HUNTING WITH A VENGEANCE.
“That man received his charge from me.”—Shakespeare.
“That man received his charge from me.”—Shakespeare.
“That man received his charge from me.”—Shakespeare.
“That man received his charge from me.”
—Shakespeare.
My friend butcher Gale has been quail hunting under difficulties. His case is a sad one, and as I feel in somewhat of a rhyming mood at present, I will invoke the gods, and with eyes in “fine frenzy rolling,” proceed to state his case in verse.
“Come leave your hogs,” said lawyer BoggsTo red-faced butcher Gale,“We’ll take a day across the bay,And slather lots of quail.”Soon guns were got, and bags of shot,With powder, wads, and caps,And up the canyons dry and hot,Tramped these two city chaps.Old lawyer Boggs had borrowed dogsWell worth their weight in gold;The setter had a “double nose,”And it of her was told,That she could scent two different waysAs easy as you please;While one nose smelled along the ground,The other sniffed the trees.
“Come leave your hogs,” said lawyer BoggsTo red-faced butcher Gale,“We’ll take a day across the bay,And slather lots of quail.”Soon guns were got, and bags of shot,With powder, wads, and caps,And up the canyons dry and hot,Tramped these two city chaps.Old lawyer Boggs had borrowed dogsWell worth their weight in gold;The setter had a “double nose,”And it of her was told,That she could scent two different waysAs easy as you please;While one nose smelled along the ground,The other sniffed the trees.
“Come leave your hogs,” said lawyer BoggsTo red-faced butcher Gale,“We’ll take a day across the bay,And slather lots of quail.”
“Come leave your hogs,” said lawyer Boggs
To red-faced butcher Gale,
“We’ll take a day across the bay,
And slather lots of quail.”
Soon guns were got, and bags of shot,With powder, wads, and caps,And up the canyons dry and hot,Tramped these two city chaps.
Soon guns were got, and bags of shot,
With powder, wads, and caps,
And up the canyons dry and hot,
Tramped these two city chaps.
Old lawyer Boggs had borrowed dogsWell worth their weight in gold;The setter had a “double nose,”And it of her was told,
Old lawyer Boggs had borrowed dogs
Well worth their weight in gold;
The setter had a “double nose,”
And it of her was told,
That she could scent two different waysAs easy as you please;While one nose smelled along the ground,The other sniffed the trees.
That she could scent two different ways
As easy as you please;
While one nose smelled along the ground,
The other sniffed the trees.
ADVANCE OF THE EXPEDITION.
ADVANCE OF THE EXPEDITION.
ADVANCE OF THE EXPEDITION.
The pointer had peculiar traits;His power of scent was small;But if he saw three birds at once,He pointed at them all.For while his nose would indicateWhere one poor piper sat,His tail, straight as a marline-spike,Would point another at;Then if a third one raised its head,Preparing for the air,That dog would balance on three legs,And aim the other there.With such a pair the quick to scare,And then retrieve the dead,The hunters’ sole remaining careWas how to scatter lead.They traversed gorge and gully low,And many a slippery height,And though their feet did heavier grow,Their game bags still were light.While roving o’er the mountain side,It seemed that every quailWithin the county limits wideWas piping in the vale;But when they would forsake the hills,And in the valleys dive,It seemed as if the heights aroundWith bevies were alive.Boggs had one fault, from childhood brought,More marked with age it grew;He never failed to shut both eyesWhilst he the trigger drew.This plan might do, if lead he threwAt barns or target rings;But frightened quail, when turning tail,Are visionary things.And let him sight, quick as he might,Space still would grow between,And bang! would go the shower of woeJust where the bird—had been.’Tis said those knowing canines knewWhile men were taking aim,Whether or not ’twould be their lotTo gather in some game.So when they saw Boggs shut both eyesWhene’er the piece he fired,They dropped upon their hams and howled,And from the hunt retired.And he as soon could cause a stumpTo walk upon its roots,As from a sitting posture coaxThe two disgusted brutes.Wide was their aim, and wild the game,And when such facts do yoke,There’s many a shot goes off, I wot,Brings nothing to the “poke.”The grains were sown, the fields were mown,The crops proved rather thin;Oft was the raking summons thrown,But slow the heads came in.At last while Gale, just in advance,Was clambering o’er some logs,He got a charge of shot by chance,From the excited Boggs.Then was there rustling there a spell,And as you may suppose,From out the shaking chaparralLinked oaths profusely rose.Boggs dropped his gun and forward run,With apprehension bleached,And this poor lame excuse begunWhen he the butcher reached:“A splendid shot! I quite forgotPrecisely where you stood;The birds flew fast, were nearly passedBehind a screen of wood;“I must let go, or lose a showOf bagging three or four,And in my mind you were behind,Until I heard you roar.”
