The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-10-26

pleasant he was TO talk to; but this is
outside the point. sir, as you will See
We walked down the causeway. and
Just before the pavilion what should
We come across but three dead birds,
all With their heads bitten clean OF
IL made me Wild. for the foxes have
been plaguing me cruel this spring.
Sir William never would have one
shot. though he had given up hunting
many years. AS for the young mas
ter. couldn't say as 10 his views,
for ! had never set eyes upon him.
THE stranger. he sympathized very
kindly with me, and told him my
troubles. How they can expect
keeper TO rear decent lot OF wild
duck with plague of foxes in his
midst I'm dashed II know said.
He allowed that fox who would kill
ducks like that was as bad. as man
eating tiger. She's cunning old
vixen as won't let me get within shot
OF her ! told him, but I've half
mind TO set spring gun for her on
the causeway here.
Bless my soul. how that fellow
laughed. He threw back his head and
crowed with Joy at my idea. "A spring
gun for fox. he says: why. keeper,
It's the very thing. Think OF the sim
plicity OF II and the certainty OF Il
and the security OF It. Those were
HIS words. After that he sobered
down and began talking more serious.
Did | really understand how to set a
spring gun? l told him no; and then
he explained how he had friend
from India who had often used them
10 kin jackals Whether | did right
or wrong, the fact is that | agreed
10 set the gun when he sent me the
Instructions
We'll. sir, his letter arrived yes
terday morning with careful little
plans and all. loaded my gun with
buckshot and carried II down TO the
causeway shortly after dusk | had
lost several more ducks each day, and
my mind was made up TO have that
old vixen. | fixed the gun, with a
thread Of Strong cotton across the
path and round the trigger. You may
think | took wicked risk, but ! had
hardly ever known any one to pass
along the causeway in the daytime,
far less at night. Yet. for safety
sake, | meant to take II up again at
dawn.
Il walked home and sat smoking
my pipe for a while But / was wor.
ried and disturbed couldn't get IL
from my mind that there was danger
in that spring gun left 10 itself as II
were, Even II hagged the old vixen
some one might hear the shot and
find the body dead fox would
make me a marked man amongst all
the hunting people about | didn't
like that thought neither. At last |
couldn't stand II no longer. and set
of back TO the causeway | was more
than halfway when | heard the shot,
and that set me running. When | saw
the policeman was nightly afraid
he would be finding the vixen dead.
That's why | lied to him"
i know the rest, Warner said
Peace; but want few details. Did
you see any sign OF another man?"
No, sir"
Where was Sir Andrew hit?"
The chest, sir; he got II full In the
chest"
so understood A curious ele-
walton OF the muzzle, eh? Did you
expect fox over five feet high?"
Peace brought out the words with
snap, but the keeper answered him
without hesitation.
THAT Is the point, sir" he said.
THAT is why | am not responsible for
the masters death | set the gun
at level OF eight inches from the
ground. which | reckoned would take
the fox about the shoulder Some
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES