The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-07-19

cent pieces) would make boys pocket as
heavy as it would make his heart light-we
were sometimes annoyed at finding our
selves, on Saturdays, short of ammunition.
Many time had we tried to compound the
villainous saltpetre" with its explosive
mates, sulphur and charcoal, and although
it was easy to produce mixture which
would do well for slow fireworks, we never
could produce gunpowder sufficiently strong
to kill bird or squirrel.
One night, however, during a scarcity of
the kind, had glorious dream By some
lucky hit, the sulphur, saltpetrs and charcoal
had been worked together in such nice pro-
portions that the gunpowder produced was
equal to Duponts best. AHA F." thought
I to myself, as in fancy I deposited about
a gunload of it on my ptlIo,o, and proceed
ed to manufacture another like quantity,
won't we have nice time among the birds
and squirrels tomorrow"
Just then. in my dream, Lorenzo caught
sight of the little black pile, and while my
back was turned, touched it off with a live
coal. | heard the sudden whir-r, and on
looking around saw black stain upon the
pillow where the powder had been, and the
space ABOVE Tue ueu Hueu WIN uio'inS Sioy
smoke.
80, Lorenzol" 1 exclaimed, I" I am so
sorry you burned that powder. 1t was as
good as any you buy in the store, and was
keeping it to shoot with tomorrow"
Lorenzo, | thought made no reply, but
gave me in return mischievous look, which
nettled me. l went on with my dream-work,
made some more powder equal to the first,
laid it also on the pillow-strange place for
it-and a moment after heard the whr-r,
and saw the smoke which proved its fate.
Lorenzo" said I, now in wrath, all in
the dream, of course, did not ask you to
let my powder alone? II you do SO again
Ill, I'll. Take care, sir."
A third time the dream pictured the pow
der made, pile of it laid on the pillow, and
coal mischievously applied by my cousin.
This was more than flesh and blood could
bear; L drew back my left arm, the right
being pinioned by my lying on it, and dealt
him blow-no fdncied one now, but real
blow-hard as | could drive, right on his
forehead, as he lay sleeping face to face
with me, on the very pillow where | had
imagined the powder to have been burned.
How the human mind, so long as it de-
serves the name of mind, can be guilty of
such an inconsistency as to believe that
Lorenzo was walking about with live coal
in his hand, when | knew that he was lying
down, or to believe that he touched off my
powder on the very pillow where his head
was lying, is more than l can now conceive;
but that | did so believe, is manifest from
the facts, and it is also manifest, from my
dealing him blow fairly and squarely in
the forehead, that | must have seen him as
he lay there.
Take that, sir" l said, "and now let
my powder alone ,
Poor Lorenzo, awakened by the blow,
and confused by the angry words seized my
still moving arm, and cried out d" Frank
Frank what is the matter? What are
you striking me fOr?"
Because you burned all that powder l
laid on the pillow was my wrathful reply.
Il never touched your powder" he pro-
tested, in amazement.
But the fact was beyond denial. Three
times had | seen it repeated at that very pill
low and during the past few minutes. The
attempted denial of it to my face, and while
the room seemed to be full of smoke, so ex-
asperated me that freed my arm and struck
him again. OF course we were soon in the
midst of fistcuf, in which am glad to re-
member that Lorenzo had the advantage of
using his right arm as had not. We ex-
changed divers blows and kicks, he, in the
meantime, denying stoutly his having burn
ed the powder, while | as persstently as
serted that had seen him do ii. The
noise awakened my parents in a distant
part of the building, and brought my father
to our door, which he held ajar, while Lo-
renzo and | still grappled each other, and
the words, GU did burn it, sir" and
never touched it, sir were yet passing be-
tween us He remained there silent until
the state of the case was perfectly compre-
hended, and then asked:
Boys, what is all this disturbance
about?"
Frank has been fighting me. uncle"
said Lorenzo, because he says I burned
his powder, when he knows he had none
| to uurn."
Father" said in return 1" | had made
some beautiful powder, as good as any you
will find in the stores, and laid it here on
the pillow. and Lorenzo touched 1T off three
times with live coal from the fire"
| There was no fire in the room, except in
my fancy, and this my father could plainly
see)
81 did not touch it, uncle never saw
it," Lorenzo resolutely added, while my grip
upon him frightened, and my arm twitched
nervously for another blow.
Frank, you foolish fellow" said my
father, who had been bordering the best
mode for arresting the difficulty, and whose
voice quivered with scarcely suppressed
laughter; "you foolish fellow rake Up,
and 90 to sleep"
This oddly worded command was exact
ly what the case required. My father knew
that before Lorenzo could have any peace
that night, it was necessary that should
be awaked, and he knew also that the tone
in which he spoke-so quick, so almost
merry-would certainly waken me. With
out waiting to see the result, he returned
to his room, and as his footballs died along
the stairway, my grasp gradually loosened
upon Lorenzo. who lay painting from the
struggle, and halt-sobbing from modification
Lorenzo-old fellow" said |, in a con-
fused yet coaxing way, there has been
some trouble here tonight. What is it? /"
This was too much fur the poor fellow,
who had been most unwilingly lighting me
IN seli-defense, and whose every blow had
hurt him quite as much as it hurt me-
There was an almost boo-hoo, as he STAN
mered out
You have been fighting me ever so long
because you said l burned your powder"
The whole dream now flashed upon me
with its ludcrous absurdities. could
scarcely find time or breath to say, Twas
all in dream do forgive me.' when I
found myself in the midst of haw, haw, so
merry, that Lorenzo soon united in it. and