424 
FOREST AND STREAM 
(Nov. 2g, igo2. 
"Hit sho' dutty," said he, gazing down at the little 
mound of black and rust, that ran from the muzzle. 
"Gimme a rag, Mandy?" 
Without question or comment the rag was furnished 
him. Taking a pan of water to the fireplace, the old 
man began the arduous task of putting the old gun in 
commission. Through water after water he rubbed and 
scoured the foul and rusty barrel, until the water began 
tq come back only discolored instead of inky black. With 
a pin he picked at the tube until he could blow through it 
from- the muzzle. Then Avith a bit of bacon rind he 
rubbed the outside until the rust was well covered, and 
the. gun presented quite a respectable appearance. 
He now overhauled the box again, and after long search 
was rewarded by finding his wing bone turkey call. His 
wife, after finishing the dishes, had taken her seat on 
the other side of the fire and knitted away in silence, ut- 
terly ignoring this unusual performance. 
When his preparations were completed, he said, "I 
goin' to bed, now, Mandy, so as to be up early in de 
mawnin'." 
Her curiosity had stood the strain to the limit, and she 
asked : "What yo' gitten vip so early foh ?" 
"I goin' huntin' turkeys in de swamp, an' I goin' gil 
one, too, befo' Thanksgivin' ; hit two daj's off yit." 
The first ray of light glinted on the brown, weather- 
beaten coat of old Eph, well down in the depths of the 
swamp. It was' a sharp, frosty morning, clear and still. 
His -vyife had relented when she found him stirring 
around preparing for his early .start, and offered to get 
him some breakfast, but for this he would not wait, as 
His long-slumbering sporting blood was aroused and he 
wanted to get into the woods by the time game was be- 
ginning to stir.. 
Many a weary mile did the old man trudge that day, 
and many "signs" did he see, but no turkeys. 
ifungry, and all but exhausted, he arrived at home a 
little after noon, to find his wife entirely placated and a 
good dinner waiting. As he ate he explained to her that 
although he had not seen the turkeys, he had found their 
range and wotild go back in the evening and try to roost 
them. 
A little before sunset he took his gun and returned to 
:the woods, remaining absent until some time after his 
iisual bedtime. The old woman was watching at the 
door for him, having become uneasy at his continued ab- 
sence. "I didn't git nary one, but I found de gang en 
roosted um, an' bull' my blin', an' I des bet I do git one 
in de mawnin'," said he, in great excitement. His wife 
was catching some of his enthusiasm, and was beginning 
to have visions of a turkey Thanksgiving dinner. She 
helped him oflf with his muddy shoes, and sat him down 
to a bountiful suppei% while she prepared a lunch for him 
tp carry with him next day. They went/early to bed, and 
after settling down, Aunt Mandy roused np to say : 
"I goin' scratch roun' an' hunt some ches'nuts, to stuff 
,iny tucky wid, in de tnawnin'." 
An hour before day, Eph was stirring, and before it 
was light enough to distinguish objects jn the swamp, he 
was crouched down in the blind, shivering with cold and 
excitement.. He waited until a bird whistled off in the 
.woods, and then got out his turkey call. 
- Once, twice, three times, with shaking hands, he tried 
before getting just the right position in the corner of his 
raouth, and then, "Put! Put! Put!" went forth on the 
still air, a perfect imitation of the timid call of a lonesome 
young turkey. His breath stopped as a quick answering 
call of "Quit! Quit!" came from a turkey in a nearby 
tree. Dropping his caller, the old man grasped his gun, 
wishing with his whole heart that he could tell the exact 
direction of the answering call. - 
Almost afraid to move, he crouched down in absolute 
silence, watching and waiting. Then he heard, off to the 
left, a rustle, the swish of wings, and the unmistakable 
sound of a turkey alighting on the ground. With no 
more noise than a cat would make, he twisted around on 
the ground until he faced the direction of the sound. 
Peering through the branches of the blind, he saw a 
turkey stealing noiselessly up toward him, stopping every 
few moments to peer cautiously around. 
"Dat Mandy's tuckey," he whispered, as he laid his 
cheek to the old gun. "I dis hatter git him." 
