Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-03-27
: II : :
ID The Colonel. "I'll risk YOu.n

d, Grinding his teeth, Drake produced |
another ten dollar bill.
"sHere ," he. ,growled, 81 am bound
to have another shot, any way"
"CraclS away" cried the Colonel,
pocketing hepote.
Drake did crack away-with deadly
aim, too, but the horse did not mind
the bullet in the least. To the rage
and unutterable establishment of the
hunter, old Roam looked him right in
the face as if he rather liked the fun.
"Drake,n. cried Sam, you're drunk!
A horse at dozen rods-oh, my eyes?
'tJnst shut your mouth, or Pll shoot
you," thundered the excited Drake.
"The bullet was hollow, I'll swear.
The man lies that says I can't shoot.-
Last week 1 cut off goose's head at
! fifty rods. Colonel, you can laugh, but
but I'll BET now thirty dollars, can
bring old roam down at one shot,"
! The wager was readily accepted. The
stakes we' e placed in Sans hands,
/ Eiated with the idea of winning back
his two tens, and making an * into
the bargain, Drake carefully selected a
perfect ball, and even q buckskin
/ patch, and beaded his rifle. A minute
fIater, Drake was driving through the
grove the most desperate of men. His
Iirife, Innocent victim OF ire, lay with
\ Ebroken stock on the bottom ofthe wag-
/ on. Sam Branston was too much fright
ened to laugh. Meanwhile, the graft
fled Colonel was rolling on the ground
convulsed with mirth, and old Roam
4 was standing undistul bed under the
1 trees. Z ,.e...3.- .-.-s rs .a lr.
T. When Drake reached home, his two
| sons discovered his ill-humor, and the
I mutilated condition of his rifle stock
and hastened to arouse his spirits with
piece of news, which they Were sure
would make him dance with joy.
"Clear out" growled the angry old
man, 81 don't want to hear any news;
get away, or shall knock one of you
= down."
eBut, father, it's such trick !"
"Blast you and your tricFs!"
"Played off OH the Colonel"
!, son the Colonel ?n cried the old man
beginning to be interested. "Gad, il
you've played the Colonel trick, let's
; hear it," --sa!g' gJa-,E g..
"Well, father, Jed and I went Out
this afternoon for DEER
,"Hang the deer! come to the trick
: Couldn't find any deer, thought We
must shoot something, so Jed banged
"A away at t,the Coloners old Roan-sho
I'D him dead "yo1- -.t -- 81.
:, ''Shot old Roam !" thundered the ole
man. "By, the wars, Jed, did yo'
. shoot the ColonePs hOss? ?" i.
]. 81 didn'tdo anything else."
''Sold, soldlH' groaned the old hunt
2 er. Ds.;-' -s-lI7nT q. 5.-a- .. 1 l.i.@
! s-f"And then,n pursued Jake, conf
dent that the joke part of the stor.
10 pleased his father, "Jim and proppet
+ the horse up and tied his head bacl
Z with a cord, and left him standing un
o der the trees, exactly as if he wa
ID. ralive. Hal ha! Fancy the Colonel go
g ing to catch him! no hol wasn't it
ii joke?"I .glasa -a. l 1-nias
a h., Old Drake'shead fell upon his breast
/. He felt for his empty pocket, and look
: ed at his broken rifle. Then, in a rue
# full tone, he whispered to the boys
:, SITS jOke!7 But if you ever tell of i
8 7-7or if yousdD Sam. Branston, II
skin you alivei By. the wars, boys
: Tive been shooting atthat dead hOrs
q half an hour at ten dollars a shotp'
II At that moment Sam fell into tn
Egutter. Jed dragged him out insensi
i BILE. Sam, .hadlaughed himself almos
to death. eni 81 lno .s' irand 5i--
Boutwell's Resignation--The Cor