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_ TS SPORTSMAN TOU 



The Toling Dog 
Duck Shooting in Parbuckle Cove 
O’Learey ‘“‘When the Fine was Off” 
HE envelope was very dirty, and had the 
T words “In Haste’ scrawled across it, I 
opened it and discovered a dirty 
sheet of paper, written over in pencil, and a dol- 
lar bill. 
Dear Sir—something has got the miss with my toling 
The communication ran as follows: 
dog. He won’t eat nothing and his eyes is all materated 
he lies under the stove all day and shakes all over he’s 

got the nose of a horse with episoox i herd you was 
good cn dogs so i send you 1 dollar plese send me 
some medcin an any ballance i will pay next lobsters 
i ship 
Your respeckful, 
P. O’LEarREy. 
the name of goodness is a ‘toling 
“What in 
dog, I asked my assistant. “How big is the 
beast, and what breed is it, or has it any breed 
at all?” 
never heard of such an animal before,” he 
replied, “but it’s pretty clear that the writer has 
a dog in an advanced stage of distemper and 
values him at more than a dollar.” 
[ made up and sent it with 
minute directions as to its use to P. O’Learey, 
Parbuckle the day I the 
commandant of revenue cutter Cormorant 
and asked him where Parbuckle Cove might be, 
and if he knew one P. O’Learey of that place. 
some medicine 

Cove. Later in met 
the 
“It’s a little place down in Lunenburg county, 
about fifteen miles from any railway. There's 
about ten families of O’Leareys there, but which 
“P.” wrote you I can’t say. There’s Peter and 
Philip on one side of the cove, and Paul and 
Patrick on the other; Pius used to live at the 
head of the cove, but he’s been in jail for the 
last three months.” 
Ten days later I received another letter signed 
“Your respekful, Patrick O’Learey,” informing 
me that “the like clear mad- 
and the dog was on the road to recovery. 
writer also informed me that he wouldn't 
a hundred dollars for his dog, and if ever 
I came to Parbuckle Cove “when the fine was 
off,” and there were any ducks going, he would 
medsin worked 
take 
give me some good shooting. 
I thought no more of the matter at the time, 
but early that fall my business took me into 
Lunenburg county, and I ran across a man who 
knew Parbuckle Cove and Patrick O’Learey. He 
half 
By EDMUND FE. L. JENNER 
was not a sportsman himself, but he assured me 
that O’Learey was a first-class guide, and owned 
“one of the finest bird do Canada.” The 
following day I left the stage at the head of the 
cove, and proceeded on foot to Mr. O’Learey’s 
gs in 
house, which lay about a mile from the post- 
office. I had walked about half the distance, 
when I met a ragged, bare-footed urchin. I 
asked him how far it was to my destination. He 
stared at me open-mouthed for a moment, then 
turned and ran like the wind. I assumed he was 
some imbecile, not sufficiently insane to be shut 
up, and proceeded on my way. 
Patrick’s the third 
cove. [ passed 
house was one down the 
the 
attracted considerable 
I put this down to my being dressed 
in a ducking suit which bore some resemblance 
khaki uniform. 
noticed, as [ 
that 
attention, 
other two 
houses, my presence 
to a The house was not at all 
an imposing one, and the presence of a large 
flock of geese, a couple of shoats and a black 
ram tethered to a heavy log, in the place which 
should have been the garden, did not add to its 
appearance. I the front door, and 
before I could knock it was opened by an athletic 
went up to 
looking middle aged woman. 
“What might you be wanting round here?” she 
inquired. 
“IT want to 
see Patrick O’Learey. Does he 
live here?” 
“He does that—when he’s to home. He's 
away to Halifax now.” 
“When will he be home?” 
“What business of yours is that?” 
“I don’t mind giving a civil answer to a civil 
“Last a Mr. Patrick 
O’Learey, of Parbuckle Cove, had a sick dog 
which he valued very highly. 
question,” I replied. year 
He wrote to me 
about it, and I sent him some medicine which 
cured it. He wrote to me and told me that if 
I ever came to this part of the world he would 
give me some Perhaps 
this is the wrong house; but whether it is or 
not, I’ve never been 
came to Nova Scotia. 
“Hold 
go; “if you're 
good duck shooting. 
treated so rudely since I 
Good morning.” 
I turned to 
cured Gelert I 
cried the 
the 
on,” woman as 
man who 


























































with Patrick : 

| 
I 
wouldn’t have spoke to you like that for a thou-|i 
sand dollars. Can you prove who you are?” | 
I produced a couple of letters from my pocket| 
and a card from my card case. Ei 
“Here, Pinkham, you come here and read the): 
writing on the man’s papers,” she cried. t 
The same boy I had seen on the road camek 
forward, and looked at the documents. The boy} 
spelt the words out aloud, E.-F.-L. J-e-n-n-e-r,| 
D-i-g-b-y.” 
The woman’s manner changed at once. 
right in, sir. 
i 
“Walkti 
I feel awful bad about the way I) 
spoke to you, but I really thought you were the(f 
policeman from Lunenburg town.  Pinkham,| 
you run right off and tell your father that the| 
gentleman who cured Gelert is here, and there) 
isn’t no constable come on the coach. Not thatiy 
that’s kitchen. This way; 
this is the room the priest always has.” ik 

way, Sir; into the 
She showed me into a small decently furnished‘ 
room which was far cleaner than I expected tor, 
find it, pulled up the blinds, and excusing her-i 
self for her untidy appearance, proceeded to ex-|| 
plain matters. Mm 
Patrick and} 
his lying, thieving cousin Pius had some words): 
over a pile of rock weed. Patrick’s a civil, peace-| 
able man, and when Pius drew off to strike him! 
with the pitchfork he tried to fend him of with! 
an oar. Somehow Pius knocked the oar against [il 
his own head, and yesterday he went to Lunen-{t 
burg to get law on Patrick. He swears Patrick} 
beat him when he was down, and chased him fi 
with his own fork when he got up and ran. He’s} 
a dreadful man. We have to keep Gelert tied ' 
in the barn for fear he'll poison him or swear |i 
“We're in trouble just now, sir. 
\ 
to seeing him chase sheep.’ | 
Her remarks were cut short by Mr. O’Learey’s 
entrance. From the hayseed, which covered his fi 
clothes, and the presence of divers’ straws on!" 
his apparel, I imagine he had been concealed in Itt 
the haymow of his barn. A recent black eye|? 
showed that the difference of opinion between' 
the cousins hadn’t been altogether a one-sided 
affair. He greeted me as if he had known me i 
all his lifetime, but without any undue familiarity. i 
Then he told the boy Pinkham to yoke the | 
f 


