26 



[Jan. 13, 1893. 



"That RemiDds Me." 



Turkey for the Currant Jelly. 



It was long past the hoiu- for all good sportsmen to be 

 In bed, but the bright moonlight night was so beaxitifnl 



. that we were loth to close oin- ey.es to it. . We were taking 

 one last look, when Jim. our guide and companion, re- 

 marked that it was a. fine night to get a tm-key, if we 

 cared to take the long walk that wonld be necessaiy. 

 John and I had taken considerable trouble to lug a lot of 



currant jelly into the woods in anticiiiatiou of tlie numer- 

 ous wild turkeys we expected to bag. and as tliere had 

 been no occasion a s yet to open a single can of it, we read- 

 ily assented to the walk. 



Jim said we Avere sure to get one. for he knew where 

 some of the birds were roosting, and we started out with 

 happ.y thoughts of the glorious dinner we sliould have on 

 the morrow. We had walked a long while and were 

 almost despairing, when suddenly Jim halted and pointed 

 up to an immeuse tree which stood at the summit of a 

 steep ridge to our left. Hure enough on one of its project- 

 ing limbs sat a large, bird, and at sight of the sleeping 



. beauty" we foi-got any scruples we might have, thought 

 of our currant jelly and decided to commit murder (hen 

 and there. Joim and I could not have told that dark 

 figure silhouetted against the sk\" from a broken or twisted 

 limb; but Jim's siglit was infallible, so we cocked our 

 guns, lest their click nearer by might alarm his turkeyship, 



: and started tovrard our victim. When within easy range 

 we lield a whispered consultation and decided to take no 

 (ilicances, but to fire all three together; accordingly all guns 

 were leveled at the unfortunate bird, whose (Mitlines 

 were i)retty distuAct by this time. -'One, two, tiirce — 

 l>ang!" The report of three heavily-charged guns re- 

 somided through the .silent woods, and the poor sleeper, 

 tumbling over and over from his high perch, struck the 

 groimd with a Thanksgiying Day thump that fairly made 

 our mouths water. 



John sprang forward with a triumphant shout and we 

 saw him stop and bend over as if to seize the tm-key, and 

 then all at once he jumped back and we heard him say 

 something which I fortunately have forgotten. With liis 

 liand over his nose and a, dejected look on what little we 

 could see of the rest of Ins face he came back to his 

 astonished confederates. 'Wliy. what's the matter, 

 John?" "Matter! Why, hang it. man, it's a dirty old 

 buzzard." And theu we all went back home to look at 

 the box of cm-rant .jelly. Fad. 



"GciW'C Laws in- Brief, ^' United (Did Canoda, 



ilhtiSt!r(tte&, rentf<. ''Woofc of the Grime Lains"' { full 

 SO oents, 



ANOTHER STORY OF THE OZARKS. 



'ViiK liunters wiio roaJiH^l the Ozarks during tlj<; Civil 

 War were geiierally hunters of men. 1 )cl,a(^hnu'lU'K <if 

 both armies raided t hose l.t^l ni'^sc., in .-dl direri itu:^. i)iak- 

 ing it extremely troi)icat for tluur enenues when tiiey 

 were caught at a disadvantage. Besides, thei'c were sev- 

 eral gentlemen of renown who belonged to ucitiier aruiy. 

 but who Avere credited with doing not a little killing, "to 

 say notliing ot othei devilnirtit on j^rivate account, eitlier 

 as a recreation or to ha cntic a real or lancied grievance, 

 beinti. as it w eic a kind of side sliow to that- terrible 

 drama, of blood and desolation. 



The hunting |)artu's tiiat had tiie temerity to invatle 

 those regions in searcli oi' tour-footed ganTC were on I 

 dangerous groun<l. I'licy impei-iled tJieii- ouitit, a-nd were j 

 lucky if they escaped b<'ing uia.de game of themseh'cs, 

 and as a consequence deer and all other kinds of game 

 increased rapidly. Wlieti the war was over .-aid peace 

 reigned between tiie hostile^ the huiUers wIio were (iist in I 

 the field rc-aped the benefit of the long immunity gi\'en | 

 tiie deer. ' ' ] 



Among those who improved tlus ojiportimity was ;i i 

 person who shall be nameless in this narrative — a friend 

 of miue in St. Louis, who had in previous years lived ui 

 one of the river counties of Missotiri; in fact, was ajrumg 

 the early settlers in that section when deer and other 

 sja.me was [ilentiful ni tlui prai.ries and I'iver liottoms. 

