The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-11-21

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susceptible to taIkativeness. And not
only that but he usually has small re-
gard for the exact size or dimensions
of the object that he has been success
full in bringing down, or that just
slipped through his fingers, as the
case may be. AS is usually the case it
is the latter explanation, because
when one has captured the animal he
is not so prone to brag or exaggerate
about it. The evidence is too strong
against him.
How anyone can so easily enlarge
a fish to three times its normal size,
increase the number of antlers on a
buck faster than rabbits multiply, is
beyond me.
A day or two ago sat in on what
is commonly known as the "after-
math" of the hunting day. Doc Grant
had just come in after getting his
share of rabbit and pheasant. But he
wasn't satisfied as the biggest one
got away. Then Ed Offutt and Howard
Riggs had their say. They had OBJ
tanned turkey and pheasant of gil
gantic proportions (they had them at
home and couldn't produce them).
Others chimed in and told of their
successes. Such blowing I never heard.
But l got the urge to go out myself
and bring in something for the
Thanksgiving dinner. Although l was
not much of hunter just couldn't
think of failure after seeing those
who had been successful in shooting
what they hunted for. eff they can
bring in something, then my names
Daniel Boone" fggered.
So I went home, got stepladder
and got my gun down from the mant-
lie, got into my new-fangled hunting
jacket and started out.
l had reached the vicinity of Swal-
low Falls and was wondering just how
it would feel to kill something. The
only thing I'd ever killed was a rabbit
asleep in its nest. With much per-
suasion l overcame my weakness and
decided if I would kill, would make
it worthwhile 1 would kill bear.
So was just walking along wishing
that that bear would appear so l
could go back to Harned's drug store
and do some of that Dragging along
with those other would-be Meshack's.
With these thoughts in my head,
my gun under my arm and my hands
in my pockets l was tramping eau
tiously ahead when suddenly l heard a
noise, loud noise, right to my left.
l looked over and saw great big
bear making for me with the speed of
a deer. While l was getting my gun
ready to shoot, another noise came
from my right, great big noise.
looked over and there was wild cat
just ready to spring from the limb of
a tree. AS l was wondering which one
to shoot first I heard kissing noise
right at my feet, and it was loud
hiss. l looked down and there was a
rattle snake just ready to jump.
l thought it would be best to get
him first so l lowered the gun, took
steady aim and pulled the trigger.
Such an explosion l have never heard.
bod farnOf+o,1 +o +olya
the ramrod from the end of the gun.
Well, do you know that ramrod went
right down that snakes throat and
killed him dead. And do you know
that explosion was so great that it
split the gun barrel right in two.
Half of it went right up in that tree
and went right through the heart of
that wildcat. The other half flew over
and knocked that bear clear out of
his misery The explosion was so
great the gun butt went right out of
my hands quick as lightning, flew into
the air and knocked a whole flock of
ducks loose from the heaven and about
ten fell right at my feet. The same eX-
plosion also ripped off my hunting
jacket, the force was so great, and it
went over into the grass and smoth-
cred a covey of quail. A button off
that hunting jacket flew with such
force that it killed squirrel running
up a tree nearby.
Well, sirs, not only that but the
hunting belt ] had on was ripped
from me by the explosion and it wrap
ped itself around a pheasant's neck
and strangled it to death.
Nothing else happening at the time
1 finally looked around, and boys, did
have meat.
| quickly gathered it all up, OBJ
tanned the rattlers for evidence, and
since had TO gun anymore, 1 was
able to sling the whole outfit on my