How Nathaniel Bumpo Aquired Killdeer

Posted by Marc on March 30, 2002 at 15:40:22:

Hello all... I found this on one of the Trekking boards I hang out on. Thought some of you might find it interesting.

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"Hurry set about repairing his moccasins, by the light of a blazing knot; Chingachgook seated himself in gloomy thought; while Deerslayer proceeded, in a manner equally free from affectation and concern, to examine "Killdeer," the rifle of Hutter, that has been already mentioned, and which subsequently became so celebrated, in the hands of the individual who was now examining its merits. The piece was a little longer than usual, and had evidently been turned out from the work-shop of some manufacturer of a superior order. It had a few silver ornaments; though, on the whole, it would have been deemed a plain piece by most frontier men; its great merit consisting in the accuracy of its bore, the perfection of the details, and the excellence of the metal. Again and again did the hunter apply the breech to his shoulder, and glance his eye along the sights, and as often did he poise his body, and raise the weapon slowly, as if about to catch an aim at a deer, in order to try the weight, and to ascertain its fitness for quick and accurate firing."

--"The Deerslayer"

It was given to him by Judith Hutter, daughter of "Floating Tom" Hutter after he died of wounds received at the hands of the Huron.

Thomas Hutter was master of Muskrat Castle in (literally in--it was built on pilings) Otsego Lake, N.Y. (Now Cooperstown)

Of Floating Tom, the book said:

""Why, as to old Tom's human natur', it is not much like other men's human natur', but more like a musk-rat's human natur', seeing that he takes more to the ways of that animal, than to the ways of any other fellow-creatur'. Some think he was a free liver on the salt-water, in his youth, and a companion of a sartain Kidd, who was hanged for piracy, long afore you and I were born, or acquainted, and that he came up into these regions, thinking that the king's cruisers could never cross the mountains, and that he might enjoy the plunder peaceably in the woods."

The time was early 1740's.

Follow Ups:

• Re: How Nathaniel Bumpo Aquired Killdeer Scott Bubar 10:41:10 4/01/2002 (3)
  • Re: How Nathaniel Bumpo Aquired Killdeer Marc (who's somewhat embarassed...) 15:22:30 4/01/2002 (1)
    • Re: How Nathaniel Bumpo Aquired Killdeer Scott Bubar 19:51:52 4/01/2002 (0)
  • Re: How Nathaniel Bumpo Aquired Killdeer Marc 10:54:37 4/01/2002 (0)

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: Hello all... I found this on one of the Trekking boards I hang out on.  Thought some of you might find it interesting.

: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

: "Hurry set about repairing his moccasins, by the light of a blazing knot; Chingachgook seated himself in gloomy thought; while Deerslayer proceeded, in a manner equally free from affectation and concern, to examine "Killdeer," the rifle of Hutter, that has been already mentioned, and which subsequently became so celebrated, in the hands of the individual who was now examining its merits. The piece was a little longer than usual, and had evidently been turned out from the work-shop of some manufacturer of a superior order. It had a few silver ornaments; though, on the whole, it would have been deemed a plain piece by most frontier men; its great merit consisting in the accuracy of its bore, the perfection of the details, and the excellence of the metal. Again and again did the hunter apply the breech to his shoulder, and glance his eye along the sights, and as often did he poise his body, and raise the weapon slowly, as if about to catch an aim at a deer, in order to try the weight, and to ascertain its fitness for quick and accurate firing."

: --"The Deerslayer"

: It was given to him by Judith Hutter, daughter of "Floating Tom" Hutter after he died of wounds received at the hands of the Huron.

: Thomas Hutter was master of Muskrat Castle in (literally in--it was built on pilings) Otsego Lake, N.Y. (Now Cooperstown)

: Of Floating Tom, the book said:

: ""Why, as to old Tom's human natur', it is not much like other men's human natur', but more like a musk-rat's human natur', seeing that he takes more to the ways of that animal, than to the ways of any other fellow-creatur'. Some think he was a free liver on the salt-water, in his youth, and a companion of a sartain Kidd, who was hanged for piracy, long afore you and I were born, or acquainted, and that he came up into these regions, thinking that the king's cruisers could never cross the mountains, and that he might enjoy the plunder peaceably in the woods."

: The time was early 1740's.


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