The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-11-13

given up and gone along with the
oxen but | still stood there, looking
on every side. Right before me. not
twenty feet away, out walked the par
fridge, or a partridge, anyway. Right
there we haa been rummaging almost
stepping on it. Stately and sedately,
ii walked along, not away from me
but abreast. 1t had place to go
and was going there. wasn't in
the picture. | pulled the trigger and
the cap exploded The bird never
ruffled feather. Still 1t paced, state
ly and sedate. |, strolling along
behind, put on another cap and stop
ped and exploded that. No change in
the bird. 1t hadn't reached its desti-
nation. yet, so | marched after and
put on another cap and exploded it.
BY this time | was getting somewhat
peeyed. so | stopped and got out a
pin and picked the powder. 1dampen-
ed by the frost of the night before)
out of the nipple, then primed with
fresh powder, put on another cap and
went in the direction my stately bird
had gone. 1t wasn't very far, couple
Of rods, perhaps, and there il was,
standing on log waiting for me,
evidently. With a little hesitation,
following the explosion of the cap,
the gun exploded and the bird fell on
the other side of the log. Before |
could get the gun down from my
shoulder, there it stood, in the same
place, looking at me. Bully boy
thinks |, "I'll try it again so put in
my powder rammed down the Wad-
ding. then some shot and another wad
then put a cap on the nipple call the
time | couldn't see that it moved a
muscle, except the head and fired
again. over it went, | stood there
watching for it to bounce up again
but it didn't and | loaded up and went
up to the log. There laid two birds,
side by side, touching each other. DO
you wonder that the Boston men could
gel a hundred and twenty in three
days. with the dogs to help them find
them? AS we crossed over a birch
ridge we came to quite clearing
where evidently, fire or a lack OF soil
had prevented second growth. | FOL
lowed around the edge OF this and
passed Il large granite boulder stand
ing for time and wondering how
it got there, all by its lonesome. As
passed on. about twenty feet from
it, | heard an alarm and turned
around On top Of that boulder stood
two cartridges, side by side and
broadsidn t0-lnc, one behind the other,
talking to me in their language. They
weren't there when | passed within a
few. feet of it but there they were,
now. One shot got both of them.
Barnyard shooting. | didn't see any
more, there Laid snug, probably
stayed in the lumber camp sever
al days, it was one Of Vim. Shows
think. and | was perfectly welcome,
as all visitors were. in those days.
One morning | went out and climbed
up on the roof Of an abandoned camp.
some miles from the home camp and
SAY The sun rise A partridge walk
ed out for me to shoot at and | shot
and ii ran away. Must have annoy
cd it had run out of shot and one
OF the men at the camp had given me
some cut shot made ont OF sheet
lead. These went wherever they
pleased and they weren't pleased to
get that bird. That day happened
on the drinking place Of all the ant
think. Tracks of deer. moose and
caribou There weren't any spaces
between the holes punched in the
mud. apparently You couldn't i'm
agine IT. you would have to see it.
The day | started out, Frenchman
from Skowhegan, a young man that
| knew but have forgotten his name,
went out with me. He was going to
Skowhegan, toe. We started at
and got to the hotel at 3, in the after
noon. ! have always reckoned that
WeI spent three hours, shooting part
ridges, eating dinner resting, etc, so
we made pretty good time Oh that
awful road, whore one had To 30 up
and down hill and cross boys by
jumping from stone to stone, or tns-
sock 10 tussock or whore il was just
plain wading through the mud.
started off with fifteen cartridges
tied around my waist by their necks.
Some little time after, ] felt change
and looked down at my birds. | had
fifteen heads and twelve bodies. Evil
IDENTIFY. as ! hoped from stone ITO
stone. had left three by the way
side. My companion sat down on
the bench in front of an old deserted
cabin and made bag out Of a spare
shirt. and put the birds in and tied
the sleeves around my shoulders. We
got up to go and there was IA flock Of
partrldges marching up to us. /
fired, and those that could. flew away.
don't know why they did. II wasn't
done by cartridges, there. they usual
" rap if they went at all, or walked
off with an injured look on their
faces. These flew One Went up in
one Of the tall pines. / went over
and fired at him and he went flying off
over the tops of the trees Just as
he was going out OF sight he died in
the air. Stopped as though he had
flown against something solid, and
dropped | have seen quail do that
same thing. | shot several more
cartridges, going out, and 50 had
quite nice load TO carry the TWEEN
ty-one miles, with my blankets, gun,
cartridges and odds and ends. My
companion had enough to carry with
out anything Of mine, in his duffel
bag.
| went home with Try Young and
that forty-fve mile drive, on the seat
with him was as enjoyable as any
part of my vacation One more item.
nur faoi1,, with Waller Starhird