Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-09-02
THE OLD BLUNDERBUSS.
The Story of n Silver Dollar and the
Scrape it got a Boy Into.

l NgCh DOWCIS, buJ ~NOHIO
used to tell this story of an everyday
exploit of his:
Once it was gcttin' pretty near the
Fourth of July, and Nick wanted some
money to invest in patriotism and fire
crackers; but somehow, as luck would
have it, Nick had never been so deadly
broke as he was just then. He couldn'i
scare up sixpence in all his clothes, and
what to do he knew not.
While dabatin' with himself whether
it was not best to swap his best and only
jacket for some torpedoes, young Nick
came across old Nick sound asleep,
and by the old mans side there lay,
havin' rolled out from his capacious
pocket, six big shinin' silver dollars.
Imagine young Nick's feelin's; only
two more days till the Fourth of July,
and six shinin' dollars lynn on the floor
right before him.
As rule, Nick Bowers. Jr., was
always through life an honest man, but
he was boy then, and boys don't
count. At any rate, Nick Bowers, Jr. i,
hooked one of those dollars. 1t won't
make any difference to the old man, "
said the youngster to himself, but it
will make heap of difference to me.
The old gent will never know the differ
ence between five and six"
But he did, though. The next
mornin', the old man counted his
dollars and saw that one was missin'
He distinctly remembered havin' gone
to sleep with six dollars, and as dis
tinctly saw that he awoke with only
five.
So he asked his wife, a very quiet and
truthful house body. if she had taken
any of his money. She replied that she
had not
"Then Que of the three boys must
have hooked IT." cried the old man.
r obbed their old father while asleep.
will see the young rascals." So the
old man called upon Nick and his two
brothers in the room which they
occupied jointly-called upon 'em with
big cane.
"Boys," said the old Nick, fouri shin
his cane. "when ! came home last night
had six silver dollars, and when l got
Up this mornin' had but five."
Perhaps mother took the dollar, "
mildly suggested Nick
"No, sir = said the stern parent,
givin' his cane an extra flourish, "your
mother has assured me she has not.
So either that dollar walked off-which
it didn't, or one of you three boys took
it. Which one of you three did? Now,
which one OF you three took that dollar?"
Nick, Jr., asseverated solemnly that
he hadn't seen the stray dollar, and his
two brothers followed suit in the denial
of any knowledge of it, partly to shield
Nick and partly for reasons, as Nick
had promised to give 'em each twenty
five cents out of that dollar.
"Boys," cried the old man solemnly
whirliu' mis- cane portentously, Zone of
you three has done some tall lyin' as
well rs steaiin'. and am goin' TO find
out which one of you three has done it.
So hand me down that gun, Nick. y
pointin' to an old fint-lock blunderbuss
hangin' on the wall.
Nick, Jr., obeyed with fear and
tremblin', wonderin' what on earth
father was goin' to do with that gun.
The old man loaded the old blunder-
buss with powder and buckshot, takin'
his time about doin' it, and putin in a
pretty big load.
Then he fastened the loaded gun upon
the table, deliberately cooked it, tied q
string to the trigger, and takln' a seat
behind the now formidable weapon,
holdn' the string in his hand, with the
cane lyin' on his lap, thus addressed
the astonished and awe-struck boys
particularly Nick:
"Boys, L am bound to find out the
4 &h;af and 10 ,N,,nSpl, hin, OF fbn Ganrs
time. Now / want you, each in your
turn, to come up to the table here and
to blow into the muzZle of that gun
The boy who is innocent of takin' that
silver dollar can blow away as much a:
he likes. Nothin' will happen to him
But when the boy who has taken tha
silver dollar-robbed his kind old father
when asleep, and lied to his father after
ward, with the silver dollar in hi:
pocket-when that bad boy blows intt
that gun there, that gun Will go off anG
that bad boys head will go off with it
Now, come up, boys, in your turn, anc
blow into that gun.
There was a solemn pause for {
minute. The boys looked first at thu
old man, then at the OLD blunderbuss
Gnu tAcIs oOCuiCAb W AOoAOA VA hH
hand, up stepped one of Nlck's brother
and blew into that gun.
Nothin' happened, and then, GROWN
little bolder, the second brothel
stepped up to the table and blew int
the gun.
Now it was young Nick's turn, and a
Nick had that silver dollar in his pocke
at that blessed minute, it can be readil.
imagined that he wasn't anxious to bloN
into that gun.
Still he screwed up his courage, trieC
to look as truthful and honest as the
best OF Sunday school boys with priz
medal in his pocket, and stepped ur t
the table, looked at the blunderbuss
stopped down to the blunderbuss, pu
his mouth to the blunderbuss, but
didn't blow into the blunderbuss.
At the last moment Nlck's courag
failed him and he lodged.
"Nick," roared out the old man
"where is that dollsr?"
Here, father" cried Nick, the trut
dodgin' out of him at last. "Here
father" takin' the dollar out of hi
pocket and handin' it to old Nick.
The blunderbuss didn't go off, br
the cane did.
And Nick never afterward could bea
the sight or feel of silver dollar. ID
always took his money in paper whei
ever possible.
LAUGHING GAs.-Nitrous oxide gas