Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-11-25
\ olRL,s FIRST SHOT.
Her Painful and Notifying Expsriens
with . Gun That "Kicked."

Her Painful and Mortifyiny Experiences
with Gun That clicked"
/ shall not 20 back to the old days when
wee tot Of . girl used to cry for my
fathers gun. shut my eyes whsn pulled
the trigger and then cry again when the
/ gun went of, because the noise frightened
me SO; but will tell Of my frst shot when
l took hold of a gun all alone. aimed at
something and shot-nothing. had gone
with my brother and two cousins to the
new ground" where the boys said there
was some fine bird shooting. We had
ridden over on our ponies, and after
we had dismounted and were climb
ing five rail fence my brother said,
Lucy, You are girl, and girls can't
shoot" waited to hear no more. l just
slipped to the ground, mounted my pony.
gave him the bride and In short time
was back home again.
On going to the gunrack to my dismay
found only heavy, old fashioned shot
gun, which was always spoken Of as the
"kicker." did not long hesitate to take
the kicker" for ! was fully determined
to learn to shoot. What matter IL did
get kick or twoi Was that half as bad
as to be told. "You are girl, and girls
don't shootY' ! could not load the gun
and dare not ask any one about the house
TO do it for me lest It should be taken away
and forbidden to touch IL again. was
In despair when bethought me Of "Uncle
SAM" superannuated negro who lived
with his wife In ono Of the cabins which
belonged to the old negro quarters. This
old negro had been slave Of my father be-
fore the war and was still pensioner on
the family.
He was very fond Of me and would do
anything for me. took the kicker" all
the powder and shot could find, and made
a bee line for Uncle Sans cabin. found
him outside praying most Justify, "Oh
Lord, chicken Is mighty good, but POI ole
Sam doan want no chicken; he jes' wants
ham bone. Oh, Lord, please jes' sem ole
Sam q ham bone''-with much stress on
the bone Long since we had all learned
that when Uncle Sam was calling so loud
~ on the Lord for ham bone he was do
ing 80 to drown the noise Of chicken
STEALING In his frying pan; hence did not
hesitate to interrupt his devotions by ask
ing him to load the kicker for me.
He 0beyed my injunction to put In big
load, but hesitated before he gave IL to me,
saying, "Honey, what 10 you gwine to
shootr was stumped
My thoughts had been 40 busy with the
pleasure should experience at my broth.
er's surprise when ! had proved to him
that girls could shoot; that | had not
thought about what was going to prac-
tice on. confded my ambition to Uncle
Sam and he said; Down Ia desc woods jes'
back dar Is ole fatnin pen whar Is hog
what is gwine to be killed in de mo'nin.
Now you jes' go down dar and shoot dat ole
hog, den young marster will hear all de
nigRers a-laffin an a-talkin about how you
done shot de ole hog, and ef he doan take
all that he said back, den amt no mig
ger" made up my mind In minute to
follow Uncle Sans advice. l grew happy
and confident. In less than no time was
ut the fatnin pen, where my career as a
sp0rtswoman WAS to begin. My idea was
TO sit ON the top rail- Of the pen and when
the beast looked up at me TO shoot IL in
the head, never for a moment doubling I
should kill him.
Iclimbed up and seated myself on the top
rail facing the inside OF the pen. The hog
looked up; stilleti my throbbing heart,
pulled the trigger and-found myself lying
on the ground outside Of the pen, and that
pig still alive looking Mt me with AZ much
curiosity In his face AZ 1t was possible for
a pig to have. | picked myself up and
hurried home as fast IA could met the
boys ut the gate, but try as would could
not smile. My whole body ached and my
heart was sad The boys were all smiles
KNEW they saw me with the kicker" but
did not dream they had taken short way
home and had seen me fall from tho top
rail Of the pen until my brother told me OF
1t as he babe good nght.--Cor. Forest and
Stream.