 Being a man ot irieans a nd leisure he had often gatliered 

 a few (ihoice friends together after the frosts of a,utumn 

 aud divided his time beljv\'eeu hunting deer .and wild I'owl 

 and yachting on the river. Me was a princely enterkuu«r 

 and an all-round good fellow in e\'ery way. and it was a- 

 coveted priAdlege to ))e one of his guests. He could ride 

 and shoot like a Coniauche and cfiase a deer at breakneck 

 speed through the lioitians, i)\-er loiis. ihroiigh tlie brusli j 

 and across the sloughs sct iniiiulv ni imminent peril of 

 life and limb, but seldom coming to grief. 



He had a favorite hunting liorse that enjoyed the sport 

 as w^ell as its master, and w as as sure-footed as an ante- 

 lope; Avhen it sighted a <leor it would follow it like a grey- 

 hound. When the deer were closely pressed bj- the |)a,ck 

 they would often brealv (jover and rim across thi; ojien 

 prairie to another belt of timber to shake off tluiir pur- 

 suei-s. This ^vas tlie cliance ray friend was waiting for. 

 He had been known to kill two deer from his horse, one 

 with each barrel, in a single chase on the prairie before 

 they could get to a place of safety. 



At the time our story opens he had exchanged the pas- 

 toral pleasures of plantation life for the busy haimts of 

 men and the din and bustle of the city ; but when the 

 balmy days of atitumn came and the forests were clothed 

 in gorgeous drapery and the earth was carpeted with fall- 

 ing leaves, he coulrl in imagination hear the baying of the 

 hounds, the mellow notes of the hunter's horn, the drive 

 arid the shout of A'iet(3ry. Then the embers of tlie I'uling 

 passion would burst into fla.me, and a. longing would come 

 over him to breathe again the free air of heaven and join 

 m the excitement of Ifie chase. Once, in one of these 

 critical moods, he met two UKimliers of a St. Louis rifle 

 club, with whom he had a business acquaintance, in one 

 of the gun stores in the city, Avliere they were getting 

 ready for a trip to the Ozarks, and they urged him to 

 become one of tlie party. '-Get a lay off from Blanke & 

 Co. for a few weeks and go with us. It will bring the 

 oolor to your cheeks and tone up your muscles. You look 

 as if you were going into a rlecline, and when you come 



back your friends won't know yoti." So an aan-angement 

 was quickly juade and a day fixed when they would leave 

 the city. 



Well, this was '*fche Idnd of sardme" the riflemen had 

 run up against. They knew nothing of his skill as a, shot 

 and he was too modest to blow his own horn. The rifle- 

 men could make a creditable score at a target; but they 

 w-ere far from being skillful deer hunters, though expect- 

 ing to make up in zeal what they lacked in experience. 

 They had yet to learn the difference between shooting at 

 a buUseye. with sun and wind in their favor, and shooting 

 at a deer running through the brtish with the speed of the 

 wind. 



One morning of tlie following week the riflemen and 

 our friend piled a half ton of camp ecj[uipage in a baggage 

 car at the Iron Mountain Depot, not forgetting four or 

 five deerhounds they had engaged for the occasion, and 

 were on the way to the scene of conquest. ,Otu- friend had 

 ar fine Wilmot which had seen service in many a field and 

 had a long list of kills in its favor. 



•'What are you going to do with that shotgun?" was 

 asked by one of the rillemen. "We are not going to the 

 Ozarks to shoot birds, we are going to hunt deer." 



"Yes, I know. I am too excitable to shoot a rifle with 

 accuracy and prefer to use a gun that allows me a liberal 

 margin for faulty aim." 



The hmiters left the train about twenty miles below 

 Pilot Knob, where a friend, whose gaiests they^ were and 

 who was to make one of the party, met them with a team 

 of mules and a wagim. A twelve-mile driA^e brought them 

 to his residence late at night, Avhere they were Avarmly 

 receiA-ed. The locality agreed on for the hunt Avas a tAA'o- 

 days' driA'e Avestward into the mountains, Avhere a typical 

 Ozai'kian dAvelt in peace and solitude among his native 

 hills. He was engaged to take charge of flic ex|)edition 

 and locate the ttamp. He knew all the runs .and stands in 

 that A'icinity and was invaluable as a hunter and a^ guide. 

