. The shadow of a gun . f time, and the lastbirds were as good as the first, and brought as muchmoney, for all that we kept in good order. Soonafter this Col. Bond left the trade, the Robbinsdied in New York, and the life of the trade died outwith them. No history at this time of game and game killingin Henry County would be complete unless it em-braced the doings of the Mapes Brothers, and espe-cially John Mapes, who has been here since thefirst hunting began. His father was an old residentwhen I first knew him, and I heard it said at thattime his word was as good as his bond. John wasof heav
. The shadow of a gun . f time, and the lastbirds were as good as the first, and brought as muchmoney, for all that we kept in good order. Soonafter this Col. Bond left the trade, the Robbinsdied in New York, and the life of the trade died outwith them. No history at this time of game and game killingin Henry County would be complete unless it em-braced the doings of the Mapes Brothers, and espe-cially John Mapes, who has been here since thefirst hunting began. His father was an old residentwhen I first knew him, and I heard it said at thattime his word was as good as his bond. John wasof heavy, Herculean frame like a gladiator, with aconstitution exceptionally hardy, and now at seventy 208 MAPES BROTHERS CONTINUED. years of age seems likely to remain here some farm was located on the head waters of MudCreek, an inconsiderable stream which finds its wayinto Green River, and these Nimrods traversed itsbanks with such frequency the paths were worn asdeep as that of the Indians along the affluents of. The Nestor of Hunters. the Missouri or Mississippi. They had a trace ofIndian blood in their veins. They were of the na-ture of Gypsies. Hunting, fishing and trapping wastheir pastime, and they descended the valley throughwhich the Creek flowed much as the Northern JOHN MAPES. 209 tribes which overran Rome, not so much for con-quest as to enjoy the fertile fields of Lombardy andPiedmont. When the family grew up the majorpart went westward to the Republican river inKansas. John always bore up the family name forhis exploits with the gun and rod. I have knownhim to hunt snipe all day from five to ten milesaway, in the Fall, and bring his birds to town andsell them every day when there was very littlemarket at five cents a piece. One Fall he luggedhis chickens from the bottom to town the wholesummer through till he was nigh broken he was down the Mississippi in the Fall,sometimes up that stream in the summer. Then hewould be hunting quail in Kansas
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjecthunting, bookyear1904
