The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-05-14
The Shooting of
the GiIsey Boy
(CopyrlghAJ
BY j. B. Barrett

son, better than the CWate. She cor
tainly had done so at one time, bat
Cottingfirst lost ground by his shoot
ing Of the Gilsey boy; which was un.
Just, for though It is not customary,
when you are invited TO a house to
shoot to go round baggng casual vii
lage boys, in this case he was not t.
blame.
He had been staying at the Pen
nington's, FIVE MI off. for weeks
shooting. AID thitl er on one or Nv.
occasions had gone over and mace
one of the guns ! suggested tha
when his week W S up. If he vas no.
too proud after the gorgeous Peuning
ton coverts, he should come over to
me for a day or two at wood-pigeons.
And, of course, he came, though I did
not imagine that either or the wood.
pigeons were the attraction.
One afternoon we agreed to have a
match for the large stake of half .
crown. The ladies came with MS,
and, Lucy sitting with Cottingfirst
and Euphemia by me, well screened
from the sight of the birds, we had
great sport. Suddenly, following
Immediately on a shot of Cottingfrst's,
there came a scream-and another
and then series of the most blood.
curdling shrieks that have ever
heard
| saw Cottingfrst plunge into the
wood at point some 40 yards this
side Of where he had been sitting,
while Lucy stood on the field side Of
the ditch looking up into the trees,
whence we could now tell that the
screams were proceeding, and when
we Joined her, there in the topmost
branches of an oak was a boyl
He was in his shirt.sleeves, hanging
below branch by his hands and feet,
like the pictures of the. giant sloth,
screaming continuously. Cottingfrst,
under the tree, shouted at him alter.
nately to come down or to say how
badly he was hurt. But how in the
world such an inappropriate thing as
boy had got up there we could not
imagine.
II appeared subsequently that he
when we arrived, and, hearing US
shooting, had climbed into the tree
to get better view of the sport with.
out himself being seen, as he must
have been II he had come out through
the hedge into the ditch on our side.
We soon had him out on the grass
in the open, and examination showed
ha he
peppered. His eyes had escaped but
there were three or four shots in his
cheek, and the marks of good many
more about his head, while at least
q dozen pellets had found his left
arm, where the blood was soaking
through the shirt-sleeve. His coat we
recovered for him from the foot of the
tree, where he had put it before start,
ing to climb, as is the way of village
boys, TO prevent II getting torn For
tunately, so far as we could see, none
OF the shot had done more than lodge
under the skin The boy was un
doubtedly hurt, but he was not, as he
supposed, killed,
Why" said Euphemia, as soon a.
she saw him, 1T is the little Gilsey
boy"
/ did not know that Mrs. Gilsey,
who did our washing, had boy; but
Euphemia is the friend Of every child
in the village. And was glad 1t was
the Gilsey boy. Not that / wished
him any harm, or had anything but
admiration for his mother; but there
was less likelihood of unpleasantness
with her than might have been the
case with stranger.
With some difficulty we led him to
his home, sending other boys whom
we met on the way back TO gather VI
our birds. Mrs, Gilsey is, am sure.
not a stern mother, but she took an
eminently reasonable view of the case.
At all events II was a view which
commended itself to me.
And serve i'm right" was her
FIRST remark, after she had heard our
story. "P'raps he'll keep away from
them woods now. I've told i'm time
an again the keeperd shoot him, an
properly, too; an I'm glad someone's
done it--not, you understand" she
added, apologetically, "as | think you
done 1t a-purpose, but I'm glad it's
done"
In this arid atmosphere the boys
grief abated considerably.
Il don't think" said Cottingfirst.
"that he's really seriously hurt"
"Him!" interpolated Mrs. Gilsey
with some contempt Nothing won't
hurt himl I've tried to often enough
an hain't never done 1t yet. Do i'm
good. say"
Not seriously hurt" Cottingfrst
continued, but I'll send the doctor
round at once to find out. Meanwhile
OF course, want to make what amends
can for my clumsiness. want you
10 feel. Mrs Gilsey, that I've done
what Is right; but II is hard to say
what the right is. The more he Is
hurt the more feel / ought to do
and" and he tapered of as mo-
knowing how to proceed. Then ar
icea occurred to me.