A Shooting Match 121 



a-feelin' at his best," particularly a country fel- 

 low. With the fodder in the shock, the threshing 

 done, the turnips pitted, the fall ploughing well 

 under way, the cider barrel full of the clarified 

 nectarine of sun-kissed apples, and ''applesass" 

 and "punkin" pie a standing line on the bill-of- 

 f are, was it any wonder that country young folks 

 felt in a joyous mood and wanted to celebrate? 



The boys would a-hunting go. I opine, how- 

 ever, that every one of them hunted a young 

 woman first of all, and secured her promise that 

 she'd go to the shooting match, supper and dance, 

 as his ''best" girl. 



Then they'd choose sides, formulate a schedule 

 of values on the game they expected to shoot, ar- 

 range other details and take to the woods. From 

 sunrise to sunset the game had to be taken, points 

 were counted by a committee and the losers paid 

 the cost of the evening's entertainment which was 

 usually held at the largest farmhouse available. 



COUNTING *' points" OF A SHOOTING MATCH 



At my home several of those festive events were 

 staged when I was a small boy. I assure you I 

 was an interested spectator while the ring-tailed 

 appendages of the coon, squirrel tails, wood- 

 peckers' heads and various other remains of the 

 furred and feathered tribe were spread before the 

 committee and tabulated in ''points." If they 

 were not all "fresh" there were likely to be lively 



