The weekly clarion., 1869-11-04

within 4 milo of eneh other for five years,
and from the frst Of their acquaintance
there had been mutual feeling Of dis
like between the two families. Then
some misunderstanding about the bound
ary Of their respective farms revealed the
Is6ent fame, and Col. Crickley having
followed Eat buck all one afternoon, and
wounded him, came up to him and found
old Drake and his sons cutting him up
This incident added fuel to the FIRE, and
from that there was nothing the two fam
lilies did not do 10 annoy each other.
One evening DIR. Drake the older was
returning home with his pocket full Of
rocks" from Chicago, whittier he had
been to dispose of a load OF grain Sam
Barstow was with him ON the wagon, and
as they approached the grove which in
tervened between them and Mr.. brakes
house, he observed to his companion:
What beautiful mark Crickley' old
roam is over yonderp
Hang 1t y muttered Drake, $50 it is. "
The horse was standing under some
trees about twelve rods from the road
Inyoluntarily Drake stopped his team
he glanced flrtively around, then with a
queer smile the old hunter took up his
rifle from the bottom of his wagon, and
raising 1t to his shoulder, drew sight on
the COlonePs horse.
Beautiful he muttered, lowering
his rife with the air of man resisting a
powerful temptation. {" | could drop old
Roam so easyi"
Shoot, suggested Sam Barstow, who
loved fun in any shape.
Z" No. no, 'twouldn't do" said the old
hunter, glancing around him again.
81 won't tell, said Sam.
"Wal, l wcl't shoot this, any way, tell
or no tell The horse is too nigh. If he
was fifty rods off instead of twelve. so
there'd be bare possibility of mistaking
him for deer, I'd fly. As it is, I'd give
the Colonel five dollars for shot
At that moment the Colonel himself
stopped from behind big oak, not half
dozen PAGES distant, and before Drake.
Well, why don't you shoot ?"
The old hunter stammered in some con
fusion: "That you, Colonell II was
tempted to, and as l said, I'll give "
for one pull"
"Say an X and it's bargain !"
Drake felt of his rife, and looked at
old Roam
"How much is the hose worth ?" he
muttered in Sans ear.
about fifty"
''Gad, Colonel, I'll do itp Here's
your X"
The Colonel pocketed the money, NUT
tering, :" Hanged if l thought you'd take
me up
With high glee the old hunter put
fresh cap on his rife, and stood up in the
wagon, close sight on old Roam. Sam
Barstow chuckled. The Colonel put his
hand before his face and chuckled too.
Crack, went the rife. The hunter tore
out horrid oath, which | will not repeat
Sam was astonished. The Colonel laughed.
Old Roam never stirred.
Drake stared at his rifle with look,
black as Othello's. " What's the matter
with you, hey2 Fus time you ever sarved
me quite such trick, | swarF"
And Drake loaded the piece with great
wrath and indignation.
People said you'd lost your knack of
shooting" observed the Colonel, in cut
ting tone of satire.
"Who said so? Its lie !" thundered
Drake, :" can shoot
"Look yere, Colonel, can't stand
that" he began.
Never mind, the horse can," sneered
the celeral '.PIl risk you."
Grinding his teeth Drake produced
another ten dollar bill.
"HereP y he growled, "Fm bound to
have another shot, any way"
"Crack away" cried the Colonel, pock-
eting the note.
Drake did crack away---with deadly
aim, too--but the horse di9 not mind the |
bullet in the least. To the rage and un-
utterable astonishment of the hunter, old |
Roam looked him in the face as if he |
rather liked the fun
g Drake" cried Sam, 'eyou are drunk |
a horse at dozen rods--oh, my eyesl"
just shut your mouth, or I'll shoot |
you'll thundered the excited Drake. ''The |
bullets were hollow, I'll swear The man
lies who says l can't shoot Last week |
cut off a goose's head at fifty rods, and |
kin do it agin. By the Lord Harry, Col |
onel, you can laugh, but I'll bet now $50 |
that | can bring down old Roam at one
shot"
The wager was readily accepted. The
stakes were placed in Sans hands
Elated with the idea of winning back his
two tens, and making an x into the the
bargain, Mr.. Drake carefully selected a
perfect ball, and buckskin patch, and
loaded his rifle.
A minute later Drake was driving
through the grove, the most enraged, the
most desperate of men. His rife, inno-
cent victim of his ire, lay with broken
stock on the bottom of the wagon. Sam
Barstow was too scared to laugh. Mean
while the Colonel was rolling convuIsed
with mirth, and old Roam was standing
under the tree.
When Drake reached home his two
sons, discovering the ill-humor and the
nutilated condition of his rife-stock. has
ened to arouse his spirits with piece of
news which they were sure would make
him dance with joy.
''Clear outl" growled the angry old
nan. s. don't want to hear any news
,et away or I'll knock one of you down p
g But father, it's such trickl" l.
Blast you and your tricksl"
g Played off on the old Colonel p
On Lhe Colonel r cried the old man. |
to be interested. "Gad, if
'ou've played the Colonel trick let's
lear it.
Well, father, Jed and this after 8
loon went out for deer !
Hang the deer-come to the trick"
Couldn't find any deer, but thought
70 must shoot something; so Jed banged :
way at the Colonefs old Roan-shot him
cad"
Shot old Roan2" thundered the old
ian.
By the Lord Harry, Jed, did Won
loot the CelonePs hos p