The pointer had peculiar traits;His power of scent was small;But if he saw three birds at once,He pointed at them all.For while his nose would indicateWhere one poor piper sat,His tail, straight as a marline-spike,Would point another at;Then if a third one raised its head,Preparing for the air,That dog would balance on three legs,And aim the other there.With such a pair the quick to scare,And then retrieve the dead,The hunters’ sole remaining careWas how to scatter lead.They traversed gorge and gully low,And many a slippery height,And though their feet did heavier grow,Their game bags still were light.While roving o’er the mountain side,It seemed that every quailWithin the county limits wideWas piping in the vale;But when they would forsake the hills,And in the valleys dive,It seemed as if the heights aroundWith bevies were alive.Boggs had one fault, from childhood brought,More marked with age it grew;He never failed to shut both eyesWhilst he the trigger drew.This plan might do, if lead he threwAt barns or target rings;But frightened quail, when turning tail,Are visionary things.And let him sight, quick as he might,Space still would grow between,And bang! would go the shower of woeJust where the bird—had been.’Tis said those knowing canines knewWhile men were taking aim,Whether or not ’twould be their lotTo gather in some game.So when they saw Boggs shut both eyesWhene’er the piece he fired,They dropped upon their hams and howled,And from the hunt retired.And he as soon could cause a stumpTo walk upon its roots,As from a sitting posture coaxThe two disgusted brutes.Wide was their aim, and wild the game,And when such facts do yoke,There’s many a shot goes off, I wot,Brings nothing to the “poke.”The grains were sown, the fields were mown,The crops proved rather thin;Oft was the raking summons thrown,But slow the heads came in.At last while Gale, just in advance,Was clambering o’er some logs,He got a charge of shot by chance,From the excited Boggs.Then was there rustling there a spell,And as you may suppose,From out the shaking chaparralLinked oaths profusely rose.Boggs dropped his gun and forward run,With apprehension bleached,And this poor lame excuse begunWhen he the butcher reached:“A splendid shot! I quite forgotPrecisely where you stood;The birds flew fast, were nearly passedBehind a screen of wood;“I must let go, or lose a showOf bagging three or four,And in my mind you were behind,Until I heard you roar.”
The pointer had peculiar traits;His power of scent was small;But if he saw three birds at once,He pointed at them all.
The pointer had peculiar traits;
His power of scent was small;
But if he saw three birds at once,
He pointed at them all.
For while his nose would indicateWhere one poor piper sat,His tail, straight as a marline-spike,Would point another at;
For while his nose would indicate
Where one poor piper sat,
His tail, straight as a marline-spike,
Would point another at;
Then if a third one raised its head,Preparing for the air,That dog would balance on three legs,And aim the other there.
Then if a third one raised its head,
Preparing for the air,
That dog would balance on three legs,
And aim the other there.
With such a pair the quick to scare,And then retrieve the dead,The hunters’ sole remaining careWas how to scatter lead.
With such a pair the quick to scare,
And then retrieve the dead,
The hunters’ sole remaining care
Was how to scatter lead.
They traversed gorge and gully low,And many a slippery height,And though their feet did heavier grow,Their game bags still were light.
They traversed gorge and gully low,
And many a slippery height,
And though their feet did heavier grow,
Their game bags still were light.
While roving o’er the mountain side,It seemed that every quailWithin the county limits wideWas piping in the vale;
While roving o’er the mountain side,
It seemed that every quail
Within the county limits wide
Was piping in the vale;
But when they would forsake the hills,And in the valleys dive,It seemed as if the heights aroundWith bevies were alive.
But when they would forsake the hills,
And in the valleys dive,
It seemed as if the heights around
With bevies were alive.
Boggs had one fault, from childhood brought,More marked with age it grew;He never failed to shut both eyesWhilst he the trigger drew.
Boggs had one fault, from childhood brought,
More marked with age it grew;
He never failed to shut both eyes
Whilst he the trigger drew.
This plan might do, if lead he threwAt barns or target rings;But frightened quail, when turning tail,Are visionary things.
This plan might do, if lead he threw
At barns or target rings;
But frightened quail, when turning tail,
Are visionary things.
And let him sight, quick as he might,Space still would grow between,And bang! would go the shower of woeJust where the bird—had been.
