Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-06-14

West Virginny kin beat me shootin'.
Hold on now Thar he is under that
rock. Yer too far-back a bit-thar!"
| had a wire running to a small float
from this one, which [ got hold of from
the boat As Tim fired l ierked the
frog into the water. ''Missed again, "
[ said. Better let me kill them with the
oar, Tim"
"Go-Well, [ never said Tim, think
inc better of it. ''Thet bar must hev
chawed the bar'I crooked when he bit
off the sight, and Tim sighted along
his gun. mo, faint 'Taint the pow
der, neither, nor the cap, nor the ball,
COZ | run 'em myself. BY gosh! Col
onel hits the patches. made 'em out
NV Seth Jones old boot legs, an he's
allus drunk. Hits the derned patches.
They's so used to wobblin' they can't
stop, an I soaked em, too; / thought
the water smelled of whisky"
''Pshaw! Tim. You re like all the rest
here. You're the best man until you're
tried. Amy boy ought to shoot a frog"
''NOw, loOkee yer, Colonel; | wouldn't
low ledge on the bench to say l can't
shoot, nOhOW, without gettin' fined for
the ledge he was an ole fool An I
told him eff he'd take off the fine I'd say
he were no bigger fool nor any other
teller that nd say what he did, an ketch
him nOugh live minners for a weeks
1ishin up our way, coz / couldn't pay
the fine, an he let me off an came for
the MINERS. I've shot a deer through
two noots to wonst an HIM Il runn1n'-
on bet-an say [ can't hit frog!
Let's see another I'm an I'll swoller the
ramrod eff | don't git him.
The next one was wired to q loo, so
that balls would not knock him off, but
a good side stroke would. lie soon
came into full view, and Tim hailed him
with delight. Gosh! LoOkee thar at
him scrouchen, punched up ready for
sprawlen. [ had q rifle / traded for
onst that 'ud a gone off itself if it were
dared like that. - Bang! The FROG
shook, but held his ground Tim swore
a streak and stamped, flung down his
rifle and nearly upset the boat. | laugh
ed until ached.
''Why, Tim" | said, ''you couldn't
hit a schooI-house. You've been stuffing
me about your shooting. Give me your
rifle and I'll kill it for you" Tim sWore
''he'd eat skunk first" Loaded, aimed
with great precision, and fired again,
with no better result. The wires held
well. Tim stood dumbfounded.
''rQ move in closer, where YOU can
hit him, or blind him with the flash, so
that you can catch him. Thirty yards
is too loEg range foryou." Tim dubbed
his rifle and looked murder at me.
"'Taint no use settin' there GRIMM
wus nor pOssum an laughin' wus nor
jackass. Maybe some one hez witch
ed my rifle. | seed granny Miles look
in at it tarnel queer like, an mutterin'
somethin' The derned ole wrinkly up
yarb woman! Don't you 90 closer fer
me or I'll blow him tail fust ten feet in
ter the mud, the big-mouthed, blinkin'-
eyed critter." Bang! "H-'s fire
and red peppers! May [ be kivered
with boilens boils an scratchin'
shirt, eff ever [ seed anything like it.
Eff Ihad''a rock rdknock his snout clean
through him. ="
Yes" I said, you'd better get you
a stone, Tim; you'll never hit him with
bal"
MAY be rheumatized an tarpen-
tined, coal-iled an set fire to, eff DON'T
AS Tim was standing on the bow of the
skiff, andI was padding from the stern,
his back was toward the frog as he load
ed. So Ipaddled slowly in backwards
and Knocked the frog into the water,
from which fshed it out and put it
with the other one. Tim was looking
sick.
PUT down your rifle and take the
boat-hook, Tim; perhaps You can kill
make show, and I'm afraid III split
my oar killing them"
''Dern yer oar; I'll break it over yer
head eff yer teche5 another one. I've
cut the spike out Nv a humble bee a
hundred yards an more, an him pint
ed end up on a thistle Thar's sumthin'
wrong, l tell yer. l must hev swal-
Tered a chaw terbacker; [ feel kinder
pukey."
Tim revived when he saw the one with
his head just above water. take a
rest, Tim," | urged, ''take a rest. It's
not the best way to learn to shoot, but
you may get him in time
Tim fairly trembled with rage.
81 arm ter shoot !L'arn! You comes
yer from the East mean 'nough ter shoot
with a shotgun, an puts in 'nough pow
der an shot in ter the wrong end in yer
breaker gun to hit a squirt eff you aim
ed t'other way. L'arn! I'll bet my rifle
gin a quarter I'll cut that frogs
throat"
Done" said; ''here's my quarter
on the seat, and I'll allow you to take
rest"
"Rest!' said Tim in great indig-
nation. ''Does yer take me for wob-
bler?'
He fired. The frog raised and in
stantly settled back to his position.
Tim turned pale and his nerve was all
gone.
Colonel" he said, ''yer's the rifle.
The ayers comm back on me like
he'd it ten year ago; I've got ter go hum
an shake. [ knowed Their whar some
thin wrong Yer's yer rifle. / hate
powerful ter gin up Their ole gun; I've
traded back ard an forrid fer twenty
II