Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-05-12

we can OOtn nave neT, hlu NC'
says ].
d" Not accordin' to law, says he.
&" 'Ner no way, says I.
q Il reckon not, says he.
"'Then s'posing we have a sbootin'
match fer her, says /.
&" Il amt agreeable to that, says he.
d" Fer whyF says |.
d" You air handler than me with a
gun, says he.
q Some, mebbe,' says I, tumble
enough, 'but I'll give you twenty-five
yards advantage, and that'll about make
it even
"Well, after talkin' fer half an hour
er more, we fixed up a shOotin' match
fer next day, on Ben's farm, fer he was
skeert to 90 anywhere's else, and l rid
back home, and next forenoon l was on
hand feelin' as slick as a whistle, fer l
was gambin' on gittin' Mary. Nobody
was to know anything about our settle
mint, and when l seed Ben, he was set
TIN, on the fence, about quarter OF
mile from his house, with his gun acrost
his lap, lookin' lonesomcr than cat in
rain storm. Thar was an old frame barn
standin' by itself in the field, and we
went over to it to have a quiet place for
the closiu' arrangements. 1t had pile
of loose straw in it, and as we sot thar
talkin'. 1 seed knot hole IN the plank
about two inches acrost, and l asst him et
it wouldn't make a good enough marx
with the straw inside to ketch the bul-
lets. You see was doin' the most oil
the enrineerin'. fer Ben was that shook
up he didn't seem to know bis head
from hole in the ground. He said he
thought the knot-hole would do, 50 W
went outside and it was like as ef it had
been put thar purpose.
"We stepped off a hundred yards fu't,
and druv PIN down, aud then went on
TWENTY-FIVE yards and druv another, and
me and Ben took our places. We was to
shoot ten times apiece, me five aud Ben
Eve. turn about, and neither Of US was to
20 '6ign the other, to Illustrate him dur
inr the sho3tiu.' I was feelin' in reSu'
lar shootin' trim, and when shot my
FIVE I knowed Ben was goin' to have 10
do some mighty tall shootin' 'er lose the
oal. We went to the mark together and
perred up three holes, not half an inca
from the knot hole, and two bullets had
zone smack through, leavin' no sign.
"Then Ben he took his turn, and l
WAS shore | seen him shake when ne
sighted his gun, but he shot of his fve'
and we went up to sec what he had
done-and what do you think, mster'
There WASH the sign of a bullet hole aay-
where's
/ 81 looked at Ben aud he looked at
me.
8. You amt shootin' very spry TO-
day, says he, GRIMM.
" You air, says l, looking ugly and
feelin' my holts on Mary slippin.
"Next round l was dead sot on doiu
nv level best and put three balls
through the hole and scraped the edges
with the other two.
"Ben was lookin' peakid, anG | seed
MS knees wabblin', but he braced up
and went back to settle who should have
the gal, and it 'peared to me like as if
he was takln' till Christmas to fire them
five shots. He got it done at last,
though, and we walked up to the mark
kinder unsartin, both Of us, but thar
wasn't any need of it.
"Did you winl" broke in the visitor,
in high state of excitement and inter-
est.
"Nary win mister chuckled the
old man. "That sandy headed, thumb
headed coss had sent every one Of his
five bullets smack through the knot
hole. and thar wasn't the sign Of a
scratch anywheres in sight.
THAT ended it fer me, both fer
shootin' and fer the gal, and rid home
feelin' like a saw log had fell on me butt
end fo'most, aud Ren went lopin' acrost
the fed lords Squire Higgins's.
"About month after the shoo..a'
match Ben and Mary was hitched and l
was to the hitchin feelin' good deal
pearter than did the day Ben beat me,
and gettin' some consolation out OF a
new gal, jist moved onto the Fork. But
I couldn't quite git over Ben's beatin'
me shootin'.
"Along about midnight, I had to g
home. and as started to git on my hoss,
Mary followed me out on the porch.
"'Dau'l," says she, kinder cooin' and
soft like, you won't git mad at me ef
tell you somethin', will youl"
"'Of course not, Mary, saysI. Moth
in you could say er do would make mt
mad at you
"'Well, then, Dau', says she, shak
in some, fer was holdln' her hand anc
kDowed, when you and Ben had tina
sboot,n' match fer me, Ben didn't hov
no bullets in his gun. They was Jus
wads.
"weII, sir, you could knocked nj
down with splinter, and l got hot al
over. but l sbet my jaws down hard ie
- l.. t.1Nr hnrr