Taking careful aim at the full-rounded breast of the ap- 
proaching bird, and waiting until it stopped for a look 
about, he fired. The resounding roar of the gun was yet 
sounding when the old man sprang over the side of the 
blind and made after the turkey, fluttering and threshing 
around, apparently in its death struggles. ^ 
Evidently badly wounded, it yet was making desperate 
efforts to escape. Snatching up a stick, he hobbled after 
it striking at it whenever he came near, but all his blows 
fell short The chase continued for some time, until 
finally, utterly exhausted, the old man fell across a do\yn 
tree, while the turkey,' recovering somewhat from its 
woimds, made good its escape ^-u.*- 
Eph's heart was all but broken, and from the highest 
iov he was cast down to the deepest woe. _ , 
'"What Mandy goin' say to me?" was his first ejacula- 
tion when his breath returned. Having made his way 
back to the blind where he had left the gun he measured 
the distance with his eye to where the turky had stood 
when shot, and found it near enough to almost insure. 
^ "Hit was des nach'ly tuff," said he; *'ole an' tuff. 
Couldn' er kill dat tuckey wid a ax." , ... 
Lon<^ and patiently he roamed the woods, not with any 
hope of success in securing game, but with a desire to 
postpone the sad homecoming. _ 
- A yellowhammer was bagged m the afternoon, and as 
^ he held it in his hand and mentally compared it with the 
lost turkey, tears dimmed his eyes. ' 1 11 des pick it, he 
said "an' tell'Mandy hit wus a tuckey w_en I shot hit, an 
dat a hoodoo was on hit, an' hit swunk " 
This attempt at facetiousness failed to lighten his bur- 
den of sorrow, and it was with a heavy heart he turned 
his weary steps toward home. He had^made a long cir- 
.Vuit and was now at the far edge of ihe swamp, near 
the home of a prosperous planter by the^rtame^of Brown. 
As he turned his attention was ' attracted by excited 
shouts in the direction of Mr. Brown's, and he con- 
cluded to go on and see what was going on there. He 
found Mr Brown and several farm hands m the stable 
lot surrounding a small black mule that had backed into 
a fence corner, trailing a broken halter. 
A young darkey, with torn and dusty clothes, sat on a 
stump rubbing numerous portions of his anatomy, evi- 
dently having been thrown by the mule. 
"Howdy, Uncle Eph," said Mr. Brown, as the old man 
' approached the fence. 
"Howdy, suh," said Eph. 
"Is yo' breakin' de mewl?" 
"Trying to, but the mule is doing the breaking so far," 
with a glance at the boy on the stump. 
"He sho do look wicked," said the old man, as the 
mule hitched around as though aboi't to kick at one of 
the men nearest it. 
"Wicked is no name for it, he is a little black demon, ''^ 
was the reply. 
"He sho do look it," said the old man, as the mule 
spun round, showing the whites of his eyes. 
The old man leaned on the fence resting and watch- 
ing the efforts made to secure the mule for a few 
moments, when his attention was attracted to a fine flock 
of turkeys crossing the other end of the lot. 
A sudden wild impulse took possession of him. 
"Mistah Brown," he called, "what you' gimme if I 
ride dat mewl?" 
"Git out! Uncle Eph. You are no mule breaker. He 
would kill you before you could get a leg over him." 
But the old man meant business, and was now over the 
fence. 
"I has rid mules, bad ones, too, an' I'll ride him ef 
yo' gimme a chanst." 
'H "Well, I will give him to you if you will ride him," 
said the mule owner. 
"I ain' wantin' de mewl, Mistah Brown, but I will ride 
him if yo' gimme one of dem tuckeys, suh," said the old 
man, pointing eagerly to the flock of turkeys feeding in 
the lot. 
"AH right, Eph, if you want to try it, but I am afraid 
he will hurt you." 
"How long is I got to stay on him?" said the old man, 
stripping off his coat and rolling up his sleeves. 
"Stay on until he goes down on the ground and you 
can pick your turkey." 
The old man agreed to this, and the men closed in 
and secured the mule. The old man refused saddle and 
bridle, only stipulating that the mule be held until he 
got on. 
Dragging the animal up to a post and taking a turn of 
the rope around it, the men held him while Uncle Eph 
carefully worked up alongside. 
With ears pointed forward, and the whites of both eyes 
showing, the vicious brute stood until, with a leap and 
scramble, the old man lit on its back. The rope was 
then cast off, and everybody made for the fence. The 
old man clapped his legs to the mule like a pair of close- 
fitting calipers and gripped its slim neck with both hands. 
