Mexico Missouri message., 1917-09-13
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y SHE WENT HUNTINGss
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m BY MARY GRAY. m
NM 6Rd
BY MARY GRAY.
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W. n n MM N m M N N hW
"Mother, am going down to Sarah's
today" was the announcement made
across the breakfast table by Nan
Lenox to her widowed mother at their
home in the city.
"Down," meant a few miles out In
the country; Sarah" was a married
sister living on farm.
"But the summer has gone" protest
ed the mother. "The folks are back
from the country long ago."
"All the better. Last summer you
couldn't stir outdoors without bump
Ing Into somebody"
And go she did. She found the ripe
apples being gathered; the hired man
getting in the pumpkins; the hazel
nuts ripe; glorious sunrises, and the
days tonic and not an insect to an
noy, and the quails as fat as butter.
When Nan had fed the hens, tanned
the colt talked with the pigs and
warned the gander that If he bit her
she would go right home-when she
had picked and eaten peck of hazel
nuts, made a pumpkin jack-o'-lantern
and tried her hardest to milk, the
''hired man" said to her:
'Its pity you don't know how to
handle gun"
"Why?"
Because you could go rabbit hunt
Ing"
"But never thought of rabbits !"
was the exclamation. Il shall go hunt
Ing right away"
"But you can't shoot a gun"
"But you must teach me. Hurry upi"
The shotgun was smuggled out OF
the house and behind the barn, and the
lessons began with:
snow put the gun up to your face,
like this, and aim at that old stump.
You must squint along the sights and
have both in line"
"Yes."
"YOu won't fire now, because your
sister would hear it; but when you do
want to, just curl your finger around
this trigger and pull"
"How many cartridges have / got?"
was asked.
"Seven. You can pile the seven
dead rabbits up somewhere and will
come and get emp
1t wasn't at all singular that Burt
Robbins, of the big fire insurance COM
pany in the city, should be stopping at
a country inn a mile away.
Young Mr.. Robbins had been at the
inn for three or four days, when the
landlord said:
"There are more rabbits around this
fall than have seen for years before.
Did you bring gun along?'
81 had none to bring"
"Then can lend you one. It's a
rife, where you ought to have Shot
gun; but you can have some fun with
it."
Miss Nan reached the hunting
grounds and looked about her. Not a
bunny.
Mr.. Robbins had been out almost an
hour and had not caught sight of a
rabbit. The red squirrels chartered at
him, and the chipmunks Knocked him,
but he let them go. 1t was when he
was scuffing up the leaves and his mind
far away that a rabbit ran out of a
brush heap and scurried away. In his
confusion, the hunter ran after it, for
few steps, and as 1t crossed open
ground he fired.
At the same instant his cap was
dashed from his head. When he had
oI. hn friy-l
holding up dead rabbit by the leg and
heard her exclamation:
"Oh, I've killed him! I've killed
himp
IL beg pardon" said Robbins.
"What?N WhatT
II killed that rabbit if you please"
The young man walked back and re-
covered his cap and brought it to her
and said:
"You have a shotgun. You fired
high. Some of your shot knocked the
cap from my head"
"Sir, you are no gentleman to claim
the rabbit shot"
Mr.. Robbins saluted and turned on
his heel and walked away, and after
| watching him out of sight the girl
picked up the game and walked to the
| house.
"Jewhittaker, but you have killed
one." exclaimed the hired man.
"At the first fire, and a long shot,
too. had quite time over it, too. A
young man who was hunting claimed
that he shot him."
what sort of gun did he have2"
"a rife"
Say" said the man, after he had
carefully examined the rabbit; ''you
never killed this"
why didn't II"
Because it was killed by a bullet
instead of a shot"
The rabbit was given to the dog and
nothing was said to he sister. Mans
conscience began to trouble her. 1t
was a settled thing that she had not
I