Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-07-15

Mrs. Metcalf," said the magistrate
do I understand that you make q
charge of assault and battery against
Mr.. Metcalf?"
Not exactly, Your worship, you
see
"One minute" said Metcalf. Permit
me to explain the matter. Is Your Wor-
ship acquainted with the Australian
boomerang?"
Yes, l am"
wei you will know that h pecul-
iarity of the boomerang is when you
throw 1t forward it flies backward n
hits something behind you"
When you throw 1t behind you,
does 1t do?"
Comes Straight to The front. On
Tuesday I ben the kitchen poker Into
the boomerang shape and began 10
study the scientific aspects of this re-
markable weapon"
What for?"
Partly for the sake of developing
scientific truth, partly for the purpose
of killing ducks. II l want to Kill a
duck with a boomerang what do l do?
1 walk ava from him. l go off in
the opposite direction. This lulls sus-
picion in the ducks mind. Suddenly
I take careful aim, say at Jones man
who is chopping wood in the next yard.
/ let fly, and the first thing you know
is that the boomerang has gone whoop-
ing over my shoulder and killed the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. as Julius
Caesar. It's one of the most beautiful
sights in the world.
Did you ever Kill one that way?"
We'll, hat is just the point. No, I
did not. l am practising. This Is
what is exciting Mrs. Metcalf. Wednes-
day morning while l was out in the
yard trying the thing, 1 forgot. 1
aimed at the bird-Cage in the porch,
n the poker went yer my head and
straight through the kitchen window.
l apOlOgiZed to Mrs. Metcalf and tried
again. This time I aimed right at the
kitchen window. intending to hit the
bird cage behind me. The boomerang
must have got twisted somehow, for
the scientific principle was temporarily
suspended, and she went bang through
the kitchen window again."
Did it strike Mrs. Metcalf?"
Struck her head, you worship. But /
explained and bent the poker back to
the proper angle. Then / aimed at the
pump and let her fly. She turned over,
flew behind me, and nearly Drained Ma
tiIda, the servan girl. who was COM
ing out of the coal cellar with a scuttle
of Goals, unhappily. at that moment"
Where is Matilda?"
In the hospital. She is having q
trepan-a kind of %trapdoOr let into her
skull. She will sxe me as soon as she
ONE out. 1t is lard to suffer for sci
.entific truth"
But have you managed to hit any
ducks yet?"
I'll tell YOU. 1 caught a duck and
tied 1t down to a goOseberry bush. l
projected the boomerang at that duck
l273 times, not counting once when it
slipped. 1 hit everything within forty
feet Of the bird; 1 hit all the loose
ducks and chickens: l smashed the
glass in the hot bed: l sent the poker
twice through a sheet on the clothes
line; l dug up all the flower beds,
smashed eleven flower pots. ruined two
young peach trees, broke the top off the
pump, and manned one pet dog for life,
but l never hit my particular luck
once; l don't know why. Probably !
haven't got the hang Of the thing yet"
And Mrs. Metcalf wants o to stop
practicing, does she?"
Yes, sir. But I'm going to learn, II
I have to go out to Australia to get the
knack of it,"
well, l hold you in e10O not to fling
that boomerang again outside Aus
ralia until you learn how"
VERY we'll, your worship, but I'll
leave for there by the first train tomor-
row."