Quick as a cat the mule sprang into the air, its full 
height from the ground, coming down perfectly stiff 
legged. The old man's hat was snapped off, but his hold 
was not broken. Then faster than the onlookers could 
count the animal kicked for about half a minute, throw- 
ing its hind legs so high that it looked as though it 
would certainly somersault, ending with the old man 
well up on its neck. Then reversing, it reared again and 
again, all but going over backward, with the old man 
hanging in a close embrace around its neck. Then it 
plunged the length of the lot, with quick stiff-legged 
jumps right and left, breaking the old man's hold and 
nearly unseating him several times. Then it tried a 
general mix up of all the mule tricks, rearing, kicking, 
bucking and jumping, fvilly proving its reputation of be- 
ing a bad mule, but though often hanging by a leg, the 
old man was not thrown. Breathless the spectators 
, watched his plucky fight, occasionally shouting words of 
encouragement, but on his part he uttered not a sound. 
The wild' plu'ngirig continued until the mule began to 
show signs of distress, and, finally, in a burst of vicious 
rage, it threw itself down and rolled over, apparently 
trying to crush its rider to the earth. 
Everyone ran to the rescue, and the old man was 
pulled out from the midst of the vicious animal's flying 
hoofs. They waited for him to speak to learn if he 
was injured. Looking up into the anxious face of Mr. 
Brown bending over him, the old man said: 
"Do I git dat tuckey?" 
"You certainly do. Uncle Eph," said that gentleman, 
greatlp relieved; "the biggest and fattest one in the 
gang." 
"Les' go ketch him, den," said the old man. getting 
to his feet. "Dat is a rite peart mewl, suh," said he, as 
they passed his late antagonist, now very much subdued. 
The turkeys were driven into a pen, and Uncle Eph 
was told to take his choice. The old man had his own 
reasons for passing by the big brown and bronze birds 
and selecting a slim, rangy, black one. 
With its feet securely tied he bid Mr. Brown gqod- 
by; gathered up his coat and gun, and laid a straight 
course for home. 
Well into the woods he placed the turkey on a log, 
walked off a short distance and fired his gun at it. It 
showed no signs of being hard hit, so he broke its neck 
with a stick, untied its feet, and swinging it over his 
shoulder, resumed his way. 
"Heah is yo' tuckey, Mandy," said he, walking in on 
the old woman at sundown and proudly holding up his 
prize, 
"Hi, ain' he fine," she exclaimed, an' fat," she added, 
lifting it. "I des knowed yo' was gwine git it, des 
nachly knowed it, an' I got de chesnuts all peeled an' 
■ ready. I des pintedly gwine give yo' de bes' dinnah dat 
any boddy evah eat to-mor'er, des yo' see if I don.' " 
The next day, at neon, after a long and sincere thanks- 
giving blessing had been asked, the old man helped his 
wife to a generous supply of turkey and dressing. 
"Dah," she said, as she disposed of the first mouthful, 
"Dis is tuckey. Dey ain' no meat got sich sweet taste 
as de wil' meat. Hit don' make no diffunce if folks is 
poah, an' kaint buy no tuckeys, if dey has a man what 
kin go in de woods an' shoot bettah ones den anybody 
kin buy." 
And the old man, with one hand under the table rub- 
bing a bruised and aching knee, accepted the compli- 
ment in pleased silence. Louis Hopkins. 
Spot. 
AU communicatioiis intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., New 
York, and not to any individual connected with the paper. 
Spot was only a dog, but I thought more of him than I 
did of a great many men that I have known. 
Spot's mother belonged to a doctor in La Grange, Tex., 
•and in the spring of 1866 the troop of cavalry that I then 
belonged to was stationed there in the Freedmen's Bureau.. 
I was a corporal then, and acted as deputy sheriff for a 
sheriff that had been lately appointed by the military gov- 
ernor of Texas. 
While going up town one day I passed a small fawn- 
colored greyhound in front of the doctor's office, and 
after I had stopped to pet her and had gone on again, I 
found her following me. As it would not look well in 
the sheriff of Fayette county to be caught stealing dogs, I 
chased her back, or thought I did; but when I had got 
to camp I found her close behind me, and taking her to. 
my quarters fed her, then took her home. When I got 
up next morning I found her in camp again, and again 
took her home, but she would not stay there, and after I 
had returned her half a dozen times, the doctor told me 
to keep her. I had expected he would, for he could not 
keep her now unless he kept her tied, and he did not 
want to do that. 
Our captain took a fancy to her and kept her about his 
tent nearly all the time, and when we were ordered 
back to San Antonio, he had her put in the ambulance 
and taken along. From San Antonio we were next sent 
to Camp Verell, an old post long since abandoned. Here 
Nellie, the grej'hound, had a litter of four puppies, tw-o 
males and two females. Three of them were the exact 
picture of herself; the fourth was a white dog, the only 
other color on him being a black spot the size of a silver 
q-aarter under one of his eyes ; he was as large as the whole 
three others when dropped, and kept on getting larger 
every day. 
