Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-07-23
From the Georgia Scenes.
TILE SHllTINE.MATGH.

were twenty-five or thirty years ago. Chance
led me TO one about year ago. was trav-
cling in one of the northeastern counties,
when I overlook a sworthy, bright-eyed,
smerky little fellow, riding small poney, and
bearing on his shoulder long, heavy rifle,
which, judging from its looks, should say
had done service in Morgan's corps.
Good morning, sir p said I, refining up my
horse as l came beside him.
How goes it, stranger? said me- WIN
tone of independence and self-conhdence tfaI
awakened my curiosity to know little OF MS
character.
Going driving " inquired [.
Not exactly replied he' surveying, my
horse with quzzical smile; i haVn't been
a driving by myself for year or two and my
nose has got so bad lately, can't carry
cold trail acitlsout hounds to help me-
Alone, and without hounds as he was, the
question was rather silly one; but it an
swered the purpose for which it was put,
which was only to draw him into converse
ton, and proceeded to make as decent re-
treat as | could.
l didn't know said l, but that you were
going to meet the huntsmen, or going to your
stand
All, sure enough rejoined he, that mout
be bee, as the old woman said when she
killed wasp. 1t seems to me | ought to
know YOU
Well, you ought, why don't you ?
What mOM your name be ]?
Ii might be anything said |, with bor-
rowed wit; for knew my nah, and knew
what kind of conversation would please him
most
Well, what is it, thenp
1t as HAIL. said but you know it might
as well have been anything else
Pretty digging said he. Il find you're
not the fool took you to be; SO here's to a
better acquaintance with you
With all my heart returned l but you
must b. as clever as rve been, and give me
your name
To be sure will, my old coon take it,
take it, and welcome. Anything else about
me you'd like to have"
No. said |, there's nothing else about
you worth having
oh, yes there is, stranger! Do you see
this" holding up his ponderous rifle with an
ease that astonished me- If you will'go with
me to the shooting match, and see me knock
out the bulFs-eye with her few times, you'll
agree the OLD Soap-Stick's worth something
when Billy Curlew puts his shoulder to her.
This short sentence was replete with infor-
nation TO me. 1t taught me that my COM
panion was Billy Cmlep; that he was going
TO a shooting match; that he called his rifle the
SOGp-Stick, and that he was very confident of
winning beef with her or, which is nearly,
but not quite the same thing, driving the cross
With her.
Well, said I, if the shooting match is not
too far out of my way, I'll go to it with pleas
ure.'
Unless your way lies through the woods
from here said Billy, it'll not be much Out
OF your way; for it's only mile ahead of US
and there is no other road for you to take till
you get there and as that thing you're riding
In ant we'll suited to fast travelling among
brushy knobs, L reckon you won't lose much
by going by | reckon you hardly ever was
at a shooting match, stranger, from the cut OF
your coat ?
ooh yes returned I, many time won
beef at one when | was hardly Old enough to
hold a shotgun of-hand.'
Children don't go to shooting matches a.
bout here said he, with smile of increduli-
ty. | never heard of but one that did, and
he was little slyinge cat. He was born a
shooting, and killed squirrels before he was
weaned.'
Nor did ever hear of but one,' replied I,
and that one was myself
And where did you win beef SO young.
strangers"
AT Berry Adams's'
why, stop, stranger, let me look at you
good Is your name Lyman Hall"
The very same,' said |.
Well, dang my buttons, if you an'tthe We
ry boy my daddy used to tell me about
was too young to recollect you myself; but
I've heard daddy talk about you many time
believe mammy's got neck handkerchief
now that daddy won on your shooting at Col
len Reds store, when you were hardly knee
high. Come along, Lyman, and I'll go my
death on you at the shooting match, with the
old Soap stick at your shoulder
'Ah Billy said |, the old Soap-stck will
do much better at your own shoulder. 1t was
my mothers notion that sent me to the shoot
ing-match at Berry Adams's and, to tell the
honest truth, it was altogether chance sho
that made me win beef but that wasn't gen
orally known and most everybody believed
that was carried there on account of my skill
in shooting and my fame was spread far ant
wide, | well remember. | remember, too
perfectly well, your fathers bet on me at thu
store. He was at the shooting match, ant
nothing could make him believe but that
was great shot with a rifle as well as shot
gun. Bet he would on me, in spite of all
could say, though assured him that | hat
never shot rifle in my life. 1t so happened
too, that there were but two bullets, or, rather
a bullet and a half ; and so confident was you
father in my skill, that he made me shoot tn
half bullet; and, strange to tell, by anothe
chance shot, like to have drove tie eros
and won his bet'
Now know you're the very chap; for
heard daddy tell that very thing about tn
half bullet. Don't say anything about it, Ly
man, and darn my old shoes if don't tare tn
- lint off the boys with you at the shooting
match. They'll never 'spect such looking
man as you are of knowing anything about
rifle. I'll risk your chance shots
| soon discovered that the father had eate
sour grapes, and the sons teeth were on edge
for Billy was just as incorrigibly obstinate i
his belief of my dexterity with rifle as hi
father had been before him.
We soon reached the place appointed fc
the shooting match. 1t went by the name {
SIms's Cross Roads, because here two road
lntersected each other; and because, from tn
time that the first had been laid out, Archibal
Sims had resided there. Archibald had bee
justice of the peace in his day (and where
the man of his age in Georgia who has not y
consequently he was called Squire Sims.
is the custom in this State, when a man ha
once acquireda title, civil or military, to fore
it upon him as long as he lives; hence tn
countless number of titled personages VIII
IL oh