The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-06-04

I N0-AAAAAae4s AAt aAlllEa4 O1rTlSfer
son. better than the curate. she GER
tainiy had done SO at one time. but
Cottingfrst lost ground by his shoot
Ing of the Gilsey boy: which was un.
Just. for. though II is not customary.
when you are invited 10 a house to
shoot to 90 round bagging casual vii.
lsge boys, in this case he was not 10
blame
He had been staying at the Pen
nington's. five miles OF. for a weeks
shooting. and thither on one or two
occasions l had gone over and made
one Of the guns / suggested that
when his week was up. IL he was not
too proud after the gorgeous rsaning-
ton coverts. he should come over TO
me for day or two at wood-pigeons.
And. OF course. he came. though | did
not imagine that either OF the wood
pigeons were the attraction.
One afternoon we agreed to have a
match for the large stake of half a
crown The ladies came with US.
and, Lucy sitting with Cottingfrst
and Euphemia by me. well screened
from the sight OF the birds. we had
great sport. Suddenly. following
immediately on shot OF Cottingfrsts,
there came a scream-and another
and then a series OF the most blood
curdling shrieks that have ever
heard.
saw Cottingfrst plunge into the
wood at a 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 topInost
branches OF an oak was a boy,
He was in his shirt-sleeves. hanging
below branch by his hands and feet,
like the pictures OF the giant sloth.
screaming continuously. Cottingfirst,
under the tree, shouted at him alter
nately 10 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.
IL appeared subsequently that he
had been trespassing in the woods
when we arrived. and. hearing us
shooting. had climbed into the tree
10 get better view OF the sport with
out himself being seen, as he must
have been If 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
that he had been reasonably we'll
peppered. The boy was undoubtedly
hurt, but he was not, as he supposed,
killed.
Why" said Euphemia, as soon as
she saw him, 1T is the little Gilsey
boy"
did not know that Mrs. Gilsey.
who did our washing. had a boy; but
Euphemia is the friend OF every child
in the village. And l was glad it 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 a stranger.
With some difficulty we led him TO
his home, sending other boys whom
we met on the way back to gather up
our birds. Mrs. Gilsey is. / am suse,
not stern mother. but she took an
eminently reasonable view Of the case.
At all events il 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 keeper'd shoot him. an
properly. too; an I'm glad someone's
done it-not, you understand" she
added. apologetically. as / think you
done ii a.purpose, but I'm glad it's
done"
In this arid atmosphere the boys
grief abated considerably.
Il don't think" said Cottingfrst.
that he's really seriously hurt"
Him. interpolated Mrs. Gilsey.
with some contempt Nothing won't
hurt him. I've tried 10 often enough.
an hain't never done il yet. Do i'm
good. ! say.
Not seriously hurt" Cottingfrst
continued. but III send the doctor
round az once to find out Meanwhile.
OF course. want to make what amends
can for my clumsiness. ! want you
TO feel. Mrs. Gilsey. that I've done
what is right; but it 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 not
knowing how 10 proceed. Then an
idea occurred TO me
why not pay him so much a shot?r
] suggested There was a look OF in
quiry on the faces about me. so ex-
planned. Give him a shilling for
every shot that has gone into him. and
sixpence for every mark The more
q. k..-. IA