Cowboy's Dove Creek Shoot

Mrs. Mulbear said, “Hey Cowboy, I hear you are making a trip to Dove Creek. Can you shoot me a few doves for dinner? If so I will make an apple pie just for you.” Cowboy could not resist the offer and responded, “Yes Ma’am, I will try to get a dozen for you. I’ll be back late tomorrow afternoon.” Cowboy fetched his old blackpowder shotgun and a bag full of lead shot, powder, caps and some wadding. He loaded up his gear and headed toward Dove Creek. Cowboy arrived mid-afternoon and the doves were in the cottonwood trees along the creek. He staked his horse a few hundred yards away, got his double barrel shotgun and pouch, and he eased up to the tree line. He loaded the gun with powder, primer, wad and cap. Cowboy took aim at a big dove and downed it on the fly. The other doves were startled and flew out one-by-one. Cowboy plugged another dove and then had to reload. After a while the doves returned to the trees and Cowboy had about 8 or 9 doves piled up below his ambush point. Cowboy reached into his pouch and “Dagnabbit”, he didn’t have any more wadding. He would have to stop shooting without wadding to put between the powder and pellets. Then Cowboy remembered he had an old newspaper in his saddlebags. He would use that. After loading his shotgun with the paper wads he waited for a dove to fly by. Cowboy fired in the air “Kaboom!!”, wth an unexpected blast of flaming paper coming out of the barrel. The paper settled into the dry grass around the trees and started a fire. Cowboy tried to stomp it out to no avail. Another lesson Cowboy learned is you can’t pee enough to put out a grass fire. An old rancher walked up to Cowboy and handed him a bucket. He said, “Son, you better make sure this fire is out before you hightail it out these parts”.