 He received the visitors with open arms. "On hitch yer 

 teani an' feed. Gome right in, all of ye, and take supper 

 with us, an' stay all night. Haint got many beds, but got 

 plenty to eat.'" 



"No. it's getting late -and we think we'd better keep 

 moA-ing. if you Ayifl tell us where to camp. Ave' 11 drive on 

 and fix for the night and save time and trouble." 



"Why, bless yer souls, no trouble ter me. Olad ter liaA'c 

 yer stay, but if ye Avon't stoji no a\ ay. I'll tell ye Avhar ter 

 go. FoUer this yer I'oad 'liout three mile, tell ye come ter 

 ther forks o' ther crick, and turn iiyi ther rigid hand fork 

 'bout two mile Avheri^ the valley widens out, and ye'll find 

 plenty o' wood an' water an' a good place to pitch yer 

 tent; an' TU be 'long in tlie mornin'." 



True to his word, he was in camp the next morning for 

 breakfast, when he was invested Avith full authority as 

 master of the hunt. 



With the arriA^al of the Ozarkian the rifle brigade had 

 receiA^ed a ucaa' and im])ortant recruit, and tlie lone shot- 

 gun was in a hopeless minority, and its OAviier sul)raitted 

 to considerable good-natured chaffing for coming into the 

 mountains with a gun that he used to kiU quail and snipe 

 with on the prairies. 



•'What would >'er do ef you seed a hear?" was asked by 

 the O/arkian. 



•■Shoot him. of <:ourse: and if one barrel didn't kill 

 him I'd i;'i\e him the otfuii'." 



•• Vou'd a nation sight lietter shin up ertree: you'll be in 

 a heap more ilanu'cr'n the bear Avould.'" 



He jiarried then- tiinists in ihc same vein in Avhich they 

 weve giA^en. and bided his time keeping in mmd the say- 

 ing that he laiuihs liestAvho laughs last. 



Ther(' was at that time an unaccountable prejudice 

 against shotguns aiuoug (lie Ozark hunters for their .sup- 

 |)osed want of killing [lower. ■•I'hey mout do to shoot a 

 robin or a sipiirrel. but in the mountain.s. where you 

 mout i-un on a bear, a. buck, a wildcat or a painter any 

 day. t lii'v \\ an't in the same country A\dth a rifle." It was 

 useless i*> discuss the matter. 



The gun most- populai' with them at that time Avas the 

 old-fa.shioned. long-liari-el, full-stocked rifle, with brass or 

 silver mountings: and these v\'ere effective weapons Avitluii 

 their range in the hands ot skilllul men; and as a hmiter 

 once said to me, "they're good I'or any kind of game from 

 a, sqnii'i-el to a bear." Tliese men had a just pride in their 

 mai k-niaii'-hip. and not Avithout good reason. I liaA'e 

 -eiM] sciiii'-.- made by those bac kwoods riflemen at their 

 shooting matches at iHOyds. off-hand that any city rifle 

 club might AA'ell be pi-oud ot and fcAv could equal! But 

 things have cliauged since then, tor Iavo lines of railroad 

 have penetrated those solitudes; and the shriek of the 

 locomoti\'e ('choc's i'rom mountain and glen ; and improA^ed 

 firearms are now the rule i-athei- than the exception, with 

 [he inevitable result that game of all kinds is rapidly dis- 

 appearing. 



A li a lit tog hung over the valley, the earth Avas moist 

 and everything was fa vc^rable for the morning hunt. In 

 about an hour the caiitam liad placed the men at the 

 diff'ca-ent stands tn his liking, and the dogs were put out 

 on the trails: liut with an eye to business he reserved the 

 best stand for himself, placing our friend on the other 

 side of the stand Avithin easy distance, evidently with the 

 intention of shootmg the deer before it came Avithin range 

 of the shotgTin. 



