The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-06-12
LAPSE FROM GRACE.
tConcluded.l

morning. An early breakfast of ham and
eggs, hot biscuit. potatoes and hot coffee
being disposed of, we struck out for Cold
Creek, half mile from Uncle Bills. We
wanted the bob-sled and the mule, Yellow
Jack, but Uncle Bill could not spare them,
he said. We reached the timber, which
was low and bushy, interspersed with
hazel thickets and brush heaps Here we
started in, and had hardly entered the
edge of the brush. when q flock of quail
got two birds with his right-hand barrel
and miss with his left, while / dropped
n hen bird with my first barrel, but re-
served my second barrel.
As we stepped forward a fine cock bird
jumped out and wheeled in a semi-circle
over the thicket,. but was ready. for him
and killed him clean. We reloaded, and
as Nixy was shaking the snow from his
birds, a rabbit hoped out of a nest of
leaves and was off like streak. Milky
dropped the quail brought his gun to his
shoulder as quick as lightning bang.
"How can you kill those downy little rab-
bits, Nixy,' ] said. We tramped the brush
and over the old stakc-and-rider fences,
along hedge or two, and over hill and
hollow. Then we started for home with
our hunting coats flied with game. Milky
had got u snapshot at prairie chicken,
and was lucky enough to bring him down,
ana nau peslue cl8n1 rnpplIs anu lhirteen
quail.
had five rabbits and eleven quail for
my quota and terrible appetite for
square meal. When we got to the house
Uncle Bill RECALLED us with thrilling ac-
counts of the game he had seen on Brush
Creek, two and half miles from his
place. We begged for Yellow Jack and
was obdurate. He also said he had seen
near home certain shcep-killing dog
which he was dreadfully anxious to kill
in some way, and he described the dog to
us, and said he would give So for his
ears.
We promised to give that purp mighty
warm reception if he ever came near us.
After supper was over Unole Bill got out
the family Bible to read a chapter as was
his custom of late. The huge stove glowed
with the heat that sprang from its oak and
hickory contents. The tin doors of the
cupboard sparkled chcerfully, and the
lalnp-light beamed on Uncle Bills yellow
locks. The cotton window curtains were
drawn half aside, and the snow lay like q
great white mantle as far as the eye could
reach. The children were gathered in their
little chairs near the stove, and every one
listened in respectful silence. Uncle Bill
began@'eading in a serious and meditative
in the chapter Clearing his throat, he
continued
Because of the Chaldeans; for they
were afraid of them, because Ishmael,
the son of Nethaniah, had slain Gedaliah,
the son of Ahikam, who the king of Baby
Ion made governor in the land" Closing
the Bible softly, his eyes wandered to the
chapter of jeremiah ends thusly: by -,
there's that dog!'' The first part of this
sentence was uttered in u solemn tone, be-
fitting the surroundings, but the last part
Of it lcaped from his lips in an involun-
tary exclamation of surprise. The dog
had trotted around the corner of the house
and doomed up in bas-relief on the snow
| Just as Uncle Bill got to "thusly." The
sudden apparition was too much for him,
and he forgot everything except his in:
tense desire to make an end of that miser-
able sheep-killing cur.
He rushed to the gun-rack, snatched his
heavy double barreled duck-gun, opened
the back door and sneaked around the
corner of the house. In a few seconds we
heard snap-snap-and then he came rae
| ing back again "Who in the name of all
| the saints together has been meddling
with this gun; tarnation blue blazes, who
has had it. ! say noh, pa" said little
Friday morning to kill a hog, n ! reckon
| he forgot to load it when he fetched it
| back" "The devil fly away with Andy
| Henderson," howled Uncle Bell, furious
with rage. "Where N thunder y the ana
| anition,n he shouted. On getting it he
poured in the shot first and the powder
next, without even a bit of wadding to
| separate them.
| Then he started to put some more shot
on the powder, and realized that he was
| getting things mixed. So he poured the
| stuff out on the floor and began again
Putting in the powder first, and then some
paper, he next gave the wadding a merry
Gus little tap and then poured in a big
| grist of shot. Then Gaping the gun
hastily he tore frantically out in the
| snow, crawled cautiously around the corn
| crib-no dog. Around the haystack--no
| dog Back of the smole-house-there he
was; there he goes, and pop, pop, puff,
| puff, and the shot fizzled out in the snow
| about ten feet from the muzzle of the gun.
| Uncle Bin had poured about ninety
| nine-hundredths of his powder on the
| floor instead of the barrels of his gun, on
| account of his tremendous excitement
The dog by this time was over the hills
| and far away, evidently suspecting sin
lister designs. Uncle Bill traied back to
| the house the maddest man / ever saw.
| His very whiskers twitched with wrath
lie was too mad to speak Aunt Mary
| didn't say word, noteven ooh, William,
| how could youP" The rest of us were
afraid to peep for our lives.
| NiXy and slept in the spare room right
| over Aunt Mary bedroom, ana thal
night after we went To bed we heard Uncle
Bill's deep voice talking low and kind OF
| trembling, it seemed tous. In the morning
he took us to one side and said "NiXy
| Pm mighty sorry | set you such an eX
ample last night, and | don't want the
| llendelsons or Lot McCord or anybody
| round here to get hold of it, I'd nevcl
| hear the last of it. | guess can spare
Yellow Jack and the bob for you while
| you're here"
| We told him we wouldn't tell any one
| over the right shoulder We crossed oul
hearts and hoped to die if we would, anG
he let us havethe mule. We had glori
| Gus week. and when we ran short on
ammunition Uncle Bill told us to go tC
Petrie's crossroads and get all we wanted
| on his account When Mark Barr, Hend
| erson's hired man, took us to the station
| he said: 81 tell we now boys, William
| Henry Harrison Dukes is Just snailin
| Teller, if we ony take him right. 'Taint
| ev'ry man nd let you boys shassay round
| with rig to hunt in, n furnish we ANA
| milton too We said Uncle Bill was true
| blue and Just bully, and so he was. He
| was precious careful after that lapse of hi,
| and he never mentioned it again to Nix
and me. We used to go out every year,
| and he was always as good ms gold TO us
| We kind thought, especially NiXy did
| that it was the devil in the shape of q
black dog that came to tempt Uncle Bill
| 10 catch him when he wasn't thinking
and trip him up, Milky and his old man
| said the devil was always up To something