Saturday Night at the Head of the Neck

ACCOMAC CO., Va., July 16th. -- Editor Forest and Steam: -- There was a great meeting of the "Neckers" at our store last Saturday night. After the boys had spun their yarns, in good order, some dropping quail in crossing a four-foot path, resting their arms on fence rails, killing with their guns "kicking up behind and before," bagging coons, opossums, etc.,etc., Uncle Mike Jones put in an appearance by stating that his father had often related to him the prowess of his grandfather in the use of a gun, which he had imported from Holland, known as "the old pewter piece," and, amongst other things, described his wholesale destruction of blackbirds on one occasion, when he swung her around an oat stack, and killed all the way around, the charge terminating in taking off the skirts of his long-tailed blue, whereupon, being an ardent admirer of old "tangle-leg," he proposed a drink.

John Bush, whose inclinations had turned, for several years, toward the "biled owl" fraternity, having been a great listener, put in a word, which he said in no way was meant as disputing the flexibility, under curved pressure, of the gun of Mike's progenitor, stated that he, on one occasion, had made a shot somewhat alarming to tell, yet, as there still walked two living witnesses, he would relate that the occasion did not arise by putting his piece in a circular attitude, but that he held it straight from the shoulder, and left dead on the sand 350 assorted birds, curlew, snipe, etc., and, in candor, believed that as many more fluttered off, wounded, on the water. Uncle Mike spoke up and asked: "If but one barrel?" "Only one." "What size shot?" "Fours." "Two ounce charge?" "About." "Will some gentleman be so good as to count if there are 700 pellets of fours in two ounces." Now, you see that things began to look rather "cornerfied" for John, and as the old "tangle-foot" was working up to the usual standard, it was plain that something must be done, for the double purpose of staving off muscular action, and to drive the two heroes of the evening to an alliance, and nothing short of the "Western Farmer" could accomplish that end, so Cousin Burton stated that on one occasion a Western farmer had done wonders without good results, and he would be glad to have their attention to hear it. Silence having been reached, this old coon hunter went on to say that this farmer had constructed a level floor for the purpose of baiting wild pigeons, and after alluring them to his place in great numbers concluded he had better secure some profits for his outlay. With a double charge in his old fusil he lashed it to two posts and lay in wait. When all things were ready, and pigeons had come in such numbers as to lead him to anticipate the need of a wagon to carry off the dead, he gave a grunt to start the birds on the wing, and pulled the cord, when lo! not one bird was left prostrated on the field, having pulled too late by one and three-quarter inches.

"Well," says Mike, "nothing very remarkable about that."

"But I was going to say that he swept up nine and half bushels of legs and feet."

"Oh! Come, John, come, s'pose we have just one nip and go."

"I don't want any, " said Bush; "that pigeon affair is all that I can carry."

T.G.E