Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-07-30

saw him glance at 1t as he opened
his gun, threw out the right cartridge
and slipped in another, turning round
, as he did SO.
BY this time the cock was nearly
fifty yards away from him, and travel.
ing like fash.
Lifting his gun, he fired after it, and,
wonderful as the shot was, killed it
dead.
A tearing gust of wind caught the
dead bird and blew it right away like
a leaf torn from an oak, so that 1t
, fell a hundred and thirty yards or or
more
81 say, Quatermain," said to him
when the beaters were up. "do you
often do this sort of thing?"
"Well." he answered. with dry
smile, "the last time I had to load
three shots as quickly as that was at
rather larger game.
ut was at elephants.
II killed them all three as dead as
killed those woodcocks, but it very
nearly went the other way. can tell
you.
~ mean they very nearly killed me-"
Just at that moment the keeper came
up.
did you happen to get one Of them
there cocks, sir?" he said with the
air of man who did not in the least
expect an answer in the affirmative.
"WclI, yes. Jeffries." answered Qua
termain.
"You will find one Of them by the
hedge, and another about fifty yards
out by the plow there to the left"
The keeper had turned to go, looking
a little astonished, when Quatermain
called him back.
stop bit. Jeffrics," he said.
"You see that pollard about one hun
dred and forty yards off?
"Well, there should be another wood
cock down in Il line with it, about
sixty PAGES out in the field"
"Well, If that bcant the very smart
est bit of shooting" murmured Jeffries,
and departed.
course Sir Henry Curtis and Cap.
tain Good turned up to dinner, the
latter in the tightest and most orna
mental dress suit ever saw.
I remember that the waistcoat was
adorned with five pink coral buttons
1t was very pleasant dinner.
Old Quatermain was in excellent
humor, induced. think, by the recol
lection of his triumph over the doubt
ing Jeffries.
Good, too, was full of anecdotes
He told us the most miraculous story
Of how he once went shooting ibex in
Kashmir.
These ibex. according to Good, he
stalked early and late for four entire
days.
AT last, OH the morning Of the fifth
day. hc succeeded in getting within
range of the flock, which consisted Of
n magnificent old ram, with horns so
long that am afraid to mention their
measure, and five or six females.
Good crawled upon his stomach, pain.
fully taking shelter behind rocks, till
he was within two hundred yards;
then he drew a fine bead upon the old
RAM
At this moment, however, diver.
sion occurred.
Some wandering native Of the hills
appeared upon distant mountain top.
The females turned, and rushing over
q rock vanished from Goods ken.
But the old ram took n bolder course.
In front Of him stretched n mighty
,revasse at least thirty feet in width.
He went Mt it with bound.
While he was In midair Good fired,
and killed him dead.
The ram turned complete somer-
sault In space, and fell In such fash
lon that his horns hooked themselves
upon big projection of the opposite
cliffs.
There he hung until Good. after a
long and painful detour, gracefully
dropped q lasso over him and fshed
him up.
This moving tale of wild adventure
was received with undeserved in
creduiity.
| "Well," said Good. "if you fellows
won't believe my story when l tell ii
a perfectly true story. mind-perllaps
one of you will give us better: I'm
not particular If it is true or not"
! And he lapsed into dignified silence
"Now, Quatermain," said. don't
let Good beat you; let's hear how YOU
killed those elephants you were talking
about this evening just after you shot
the woodcocks."
"Well," said Quatermain, dryly, and
with something like twinkle in his
brown eyes, cit Is very hard fortune
for man to have to follow OH Goods
'spoor.'
Indeed, IL 1t were not for that run
!, ming giraffe, which, as you will re-
member Curtis we saw Good bow
over with Martini rifle at three nun
dred yards, should almost have said
that this was an impossible tale"
Here Good looked up with an air OF
indignant innocence.
However" he went OH, rising, and
lighting his pipe, "if you fellows like
will spin you yarn"
|
was telling one of you the othel
night about those three lions, ana how
the lioness finished my unfortunate
"yoorlooper" Jim Jim. the boy whom
we buried in the breadbag.
Wall after that Iiftlp pYpnripnca