And let him sight, quick as he might,
Space still would grow between,
And bang! would go the shower of woe
Just where the bird—had been.
’Tis said those knowing canines knewWhile men were taking aim,Whether or not ’twould be their lotTo gather in some game.
’Tis said those knowing canines knew
While men were taking aim,
Whether or not ’twould be their lot
To gather in some game.
So when they saw Boggs shut both eyesWhene’er the piece he fired,They dropped upon their hams and howled,And from the hunt retired.
So when they saw Boggs shut both eyes
Whene’er the piece he fired,
They dropped upon their hams and howled,
And from the hunt retired.
And he as soon could cause a stumpTo walk upon its roots,As from a sitting posture coaxThe two disgusted brutes.
And he as soon could cause a stump
To walk upon its roots,
As from a sitting posture coax
The two disgusted brutes.
Wide was their aim, and wild the game,And when such facts do yoke,There’s many a shot goes off, I wot,Brings nothing to the “poke.”
Wide was their aim, and wild the game,
And when such facts do yoke,
There’s many a shot goes off, I wot,
Brings nothing to the “poke.”
The grains were sown, the fields were mown,The crops proved rather thin;Oft was the raking summons thrown,But slow the heads came in.
The grains were sown, the fields were mown,
The crops proved rather thin;
Oft was the raking summons thrown,
But slow the heads came in.
At last while Gale, just in advance,Was clambering o’er some logs,He got a charge of shot by chance,From the excited Boggs.
At last while Gale, just in advance,
Was clambering o’er some logs,
He got a charge of shot by chance,
From the excited Boggs.
Then was there rustling there a spell,And as you may suppose,From out the shaking chaparralLinked oaths profusely rose.
Then was there rustling there a spell,
And as you may suppose,
From out the shaking chaparral
Linked oaths profusely rose.
Boggs dropped his gun and forward run,With apprehension bleached,And this poor lame excuse begunWhen he the butcher reached:
Boggs dropped his gun and forward run,
With apprehension bleached,
And this poor lame excuse begun
When he the butcher reached:
“A splendid shot! I quite forgotPrecisely where you stood;The birds flew fast, were nearly passedBehind a screen of wood;
“A splendid shot! I quite forgot
Precisely where you stood;
The birds flew fast, were nearly passed
Behind a screen of wood;
“I must let go, or lose a showOf bagging three or four,And in my mind you were behind,Until I heard you roar.”
“I must let go, or lose a show
Of bagging three or four,
And in my mind you were behind,
Until I heard you roar.”
BOGGS RETRIEVING HIS GAME.
BOGGS RETRIEVING HIS GAME.
BOGGS RETRIEVING HIS GAME.
He cursed the logs and kicked the dogs,And wished the quail on toast,But that did not take out the shot,Which then was needed most.The doctors who have dressed his woundsHave to his friends declared,That though he is a sorry sight,His sight is not impaired.There is a moral this within,And shaped the times to suit,But lest it should appear too thin,Here’s this advice to boot:—Ne’er venture on a hunting cruiseWith any green galoot,Who shuts both eyes whene’er he triesThe flitting game to shoot.
He cursed the logs and kicked the dogs,And wished the quail on toast,But that did not take out the shot,Which then was needed most.The doctors who have dressed his woundsHave to his friends declared,That though he is a sorry sight,His sight is not impaired.There is a moral this within,And shaped the times to suit,But lest it should appear too thin,Here’s this advice to boot:—Ne’er venture on a hunting cruiseWith any green galoot,Who shuts both eyes whene’er he triesThe flitting game to shoot.
He cursed the logs and kicked the dogs,And wished the quail on toast,But that did not take out the shot,Which then was needed most.
He cursed the logs and kicked the dogs,
And wished the quail on toast,
But that did not take out the shot,
Which then was needed most.
The doctors who have dressed his woundsHave to his friends declared,That though he is a sorry sight,His sight is not impaired.
The doctors who have dressed his wounds
Have to his friends declared,
That though he is a sorry sight,
His sight is not impaired.
There is a moral this within,And shaped the times to suit,But lest it should appear too thin,Here’s this advice to boot:—
There is a moral this within,
And shaped the times to suit,
But lest it should appear too thin,
Here’s this advice to boot:—
Ne’er venture on a hunting cruiseWith any green galoot,Who shuts both eyes whene’er he triesThe flitting game to shoot.
Ne’er venture on a hunting cruise
With any green galoot,
Who shuts both eyes whene’er he tries
The flitting game to shoot.