The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-02-12
THE MAN WHO SOUINTED.
Ills Ignominious Failure to Hit Cross
Eyed Capt. Wheeler.

Ills Ignominious Failure to Hit Cross
Eyed Capt. Wheeler.
He got on the train at a small station
In South Carolina to ride to a town
about forty miles away. He was a
thorough native in look. dress and
speech, and he had scarcely got seated
when he pulled out big revolver and
began tinkering with it. To those of
us sitting near him he explained:
been something wrong with this
yere gun for some time back, but
didn't fix it because didn't jest want to
use it, you know"
And are you going to use it now?"
asked.
81 reckon to. / reckon that when /
get up thar I'll do some shootin. Deed,
that's what I'm going for"
He had screwdriver, an oil can and
other implements, and as he took the
pistol apart and cleaned it, he observed:
Reckon it would have been better to
carry a shotgun, but l can't get this
arm up high enough to hold it to my
face."a
ben hurt?"
Had some of the muscles cut with a
knife. You see this eye, stranger?"
YES"
"Buckshot struck me in the corner,
and left me with a squint. Hain't done
any shooting since that eye got we'll
Would you call it bad squint?"
mot so very, but as tits your right
eye don't see how you can sight along
the barrel of gun"
81 expect it will come awkward, but
what am going to do? Thar's Capt.
Wheeler up thar who's been tellin'
around that he made my brother Jim
eat mud. Jim he's away off in Cali
fornia and he writes me to go up and
shoot the captain. I've got squirt
but I've got to shoot, haven't I?'
"How's the captain?"
Dunno. May have squirt and may
not Got to take the chances. Reckon
ought to get in pretty close before
open fire. think this will do now.
Seems to work all right. Let me get a
sight on you. Now, then, am aiming
at your right or left eye?"
LEFT, should say"
81 was aiming at your right, and that
shows l have a bad squirt. / must get
pretty close to the captain before 1
open"
He got the pistol in good shape and
then read newspaper until the town
was reached. Three or four of us were
to get off there as we'll. There was
q&ite crowd on the platform. and we
followed close after the man with a
squint. AS soon as he was out he
walked up to citizen and asked:
Gould you tell me if Capt. Wheeler
is in town"''
Hes right down thar" replied the
man, pointing to some cotton bales at
the far end of the platform.
Our friend pulled his gun and headed
that way. Some one behind him called
out to the captain, and he saw him ap.
preaching when yet forty feet away.
He was unarmed and he started to run.
The squint-eyed man fred three shots
At him, and then the freight-house in
tervened Word was passed along, how
ever, that the captain was unhurt and
had mounted a horse and got away
Ought to have fetched him, but the
squint knocked me out" said our friend
as he put away his gun. Gentlemen,
you all know the captain. while never
met him. Are his eyes all right?"
why, no." answered one of the
crowd. '"The captain he's the cross
eydest man in all these partsr'
Good Lord" gasped the squint-eyed
man, but I'm in luck after all! I'm only
squint to his cross, and by shooting at
him half a day can hit him some
where! Some of you all go and find him
and tell him I've come up to shoot and
will wait here two days for HMM.
L.,