792 
FOREST AND STREAM 
There Was a Peculiar Enchantment in the Silent Trip That Bright October Morning That Lulled Bill’s Senses and Deadened Them to Recollections of 
the Past. 
of the same diameter as the pond. It is not de¬ 
nied that the theory of ballistics involved in the 
Baron’s practice lacks general acceptance; but if 
he was actually as successful as he asserted, it 
follows, in view of the opinion of the fire arm 
experts, that Bill’s weapon though eccentric in 
conduct, exhibited at least one of the features 
considered essential for all round shooting. 
Notwithstanding these insignificant variations 
of the shot gun—in reality an old, muzzle loading 
musket—from conventional construction and 
performance, its area of efficiency was suffi¬ 
ciently remarkable to deserve mention. If, on 
being held at a reasonable distance from the 
wagon shed, it was discharged at the end of that 
shot scarred structure, fresh shot marks were 
likely to be discovered at each of the four cor¬ 
ners thereof as well as at the peak and along the 
sill. It was even contended by some zealous 
supporters of its virtues, that a number of shot 
entirely missed the shed and spent their force in 
space at either side: which contention, if sup¬ 
ported by proof, would establish a still greater 
range of efficiency than it has been thought wise 
to claim at this time and place. This peculiar 
trait, though considered of doubtful value by a 
certain class of sportsmen, to a considerable ex¬ 
tent probably offset the irregularity asserted to 
exist in the contour of the barrel, and enabled 
Bill to bring down game that, had the barrel been 
geometrically accurate, he probably would have 
missed. 
It may be proper to add that the old musket 
after long years of service, rounded out its 
career in accordance with the most approved 
traditions, by bursting itself in remonstrance of 
a probable overload at the hands of the over- 
ambitious Bill. This act of self destruction was 
made complete by the separation of all but a 
small portion of the barrel, from the stock, and 
its total disappearance into space. Though the 
unharmed and astonished young Nimrod made 
diligent search all about the scene of the disas¬ 
ter, he was unable to discover the missing mem¬ 
ber; and fearful of being chided for the loss of 
a valued family asset, apprehensively started 
homeward carrying the corpse of the stock to 
exhibit as proof of the accuracy of his expla¬ 
nations relative to the incident. 
In addition to these diverse accomplishments 
as a youthful hunter, Bill had also whipped the 
Neversink—-East and West branches—Beaverkill 
and Sundown streams, in his boyhood days. Once 
in after years, too, he somewhat surpassed the 
efforts of Simple Simon, in lunging from a 
launch with a boat hook at a sleeping dog fish; 
whereupon, his aim being poor the hook met 
with no greater resistance than was offered by 
pea green sea water, and he instantly did a 
“spread eagle” on the surface of the calm sea; 
but was presently rescued and hauled back into 
the launch by a friend who had recovered the 
harpoon, and inserted its hooked extremity into 
the rear of Bill’s trousers. 
In view of his bucolic tastes, his early environ¬ 
ment, and the sporting experiences just disclosed, 
it is a natural conclusion that he would be in¬ 
clined to favorable consideration of any proposal 
involving an excursion into nature’s undisturbed 
domains. Such, indeed, was the case, though his 
desires did not comprehend anything more ambi¬ 
tions than resorting to the primitive conditions of 
camp life, merely for the recreation and physical 
rehabilitation thereby to be obtained, but to every 
such proposal, hindrances of an economic nature 
that he could not well overcome uniformly pre¬ 
sented themselves, and he therefore arrived at 
the conclusion that he should never be able to 
extend his experiences in that direction. Eventu¬ 
ally, compelled by the dictum of a medical prac- 
tisioner inclined to substitute hygienic and die¬ 
tary measures for the administration of selec¬ 
tions from the pharmacopoea, he found that a 
prospective pleasure had developed into a stern 
necessity; and in a state of some uncertainty 
sought out his friend Aeneas who, on a certain 
occasion had referred to him as “not such a bad 
skate when you come to know him well,” and 
communicated to him the suggestion of the med¬ 
ical authority. To what extent the solecism of 
his friend rehabilitated Bill’s character, is not 
known; but that it indicated the existence of 
somewhat intimate relations between the two, is 
reasonably clear. Friendships, it is well under¬ 
stood, are not uniformly logical. Bill, for in¬ 
stance, was somewhat sentimental, while Aeneas 
was intensely practical; and in many other re¬ 
spects also their characters were antithetical. 
Nevertheless, for some occult reason they got on 
well together and even acquired a certain regard 
for each other. When, therefore, Bill concluded 
his disclosure of the situation Aeneas bluntly 
demanded: 
“Well, you’re going, aren’t you?” Then he 
forestalled Bill’s answer by adding: 