I examined him and came to the conclusion that he 
was three-fourths greyhound and the other fourth just 
plain dog, and made up my mind that he would be my 
'share of this lot. The bitch was mine, but the captain 
seemed to think she was his. 
When the puppies were about two weeks old, the cap- 
tain paid them a visit one day, then calling me, said, 
"Take that dog to the creek and drown him. He is a 
nuisance here." 
I looked at the pup and could hardly keep from laugh- 
ing. The puppies were nursing, or trying to, but he was 
doing the most of it, shoving the others out of his way. 
He was so clumsy now that when he tried to walk he 
fell all over himself. , - - 
I won't drown him this week, I thought to myself, then 
said, "I think I should have one of these pups, sir." 
"Certainly, if you want one. Select any one of the 
three; I'll keep the other two myself." 
"You can keep three, sir; I will take the white one." 
"Oh, he is a mongrel; he will never be fit for anything 
but to eat and sleep, and make a noise in camp." 
The captain was mistaken about the noise, though. I 
had the dog two years, and never heard him bark. I 
don't think he knew how to bark. 
"I think I can make a dog out of him, sir. ' 
"You will never make anything out of him but what 
he is, a cur. But if you want him, keep him." That 
settled that ; he was not to be drowned now. 
"I'll take him from his mother in. a few days, sir, as 
soon as I think it is safe." 
"You might take him now. That fellow would live 
anywhere. But let him remain here. I don't want you to 
lose your dog." . , , r 1 
I took him from the mother m a few days, for he was 
starving the other three, and taking him into the quarters 
fed him myself. I had no hesitation in taking him into 
those quarters; they were hardly fit for a dog. This 
post had stood abandoned for five years, and the quarters 
were in ruins; they never had been palaces, anyhow. 
When we came here we found them in charge of a herd 
of goats, and it took us a month to get rid of the smell of 
the goats and of their fleas; they left the fleas when w^^ 
turned them out. I had a bunk made of green po!' ? " 
Cwe could get no lumber) in one corner by myself, a 
piling: down a lot of old saddle blankets under it pi-iU^ 
pup m them ; but this bed did not suit him, and m a^g=^ 
time he foimd his way up on top of the bunk ; andg^ 
he had got to be too big for his quarters he alwa^x^^ 
between me and the wall or across my feet and It 
while I had him I never went to the field on aj|^ 
that he did also; then he always slept beside me 
the saddle blanket, and generally went first -t^ 
to be sure of getting his share of it. By the..l« 
five months old he was as large as his motlier. He at 
ward grew to be the largest greyhound I iiav^j^fc seen, 
standing at least two and a half feet high at his.^pl^^ers 
I thought it about time now to begin his educaiffiH, and 
took him out to show him how to hunt jackrabbits ; but 
found that he needed no showing ; he probably had4)een 
hunting them in company with other dogs here for some 
time now; When the rabbit would show it^lf. Spot 
would go for it, and generally did not have to go. far., A 
rabbit when Spot got after him might as well stop and 
wait He caught them by the hindquarters, then held 
them for me to come and get; then if there was another m 
sight (these dogs run altogether by sight), he went and 
got it The rabbits would try doubling on him. Most of 
our dogs when the rabbit did that followed the rabbit, 
doubling when he did. Spot knew a trick worth two of 
that. When the rabbit doubled, as he thought it had, he 
cut across lots and met it. 
I tried him next, after he had got to be a few months 
older, on antelope. He caught them by the throat, threw 
them down, then lay on top of them and held them until, 
I rode up and took charge. Then, if I had not kept him 
waiting too long, he would follow the band and get an- 
other. Three of us mounted took him out one day on 
the prairie that borders the North Concho, just where it 
falls into the Main Concho. This was our favorite ground 
to hunt antelope ; they came in here after water, and the ' 
country back here is as level as a barn floor. Spot found 
a band, just as they were climbing up the bank out of 
the water ; and pulled his first one down, not fifty, feet 
from the bank. He got his next one in less than 6oa| 
yards; and pulled the third one down for me less tha:^ 
half a mile from the river. We kept close behind him ' 
then, and a man would be readv to take the antelope ti 
moment the dog had pviiled it dowm, then let him go . 
another sar I have seen more than once a very fair cart 
