Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-12-08
Capt. Barker's Gun.

Captain Barker, of Danburry,
owns gun. The gun is a smooth.
bore musket Of venerable pattern.
The Captain does not like to loan
his musket, aad yet has not the
strength of mind TO refuse. AS u
sort OF compromise he loads the gun
half full after using it himself, and
puts 1t in waiting tor the applicant
As may he readily imagined by
tue impartial reader, the weapon is
rarely borrowed twice by the same
party. The other day n man named
Richards borrowed the gun TO go
Oh hunting expedition. The Cap.
tain hesitated in his usual way, but
finally let him have it aud caution
ell him that il was loaded. When
Richards got out of town and was
approaching some water where he
expected TO find something worth
shooting, he dropped the ramrod in
to the gun to assure himself that il
was loaded. The ramfod went
down but half way. Richards give
it sharp shove, but it did not move
any further. The charge half filled
the gun. Richards WAS startled,
and as he thought Of what might
have been the consequences had
he fired that charge, he turned
pale and instinciively felt of the
back of his head. Then he recover.
ed, and smiled TO himself, and drew
the load. aud went on his expedi
ton. Getting ready to return home
in the afternoon, he loaded mp the
musket AS it was when he received
| il. II was also at four o'clock when
he entered the square on South
street. Several men were standing
in front of Parkintou's grocery.
The Captain was among them.
When Richards came up Barker
said:
mo lucky
"No; conldn't hit anything"
GLOW do You like the musketr'
inquired the Captain with nervous
anxiety.
"Well, it rather staggered me ut
first hut | got more used 10 it IA
went," said Richards quietly. at
don't carry well, guessr' he added.
There amt as good gun in this
town. said the Captain with flush
in his face, "if you only knew how
TO use it. IL it loadedr
EYES," said Richards in n sup.
pressed voice, passing the weapon
with tremble 10 his hand that the
Captain might have noticed had he
on his glasses.
"Now, III tell You what III do,
Richards" said the Captain. "You
just put mp your hat again that
tree Gncluding one which stood
about forty PAGES in a meadow sand
III put bullet clean through it.'
"lt's almost a new hat said
Richards. as if hesitating, although
quivering in every nerve, "but I'm
so sure YOU can't hit it with that
gun, Captain, that III run the
risk"
He put mp the hat and came back
and took position back of one of the
posts to the grocery's pOrticO. The
Captain was so busy putting on his
glasses that he did not notice this
prccautiOn.
"Fortunately for me-" observed
the prudent Richards to himself, as
he looked from behind his shelter,
"there amt n man in tue crowd
care cent for, or might attract
suspicion TO warn them to get at a
safe distance"
The Captain secured the right
bead. the company were looking on
with breathless interest, and then
he pulled tue trigged.
There was u terrific explosion, a
chOrous of terrified wells, aud the
confident Captain was in the middle
of the road fiat OF his back, with
the gun tightly gripped in an out
stretched hand, while they stood
motiOnless, with a ring sound in
their heads which for the moment
deprived them ofthe power Of think
ing.
The Captain was the first to re.
cover. He worked himself mp on
his knees, and staring blankly
around, his eyes rested Oh Richards.
who WAS getting over the fence
with his hat in his hand and de.
mure expression upon his face.
"Gentlemen,r he impressively oh.
served drawing hand across his