Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-21
he asked when the next lull came.

he asked when the next lull came.
Some people might call II long," the
visitor replied with easy Indifference.
and went on to discuss with Sir
George the nice point of Introducing
Hungarian cartridges to stir up the
local Barbary bird.
"Of course, It's tosBup II they'd
cross" said Sir George.
: "And I should make myself very un-
popular with my neighbors II ! pro-
duced a fowl that could fly The
sportsman hereabouts goes out with a
gun six feet long, and waits half day
till he gets three cartridges In row
on the ground. and let's drive at them.
You see the breech-loading shotgun
isn't common object of the country
side in this part Of the world. In fact.
my own are probably the only pair OF
twelve-bore electors In this part OF
Africa. Purdy built them for me before
I came out, and I tell you had a very
awkward Job Of 1t smuggling them
into the country. in spite Of the fact
that I've got, of course, bit OF per-
sonal pull"
s 1.-THE worst, OF buying those Hun
garian partridge eggs is that I believe
fully ninety per cent OF them are
poached," remarked Sir George.
"Then, II that's the case. the expert
ment as far as I'm concerned must
drop. We're pretty lawless crew out
here over game laws. but II one hears
Of a man preserving. whether it's In
Hungary or in Norfolk. ono naturally
feels bound in common decency to
back him up. But I suppose one could
get eggs legitimately produced on q
proper game farm II one was pre-
pared to pay for them"
Certainly. OF course, pheasant's
eggs are their principal product at
those places. BY the way, why not try
pheasants? You've plenty Of cover,
and, II the cartridges can find food,
they should. too. You ought to get fine
rocketing shots II you had rides cut
In the proper places among some Of
those steep woods"
The visitor laughed and stretched
out his, hands. He had small and
beautifully shaped hands, and they
were very carefully kept.
"You must remember we're rather
out Of the world down here, and there's
a good lump Of the Atlas and num-
Der OF very unfriendly people between
here and Mogador, which is our near
est steamer port. have tried import
ing pheasant's eggs there several
times, as 1t happens. calculated the
date the boat would arrive, and had
relays of men strung out between here
and there to run them along without
delay; but as each time the expert
ment has been fizzle. one gets bit
discouraged. You see, 1t takes couple
of hundred men and good deal of
organization to string out ones line
of runners" Essea.-r ..t...
Sir George Chesterman stared. This
broken.down university man. whom he
was prepared rather to pity and was
open to help, was evidently a person
of some considerable local position.
He had not spoken In the least boast
fully; in, fact, the egg tale had been
told with the humorous touch that
man usually does give to story that
is told against himself What on earth
could be his history.
Captain Kettle took advantage OF
the lull, ana followed his subject dog
gedly. %
Then one might take it you lived
here?"
Zone might" The words were
edge from them.
"A local landowner. in fact?'
ooh, think am"
Captain Kettle could have shaken
Sir George and Miss Chesterman just
then. Why did they not back him up In
his search for sound information. in
stead of turning the conversation back
again to what Che considered) we're
further inanities?
II suppose you brew your own
powder and make your own shot here
up-country?" asked Sir George.
"Most of them do. All the big tribes
in Atlas have their own powder mills.
and when we run out Of bullets we
mine lead and. do bit of smelling.
But for Winchesters we import cart
ridges. and I'm afraid I'm extravaganza
enough to do the same for my shot
gun ammunition. Kynochs would prob
ably be surprised to know that their
cartridges cost about eighteen pence
apiece by the time they reach me
here. But then, OF course, you Jealous
nations outside are to blame You
put up an absurd interfering law max
ing it an offense to import arms Of
precision into this part Of Africa, and
as you have your warships to back
you up. and We are not naval folks,
cartridges cost us about seven pounds
hundred instead of some ten shil.
jings. But, of course, we get them all
the same, If we like to pay"
'You take II easily: It's that small
item Of paying that makes things so
hard for some OF U.S."
The visitor laughed. 81 apologize. /
should have remembered. Here for =
well, for us--you see, it's only a case
of sending out a handful of ones men
to do bit OF mining. and the gold
slugs trickle out to the coast and come
back as coin. We don't show riches In
this country; it's not particularly safe
to do that; but it's quite as well to
have them within reach, as suppose
it is all the world over
"Then. if you're a well-off man." said
Captain Kettle acidly, may ask
what you are after the Norman
Towers for?"
This time there was no doubt about
d. s