The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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ACTING HONORABLE
By S. C. Turnbo
Among our collection of hunting stories is a few that relates to the shooting of stock through mistake for deer and which gives some idea of a hunters imagination at times when he thought he was shooting at a deer when it was something else.
"Gum" Smith a prominent preacher of the general Baptist people
and who came to Taney County, Mo. and settled a few years on Cedar Creek
and afterward purchased the old Josiah Bone land on Elbow Creek is a native
of Floyed County Indiana where he was born in 1845. Mr. Smith hunted game
as well as preaching to his people and relates a few interesting stories
of forest scenes in Taney County. While hunting one day he through mistake
killed some stock instead of deer which cost him a sum of money. In giving
an account of the accident Mr. Smith said, "I bought me a bran new
Winchester rifle of 48 caliber and started out to experiment among the game
on Cedar Creek which puts into the White River a mile or more below the
mouth of Beaver. I was afoot and was accompanied by a dog which I took along
with me to catch wounded deer if I needed him. There was snow on the north
hill sides and in the deep hollows. The south hill sides and the ridges
were bare of snow. I went along very slow in order not to frighten the game
for I was anxious to try my new gun. Directly I seen two deer and shot one
of them down and shot at the other deer while it was running and knocked
it down but it got up again and ran beyond my view. I let the dead deer
lay where it fell and followed the trail of the crippled one, the trail
of which lead into a steep hollow where there was plenty of snow. Here the
wounded deer fell in company with 4 larger deer and they all went down the
hollow together a quarter of a mile or more when they left the hollow and
passed up a breshy hill side that sloped toward the south where there was
no snow. Here I had to depend on the dog to trail them but I could see their
tracks in places where they had went over soft ground. While I was watching
closely ahead of me for the deer I noticed what I was sure in my own mind
was a buck standing in the bresh. I could see a part of its body through
an opening in the under growth. I stopped and after examining its position
I took aim at it with my Winchester and fired. The imaginary buck did not
move but a second shot put a move on it for at the report of the gun I was
amazed at seeing a yearling mule leap up and kick vigorously then it brayed
and started to run and while grunting very loud fell dead in 20 yards of
where I had shot it. You talk about a hunter feeling in spots all over.
It was myself. I had shot somebody’s mule. After my worst feelings
had somewhat subsided I went to the dead beast to find out if possible who
it belonged to then I would go and tell the owner what I had done. It took
me only a few moments to learn whose property it was for it proved to be
Mr. L. A. Davises who was a neighbor of mine. Right then was the time to
go tell him and own up to it. Not wait until Davis or some other man found
the dead mule and then confess it. And I started off toward Davises house.
As I went on up the hill a few paces I seen a few horses further up the
hill. Among them was a gray mare which also belonged to Mr. Davis This mare
was walking a circle at a rapid gait with her nose to the ground. Her body
and legs were jerking and trembling. She was acting very strange. I looked
back down the hill and found that she was nearly on a line with the mule
where I had shot from, then an awful suspicion overwhelmed me. I had shot
this mare also. Ah such an unlucky man I am I thought but let come what
may I will act in an honorable way about it. I will go tell Davis about
my shooting and killing his stock if it takes all I have got of this worlds
goods to pay for it. I stood and watched the wounded mare until I was convinced
that she would die. I made no effort to do anything to relieve her suffering
for it was useless. Very soon she quit going in a circle and went straight
forward and I followed her near four hundred yards when she fell and was
dead in a few minutes. I went on to Davises and broke the news to him as
gentle as I could and he informed me that the death of his mare and mule
would cost me $150 which I paid without a murmur. My new Winchester rifle
and the days hunt cost me dearly but I learned an important lesson from
it and that was when I went out into the forest to hunt I never aimed my
gun at anything and pulled the trigger until I knew to a certainty what
I was shooting at.
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