Smyrna times., 1890-02-26
For the smyrna Times.
Johnnie's Pistol.

/
1t cost just fifty cents. and ne oot Il
OF boy who was tired of it. he said
uncle Sans powder and ball thew are
called In the gun store. But this onf
mad evidently seen much service and
was badly battered. That norton N
the nipple which is called the anvil
upon which the percussion can is
paced was gone leaving a touch hole
only johnnie carried it proudly in
MS pocket to school for several davs.
anu at private meeting in the coal
sneo at school the bows discussed the
ne5its OF various firearms. Joe Lurtv
ha9 revolver which fred seven times
only; MS father was keeping it for him
qhCll ne should be twenty-One. Now
Joe made fun of Johnnie's pistol. *
was only fit to shoot fire crackers with
ne said, and Johnnie answered hact
notify, why don't you bring vonr nistoI
" iii EouoOl as DO, and tell you mine
VIII snOoG' II you don't believe it.
oC4 oSne VIII me to the creek tomorrow
"sSe!9Oon and will show you. am
AFRAID that Johnnie thought more
aOouI MS pistol than his spelling les
son tnat Friday afternoon, for it was
at q least O'Clock when he emerged
from the school house. Carefully hid
lng Ihe pistol in the barn, he went in
" Yea what can be the matter with
1Onhnle, said his mother, he has been
90 4uleG ior the last few days. John
lle before he went to bed that night
kneW ne could make his pistol shoot
anu the next morning in the secIuslon
Vi the root cellar he soon fixed If mn
70 SUIT him. A piece of lead in the
nam inner made its face solid and fat
anu Cnls falling upon the head of a
PoIlOF match, or one of those DaDer
caps which are used in those cast iron
10Y pistols which shoot the shooter
luInlShed the spark with which to 10,
nlIe the gun-pOwder. There is a Ia1
III pennsylvania forbidding the sale of
gunpoWder to anyone, bow or oirl
uhder sixteen years of age. Yet when |
ne met this cOmrade at the creeb bo |
had bottle full of it and Iohnnie v,aS
only twelve. Well, the pistol did
shoot, and made great deal of noise
tLot uu very great piece of luck it was
UHaS no one was hurt with it. That
nsn1 Ine pistol heavily loaded, was
ptaceu oy johnnie under his pillow.
SiCer Gne manner of the heroes in Rea.
Gles Dime Series, a favorite publica-
ClOh with him, and the next morning
U' course took 1t to breakfast with him
a as II was Sunday and Johnnie went tn
% SSunuay school he took it there also
now whlle at the breakfast table ha
nau lound 1t rather uncomfortable To
siC on, so he changed it to the outside
POCKET OF his Overcoat. When he
ZANE up from the Sunday School into
Jne church and took his seat basiJo
MS lather, he was asked if he did moi II
want to take off his overcoat. as II was
quite warm. No sir, whispered Jobn.
lle. Now Johnnie was restless ond
nsCeau OF paying attention to the SER
non as MS father did, he amused him
,eI oy Tying up the money that he .
! !, as " put IN the plate in his handker. :
'hlef, and why, oh why, did he mt If
u Ine same pocket with his pistol
'uu0enly, some one touched his elbow.
was the deacon passing rhe nlate m
lis father. Johnnie tupged of bio
handkerchief, and in so DOING nnIioJ 5
'ut pistol, handkerchief and All H,s 9
iGier ;I was looking the other way and !;
IlI not sect 1t, but the deacon did and =
onI1le knew it and he plunged it !;
uickly into his pocket. i i
smothered explosion, very loud '
ldeed 1t sounded inside the church .
anne from Johnnie's vicinity. It made =
ute little commOtion. The deacon r
9hL shower of small change over =
ne iady next in front and Johnnie's !;
amer went clear out into the aisle at u
Douhu' ana good reason he had for 7
oIhg so for the shot with which the d
iece was loaded had found a RESTING 7
lace IN his leg. Only for an instant II II
oweVer, did he lose his self possession n
40 then carefully putting on his over. {, q
'at and taking his hat, he qrasned =,
le unfortunate Johnnie bv the ear u
ld led him from the church All ~
lat afternoon did Johnnie. locked in u
% own room, wait calmly for the ex.
scted thrashing, but it did not coma
AZ Ine next morning he was called tn
eeklast with the rest of the family
II nothing had happened. Not
WORD was spoken about the
iootlng though Johnnie noticed that
s Iather limped badly. Johnnie got
ady for school but he could mot 6Ed
hat, and as he was looking for -
: llDIaTy dOor opened and his father D.
'I" 'peaIeu. John," he said, Il believe in FL
otection myself, and 1 wonder that 7
lNo nOI provided you with weapons an
your defense. However, will not CO
glect it any longer; come in here y fro
nnnle went In. Il think you need nu
o pistols and doubtless YOU can fix tel
Is one up SO it will shoot" and he We
oduced dog chain shortened for a It
IL, on which was fastened with in
gnt copper wire Johnnie's pistol and bo
otner, which weighed about three sec
unds, two butcher knives. and an WI
0rmous cavalry sabre. dis
Lhls arrangement was fastened WI
OUT his waist with two small mad COZ
ks, and the father put the KEYS in me
pOcket. See how nice I have nv
tnered your hat for you," said his an,
liner, as she entered followed bv prC
ldget. AN here's some bottlea of we
u Mike found in the barn this morn. i'm,
an It's needin' 'em you'll be when ant
go on the war path. AM I've 6xed
up Tor ye a bit with strings and
nannel so ye can hang 'em on the hes
side of yer coat" sor saOo
NOW, my son." said Mr.. B.. "burrv TiII
and get to school; you are late y ass ass
'own the steps into the street with lat,
Ootties rattling against his chain Ho
T. and his sabre trailing on the pave bv
nI went Johnnie. If he had been
President he could not have at. r
,ted more attention. But he did y
DOW to the right or left nearly ali tG" Io'
Iilne as the President does in the Pr;, G
" papers, but with head down and Tan a,l
b lists tightly clenched he walked % Ool
IDLY to school. For some minutes Pla!
stood before the door but at last acc
ing left his feathered hat in the
* room, he found courage to open ,,s
nd walk slowly in. The teacher Sa
led away her face and tried very hea
not to laugh, but she was Young ate
enjoyed joke very much and the reco
y OF the forlorn little figure with ieFI f.
'rIstling weapons made her forget ~
ieIt and she lauphad ;ret N 1..s recO