The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-06-02
LITTLE "THOR" FRANKLIN.
He Could Throw the Hummer.

Thor, the hammer throwing god OF the
Norsemen.
When We moved from town out here to
the farm, because father was sick, the hrst
book Tom put in his box of things was the
mythology. and rainy days he read it as in
terestedly as if he hadn't read it dozen
times before!
One day he came out where was at work
on my water wheel and said, "Will, I'm
going to learn to throw hammer"
Throw hammer" said I; what for?''
'For fun" said he, picking up mine and
whirling it around his head. GIVE been
reading about Thor, and the way he
smashed the big door when he was a boy
ooh, you have" said l. "Well, I'll have
to ask you to get somebody else's hammer
to practice with--I need this one"
"You needn't worry, said Tom. I'm
going to get the blacksmith to make me
one.' And he did.
1t was a curious looking thing, like
shoemaker's hammer, with short, thick
handle, and a solid iron head, and that
very afternoon, almost before the thing was
cold, from the shop Tom had it out in the
meadow practicing. He'd Whlrl 1T around
his head once and then let go, and away 1t
would whrl, like a shot. There was no
telling just where it would land, at hrst.
Sometimes he'd come pretty near what he
was throwing at and sometimes he
wouldn't; so it was safest to watch him a
long way off.
Tom always keeps at a thing when he
starts in, and 1 got tired and went back to
my wheel. When he came in to supper he
said he could make that hammer Of his
land on it's head anywhere now, instead OF
the handle, as at first.
But the next day, wasn't Toms arm stiff
and lame! He could hardly hold his
knife and fork at breakfast; but the MIN
ute breakfast was over what did he do but
march out with that hammer and throw 1T
until dinner time. Then he came in hot
and red, declaring he could h-t a tree
twenty yards off.
About this time the Halls bought the
farm next to ours and about month after
something happened chat both the Halls
and ourselves have never stopped being
glad Of.
It was warm Saturday in the early part
of July, and Tom, as usual, had started
out after dinner for the woods.
Every Saturday Tom stuck his hammer
in his belt and went for stroll, to kill rab-
bits, and he really had hit once and
killed it. Half an hour later l needed
something from our little workshop, and
discovered that Tom had the key. And
Tom was then-land only knows where!
For awhile I pretty much put out
with him, for I'd asked him again and
there use wasting time being mad,
A.,a -t~~tea out ina
search Of him, taking the path he always
took, and wondering how much time I'd
spend hunting for him before dark.
The mountains back of our farm, forgot
to say, are pretty wild. They have been
cleared" very little and such things as
bears and rattlesnakes, though not what
one would call common, are met with oc-
casionally. Since we had been there I
know the men had killed one small bear in
the edge of the upper field, and two
rattlesnakes mile or SO off. 1t was UP
into this mountain Tom had gone
Deeper and deeper the steep little path
led me into the woods, until it got so wild
and still that I began to feel kind of lone
some. But l could see Tom had been along
the path, for he had left his trademark
every now and then-little scars on the
rocks and trees, where that hammer of
his had been thrown.
At last after full hours walking, I
heard his cheerful whistle not far in front
Of me- But as [ hurried forward it grew
less and less and finally stopped, as if he
were busy making his way through the
brush which now grew on every hand, and
had no breath to waste
AS l was about to shout to him the path
opened suddenly on a deserted clearing,
and at the further side of it stood the re-
mains Of an old cabin.
l was surprised, for we had always
thought the mountain had never had q
cabin built on it; but the most surprising
part was yet to come, for there, on
the doorstep of the old house, sat Mr.
Halls little girl, Nellie, her chubby little
hands full of wild flowers she had gathered,
her bonnet by her side.
WELL what are YOU doing here, little
girl?' began, when the words fairly stuck
in my throat There not three feet away.
was one Of the biggest, most wicked looking
rattlesnakes l ever saw, coiled, ready to
spring! And the child was throwing
flowers at him and laughing at the whirr
he made with his rattle.
For a moment [ stood STILL wondering
what on earth 7 could do to save her. vet
knowing that to make an effort would mean
sure death to the little thing. Every
second the snake was ans rer. And here I
was fifty feet away, without so much as
stick in my hand. 1 tell you, I felt posi-
lively sick.
But before I could move or think much
there a slight noise few feet from
where [ stood, and there was Tom, staring
straight before him at the door. He's the
quickest Witted boy I know, is Tom. He
no6 a kan ha who in