The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-01-15

anu Tor ii lew :hilt.teS re relations
between Us we're strained. We lad
hardly hec"..:e re@onciled again Ven
l asked him what sort of u iou ing
bird Il snipe was. He didn't seen! to
hear the question. and | put 1t again.
Then he looked up. with a red face.
and said that some folks called them
partridges-some folks who didn't
know anything. had my suspicious.
but said nothing further. When we
got ready for bed Mr.. Bowser charged
me as follows:
Not to let him oversleep.
Not to let him forget the gun.
To see that he took some ammonia
along in case a snipe bit him.
Not to let linn forget to kiss me ere
he departed. He didn't look for any
accident. but a fuse might possibly
blow out somewhere.
Not to let anything that the cook
might say disturb me. The cook didn't
know a snipe from a Goldfish.
To remind him to telephone me
whenever he had opportunity during
the day.
To remind him the very last thing
before his departure that he was no
dray horse and that if he slaughtered
more than two dozen snipe he was not
to try to bring them home on his back.
Mr.. Bowscr woke up at midnight
and got UP to find that the weather
was all right for snipe; again at !
o'clock, at =, at 3. at 4. The weather
continued all right, and he was
thrashing around in bed and killing
snipe by the cart load when l woke
him at 5. He dressed. hurried down
and devourcd a piece Of bread and
butter and was out Of the house with
that long gun on his shoulder before
I was fairly awake. He hadn't waited
to be reminded of anything. The milk
man was at the door, and I heard him
ask if there We're grizzly bears around
and if they had teeth, but his inqui-
ries remained unanswered. When I
finally went down to my breakfast |
found the " o in tears. and when I
asked the cause she replied:
II weeps for you. ma'am, and l don't
charge you anything extra for it."
But why weep for me:"
Because Mr.. Bowser will be knock
ing trees and fences down with the
end Of that long gun and get himself
killed"
An hour had passed when the teie-
phone rang. and l went to it to he
greeted by Mr.. Rowser's voice. He
said:
II have reached the country. Am
t%elephoning YOU from a brickyard. All
the brick mel say that there are snir.e
by the million about a mile farther on.
1t is a good thing that l brought 800
cartridges. l am in the best of spirits.
Goodby."
Snipe? Billions Of EN-!
Forty minutes later l heard from
him again. He said:
Hello, girly. l am at a farmhouse.
Have been inquiring all about buck
wheat and cabbages. They are a big
chop. The farmer says the snipe must
have got wind Of my coming, as they
all flew away Just before my arrival.
He estimates the number in the flock
at 100000. I am about to push Oh
after them. Wish ! had brought &
thousand cartridges and a gun thirty
two feet long. l feel all the eXhilara-
ton l anticipated. Have arranged with
the farmer for the use Of his two horse
wagon to bring my snipe home. He is
really an intelligent man. He doeSn
think the Standard OF! company viii
! pay that fine for two or three weeks
yet. Goodby."
(Aroo * 7 1nn,.1 frn,,, hip, - ,y,.
two hours later. and l had begun to
worry. 1t was needless, for he said:
II am on the trail of the snipe.
There are billions and billions of them.
and they cannot escape me-. Wish !
had brought 1000 cartridges. Wish
the gun was fifty feet long. Am teIe-
phoning from another farmhouse.
Farmer says that the bumblebee Is
preparing to retire to his lair for tn"
season. One more effort and I am
among the snipe. Never felt SO ex-
hilarated in my life. BY John. but this
is seeing life. this IS. Goodby."
That was the last from him Hours
and hours later the telephone called
me again, and the voice of II stranger
said:
"If that is Mrs. Bowser l want 10
say to her that there is a short. pei0gE
man With a bald head roaming aroun!
out here and talking about snipe a.!
exhilaration. He claims to be your
husband, VIII you send for him he
fore the farmers gather and run hiw
off and lock him up for a looney":
sent 70" him and brought hin
home. gun and all. and as l write this
be lies asleep on the lounge. h doc
tor says he will probably live through
it. but all depends OF the nursing. He
must have been bitten by at least
twenty snipe and a dozen farmers.
NJ. QUAD