io4 



RECREATION. 



do no shootin' in these diggin's; that is, 

 such tritlin' stuff as birds an' rabbits; but 

 we shore ought to set the example a lot 

 that it is our good United States privilege 

 to shoot up whatever kind of game we may 

 desire, an' in any amount at any time. 

 That there New York chap has got to be 

 showed direct that even if he can set the 

 style for Eastern dudes with eye-glasses, 

 they's one spot into this here Nation that 

 repudiates his idees an' his magazine en- 

 tire. We must act onto this subject to 

 once. But, first, everybody come up an' 

 get his favorite brand of red-eye." 



They drank in dignified silence, and 

 again seated themselves around the table 

 and in various parts of the room. 



"I move, pardners," said Baldy Pelton, 

 "that we organize ourselves an' app'int a 

 committee to write to this here editor an' 

 give him our opinions proper." 



"Blow your organization!" said Nosey; 

 "we don't need none! We'll get up a side- 

 hunt for Christmas day, an' shoot up 

 everything that walks on 4 legs, or wears 

 a feather, an' I app'int Coyote Bill, Baldy 

 Pelton an' Sam Sweetwater to draw up 

 resolutions tellin' this Eastern can-opener 

 our intentions exact. Before proceedin' to 

 business, however, I propose that we all 

 take this here Recreation outside an' put 

 a few punctuation marks onto it, jest to 

 show our contempt for it an' the feller 

 what gets it up." 



This proposition was hailed with delight 

 by the crowd, and, in spite of a feeble pro- 

 test from old Sandy, who objected to the 

 destruction of his home-resembling pic- 

 tures, the book was taken out and pinned 

 up with a knife against the side of a large 

 box. Trie moon was shining brightly, 

 lighting up the red and yellow target, and 

 the Coyote, El Paso Ned and 2 or 3 others, 

 walking a few paces away, quickly turned 

 and emptied their 6-shooters at the object 

 of their dislike. Leaving the frayed and 

 tattered mass of paper still pinned to the 

 box, they re-entered the saloon, and the 

 committee at once proceeded to draw up 

 their resolutions. 



"Shoot me," said the Coyote in disgust, 

 after dipping his pen into the whiskey 

 glass containing the ink, "if I ain't plum 

 forgot the directions, and now we've 



prob'ly sp'ilt 'em. That stops us; d n 



the luck!" 



"I guess not," said Baldy. 



He went out and soon returned with the 

 perforated magazine, which, as luck would 

 have it, still bore the address intact. He 

 remarked as he laid it on the table, 



"Anything that roosts around the edge 

 of a target is safe in Eagle Bar. We shoot 

 at the center." 



After an hour and a half of patient labor, 

 and with the assistance of the various sug- 



gestions offered by the assembly, the com- 

 mittee produced the following: 

 Resolutions. 



To the Editor of Recreation. 



Whereas: 



We, the miners of Eagle Bar, havin' read 

 one of your magazines into which you 

 make a fuss about the shootin' of a robin, 

 and likewise tell about the chap what got 

 the fowl bein' fined heavy; and also as 

 how it is all right that he was so imposed 

 onto; and 



Whereas: 



Through the medium of your book, and 

 the thousands that it influences, you at- 

 tempt to dictate as to when and what folks 

 may shoot; and also callin' of 'em game 

 hogs and fish hogs when they breaks the 

 useless game laws; thereby you interferin' 

 with their liberty and pursuit of happiness; 

 and 



W r hereas: 



We don't like your style noways: 



Therefore, be it 



Resolved: 



That if your idees suit "sportsmen" they 

 don't suit us; and 



Resolved: 



That we hold the idees promulgated in 

 this 'ere alleged Recreation of yourn to 

 be injurious to the rights of free Ameri- 

 cans; and 



Resolved: 



That to back up our principles we are 

 agoin' to hold a side-hunt on Christmas 

 day follerin', on which occasion we shall 

 consider it proper to shoot up anything as 

 walks on 4 legs or wears feathers or other- 

 wise, and we accordin' notify you of our 

 intentions. 



Coyote Bill, 

 Baldy Pelton, 

 Sam Sweetwater. 



Committee. 



These resolutions were read to the as- 

 sembly, who pronounced them O. K. : or, 

 as El Paso Ned put it, "Special good and 

 plain." The document was accordingly 

 enclosed in a yellow envelope and given 

 to Sandy, with explicit directions to de- 

 posit same in the postofifice at Tucson im- 

 mediately on his arrival at that renowned 

 city. The preliminaries of the Christmas 

 hunt were next discussed and arranged, 

 after which the party, evidently feeling 

 that the labors of the evening had made a 

 heavy draft on their nervous systems, in- 

 dulged in an extra round of "Nosey's Nec- 

 tar," a special brand of liquor of peculiar 

 potency, and dispersed. 



Christmas day at last arrived, and by 

 that time the men's state of mind concern- 

 ing the Eastern editor was something se- 

 rious; while the language used in denun- 

 ciation of that unfortunate man was such 

 as to make angels weep. The evening be- 

 fore Baldy Pelton had said. 



