The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-31

/ Is TOO 1OEH range AOL you. Lin etopoSu
: his rifle and looked murder at me.
.s'Taint no use settin' there GRIMM
wus nor 'possum an laughin' wus nol
a 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 go closer fer
me or I'll blow him tail fust ten feet in
ter the mud, the big-mouthed, bIinkin'-
eyed critter" Bang! IFS lire
and red peppers! May 1 be kivered
with boilens [boils] an a scratchin'
shirt, eff ever I seed anything like 1T,
Eff had'a rock I'd knock his snout clean
through him"
YES l said, you'd better get you
stone, Tim; you'll never hit him with
ball
MAY I be rheumatized an tarpen-
tined, coal-iled an set fire to, eff don t. "
AS Tim was standing on the bow of the
skiff, and / was padding from the stern,
his back was toward the frog as he load
ed So padded slowly in backwards
and knocked the frog into the water,
from which fished 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
some with it. We must have some to
make show, and I'm afraid I'll split
my oar killing them.
..Dern yer oar; I'll break it over yer
head eff yer teches another one. I've
cut the spike out nv humble bee a
hundred yards an more. an him pint
ed end up on a thistle. Thar's sumthin'
wrong, 1 tell yer / 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 rest It's
not the best way to learn to shoot, but
yoH may get him in time"
Tim fairly trembled with rage.
IL arm ter shoot L'arn! You comes
yer from the East mean 'nough ter shoot
with shotgun. an puts in 'nough pow
der an shot in ter the wrong end in yer
breaker gun to hit a squ'rl of you aim
ed t'other way. L arn! III bet my rifle
gin a quarter I'll cut that frogs
throat
Done" l said; ''here's my quarter
on the seat, and I'll allow you to take
a 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 forbid fer twenty
year, an | never p'inted her crooked
afore. / were kinder lively sayin'
things ter yer as oughtent. but yer ril-
ed me bout larnin' ter shoot. She kicks
like thunder. | reconk yer'll lend her
ter ME at the full NV the moon, when
yer not used he9, to 90 mus ratten. e1
III work her out, or gin yer 'taters fer
her
What is she worth, Tim?" his dis
tress was almost too much for me, but
1 wanted to see the native come out in
him.
Not much. Her stocks busted, an
her sight gone, an she's weak in the
hammer, an kicks powerful, an every
time l uses her hez ter wedge the nip
pie in, an she's nearly bowed the head
off Nv me goin' off unexpected, like.
while loadin' of her. 1 reckon I'll gin
yer bushel or bushel an peck NV
Eaters fer her.
BY this time we were at home again.
4 seTfd: II I'm. I'll keep her You can't
shoot, anyhow, and she II only hurt you.
Bring the frogs 1 killed and I'll carry
the gun. nice show you have for
your mornings shooting.
Tim picked up frog and dropped it
as if it were hot He was frightened.
Colonel, thar's somethin wrong
Everything 3 agin me-the devils in it.
It's heavy as lead, an you've knocked
it stiff as a maulin' wedge. I'm gittin'
fiighty-jest like the a-ger took me
afore, an theirs misery comm in my
legs I've got the a-ger!''
gathered up the frogs and took them
and Tim to the house, where he began to
revive on glass of whisky.
Tim, l said. there is your rifle; |
don't want it; I'll have fun enough tell
ing about your missing the frogs and
my having to Kill them with the pad
die y
Don't, don't, y said Tim They'd
never stop runnin' me an boastifiin'
over me. I'd rather gin yer my ole
rifle
..And then, Tim, . I added, ..when /
tell them that you don't know frog
whon you see One-but keep shooting
all the morning at chunks of cast-iron
what will they think of youP What
glorious fun it will be. Here look at
this, and l handed him one of the iron
frogs.
Slice me up and kiver me with salt
if hit haint iron. How did you iver get
hit turned inter iron so quick?' said Tim
with most piteous mixture of shame
and establishment in his face. I'm
ready for the buryin' sarmen Nv dern-
ed fool. I'll give yer the rifle and taters,
too, eff yer ii keep your mouth shut. I'll |
bring yer hull pail full of live min
ners fur perch bait, an Am purp
Nv Spiders, if yer'll say nothin' to no.
body nary time"
AS soon as I~eould stop laughing |
said: Tim, do you think I'm a fellow |
you can stuff anything into and he'll be- |
lieve it?''
''Derned if | do. | never done it. / |
never said so nohow no time anyway. |
Don't kick me, Colonel I'm chawin'
the ground You've got me this time.
He turned as he was going away with |
his rifle and said: ''Thet's gospel truth |
telled yer bout the squ'rls, though,
an eff / hadn't a fresh chaw in L d git |
mad an say somethin'"