Our friend, who was as polite in camp as if he were in 

 a, lady's parlor, took in the situation at once, and asJted 

 the Ca.])ta.m if he might change Ms position. "Where do 

 you want ter go?" was asked, "Doavii near the top of that 

 fallen tree in the A'alley. As we are now, if the deer 

 conies through, we are apt to cross fire and might inter- 

 fere Avith one another. It AviU give you the first shot any 

 Avay, and if you miss it, possibly T may take it in." ''Well, 

 in the fii-st place I ain't a goin" ter miss it, if it comes 

 through this yer stand he's my meat sure: an" if you can 

 Avrite, jes put that doAvn in yer book. An' if I should 

 miss it Avhich ain't no Avays ter be considered you couldn't 

 hurt it much Avith that poke stalk o' yourn you call a gun; 

 you couldn't shoot through his hide. Go there ef " yer 

 want ter. It makes mighty little difference where yer 

 stand. You mout as well staid in camp." 



The hounds began to give tongue sloAvly at first, but 

 soon got warmed up to the Avork, and a little later it Avas 

 evident from their music that they were on a liot trail 

 and were coming nearer e\ ery moment, when like a flash 

 a big buck dashed through tlie stand, fauly spinning the 

 earth Avith his feet. The captam fired and missed. The 

 buck kept on his AvaA' acrosss the vaUey toward our friend, 

 Avho Avas as motionless as a statue; but AAdien the deer got 

 opposite to him, he threw the gun to his face and fired as 

 quickly and Avith as little concern as if he were shooting 



at a snipe. The buck didn't eA^en "drop his flag," but 

 kept on his course as if proof against jioAvder and lead. 



One of the riflemen at a stand on the other .side of the 

 vaUey toAvard Avliich the deer Avas miming gaA-e a deri- 

 siA^e chuckle that was not intended as a comphment to 

 the shotgun. It meant, "I told you so, shotguns are no 

 good; jiLst wait and see me drop him,'' 



For some cause the buck turned and ran back on his 

 trail, exposing the other side to the man with the "poke 

 stalk,'' who iniproA'ed his chances hj shooting the other 

 ban-el. The dear ran about 50yds. and dropped on a • 'sand 

 bleach" that had been thrown up by some previous 

 mountain torrent, iioav dwindled to an inconsiderable 

 stream, flowing AA-ith musical ripple down the A'alley, 

 When they got to the deer it Avas hfeless and motionless, 

 and upon examination it Avas found that either shot were 

 fatal. First blood for the "poke stalk." 



The riflemen didn't sIioav much enthusiasm OA"er our 

 friend's A-ictory. The Captain was especial h' chopf alien 

 at the restdt and "allowed there Avas a heap in luck, even 

 in a deer hunt.'' He deolaied that his gun had hung fire. 



It Avas the tm written kw in camp that the man Avho 

 shot the first deer should sleeji in the middle and IkjUI the 

 post of honor until some hunter made a better score; then 

 he was to give Avay to a, luckier man. I'lirlceys didn't 

 count, but they all made room for a bear skiyer. He 

 always slept in the middle and had the softest jjillow. 

 The man AA'ho killed a bear was looked tqjou as a verit- 

 able Samson among his less fortunate camp mates; but 

 as there Avere no bears killed on this trip our friend kept 

 his place and for the following week the shotgun ke])t to 

 the tore. 



The phenomenal lucK ot the poke s-talk' excited lively 

 disf ussion amon^ th( idlemen audit giadually daAAned 

 upon th(.ii [Hii ( p'l'x" tb d th( \. akck bun,; sold but to 

 ,all then iaill(i\ oui fi undent i (jua t < lua kl( and held 

 his place. 1 Ik:^ ()/,a.i^kian contidentiall v a.dirnlted. ''He 

 can shoot right smart, blamed ef he cam t. 



Toward the en<l ol thesecomf Aveek the canqi was in open 

 reA'olt and the miitntcers Avere m a majoritv. Our triend 

 was in a state oi -u _i lln\ \\ anted to hill < n bun and 

 annihilate him in a dozen ddlei'ent ways. It would never 

 do to have the l eport go lia.ck to the citv that a man with 

 an ••elder gun had killed the most game. They Avould 

 be sure to be laughed at, and besides, it might get Into the 

 iieAvspapers. That shotgun must be snp|ircssed at all 

 hazards before it killed all the deer in the O/.arks. Itwas 

 as easy as to bell the cat. If they could only hoodoo it ,so 

 that it Avould miss every shot, or secretly load it to the 

 muzzle so tliat it would kick its OAvner over into Arkan- 

 sas, they AVOuld be bapi>y and Avould forgive him on con- 

 dition tiiat he wouldn't do so anj more. But it was now 

 our friend's turn to laugh, and from the double-edged re- 

 marks he fired l iack at them they found that tliey had 

 caught a tartar, and that he coitld talk as weU as he'could 

 shoot. 



