 1t was
like nightmare; and fearing that he
would be shot before he was clearly
seen, he 6ived with a crash into the
swamp, md burrowed among the
ferns.
There he goes!" shouted one
voice.
Its a bear!' proclaimed another;
and another shot was fired after him.
The canoe grated upon the beach,
and the hunters Jumped ashore. Muir
roy tried to crawl deeper among the
tangled vines and evergreen shrub
berry, and smashed half dozen
| inches.
That's no deer; it's a bear for
certain" remarked one Of the youth
full voices, with conviction. The
speaker was not thirty feet away.
Better be careful, for he's wounded.
Listen, and see if we can hear him. -
There was silence for "a time, dur
ing which Murray hardly dared to
breathe. He had hopes that, falling
to hear or see him, they would pres
emily go away
The whole affair seemed to him
like some preposterous and horrible
dream. These boys did not want to
kill him; but he was physically I'M
able to call out, and he was afraid
to move. In the gloom he would Ger.
tainly shot at the Erst glimpse;
| aud, curiously, his mind was largely
occupied with the horror his slayers
would feel when they discovered
their mistake. After listening in
vain for some minutes, the hunters
began to throw sticks and stones into
the swamp to make him show him.
self.
He's either dead or got away"
said some one. I'm going in after
him"
Better not, Billy. Be careful"
warned another; but a cracking and
brushing among the cedar boughs
indicated that Billy was coming in.
1t struck Murray that the action was
plucky, if rather foolhardy
The hunter advanced slowly. He
was hardly more than ten feet away,
but in the darkness, among the
dense growths, Murray could not see
a thread of him. He stopped at every
step, listened, and beat about with
his rifle barrel, md some instinct led
him directly toward the spot where
Murray crouched behind the damp,
odorous cedar boughs.
He turned aside and receded, and
Murray's heart rose. But he came
back again, and zigzagged and cir
cled, drawing still nearer.
Murray was in an agony of indecis-
ion whether to reveal himself or not.
But the decision was not left to him.
Billy came close till the barrel OF his
extended rife swung over Murray's
head. The photographer could al
most have touched him, and another
step would bring him stumbling over
his body. With a desperate resolu-
ton Murray flung himself forward
and clasDed the boy round the legs,
crying, Don't shoot It's a mani"
In kind Of screaming whisper.
The hunter gave a startled yell
and leap. There was an excited
shout from the rest OF the party, and
So, -thing crashed upon Murrays
head. He seemed to sink through a
dark 8 II spangled with shooting
comets.
He came to himself with the CLEAN
Of a fire I'm his face. lie was lying
on the beach, and his late hunters
were kneeling around him, anxiety
written upon every one of their faces.
His head ached violently, and putting
his hand up, he discovered a lump
as large as an apple, on which was
laid vet handkerchief.
Murray explained the mishap-in
a whisper The three youths, who
we're camping a mile away. had gone
out for a little nocturnal hunting
without greatly concerning them
selves about the law. They over
flowed with remorse and kindness,
however. They padded him with
his camera, to his camp; and until
his head had subsidized to it's usual
size, one Of them came over every
day to ascertain his condition, and
to bring him trout and canned deli
cacles.
Murray's bruised Uranium was we'll
fu vyook and hofore hc topt 3D. q