An accidental, hut harmless, discharge of a rifle in 

 camp one mornhig gave him an opportunity for a lectm-e 

 on carelessness, which he Ava.s not slow to improve, and 

 this Avas an unlooked-for chance to turn tlie tal)le,s on his 



tormentors. 



And tliat reminds me of a similar occurrence, followed 

 hy more serious consequences, which took place during a 

 trip to that region two years later. One of the liuntei'S 

 who was A\-atchin.g at a. stand was wounded hy the acci- 

 dental discharge of his gun and came into canqi bleeding 

 and faint from loss of blood. The man in chaige gave a 

 long blast on a horn, which hung on the tent ])ole. This 

 AA'as the signal agreed on for an alarm or an emergency, 

 and the boys left their stands and hurried into camp, and 

 a horseman Ava.s sent on the run for a guide three mile-s 

 from camp to pilot us out of the mountains to a surgeon. 

 Such rude surgery as the caru]3 could furnisli was hastfly 

 called into reqiusition. The wounded man Avas tenderly 

 placed on a pallet in one of the coa ered wagons and eveiy- 

 tliing made rea,dy for a long night'.s driA^e. 



It had been a drizzly, wet day. and was now nearing 

 sunset, and the down^iiuir was iucreasuig. It fell to ray 

 lot to lie one of the p;uly to get him in all possible haste 

 to the nearest surgeon, forty miles distant. Tlie night set 

 in dark and rainy and a liea\ y fog had settled in t ho val- 

 ley. Our guide, on liorseback, carried a light alicad of the 

 team that Ave might lietter see the AA-ay. And such roads 

 • — if they could be called roads: a perfect labyrinth, wind- 

 ing in and out among the mountains, every few miles 

 crossing streams swollen by the recent rains, and every 

 jar of the wagon increased the pangs of the sulTei'ei-. It 

 was R sorry but literal getting out of the wilderness. 



It was 9 o'clock the next morning before we reached 

 our destination. Aoaistliclics were giA^en, an operation 

 Avas performed, the \^•ound dressed, and then the patient 

 was dispatched by rail to his home in Illinois, in care of an 

 attendant. But this is another .story. 



I will not tire yon 'with the details of each day's hunt. 

 During the three weeks they were in camp tliey killed 

 tAA'enty-four deer, and om- friend Avith the "ijuke stalk"' 

 grassed fourteen of them. Skill and luck- c(jnil)incd to 

 give him the A'ictory. It was a new experience to the rifle- 

 men, and they learned there is not so much difference in 

 guns as there is in the men who handle them. 



It Avas now time to break camp. The Ozarkian. who 

 Avas well paid for the trip, waiA-ed all claims to his share 

 of the spoils. '•Wlieu or man with er sliotgun boats me 

 a-sliootin' deer,, it goes niightily agin ther grain." 



"Partner. I feel tha,t way myself. When I started on 

 this trip I didn't think my record as a rifle shot A\ onld be 

 lowered by a man Avitli a popgun. But av hen I look at 

 the deer nieat hanging about tlie camp Ithiulc 1 .see where 

 that margin for faulty aim corries in. Who would have 

 thought the genial salesman of tilanlce & Go, Avould Jilay 

 us such a scurvy trick? But as he agrees to make thing's 

 square by an CA-en diA'ide and has promised not to give 

 us away.' Ave Avoii'i charge it up to him. but extend the 

 hand of feUoAvshb, mu'i ddnk.his health. 



When they - : .mI packing for the return trip, 

 they found ilie ;i;ni overdone the thing, for the camp 

 baggage and vemsou made a heaA-y load A\-ithout any pas- 

 sengers, and liaAijig but one team the fjoy s slu juldered 

 their gtms and inarched, up the hills like little men, and 

 then marched down again on the other side. After a two 

 days' trami) they reached the home of tlieir hospitable 

 friend. There, Avith a good night's rest and a bountiful 

 breakfast they rubbed the kinks out of their legs and 

 pulled out for the railroad station with a Avagonload of 

 A-enison as happy as (.'hildren at Christmas time. 



Cameron. 



