The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-11-04

y
wantin' to run fer constable, too anu
that if Jake run there wouldn't be no
use O. my running, and that 1 says TO
Jake that if he'd pull off Ia give MIN
the gun, and that Jake SAID hed pun
Oft. and that give him the gun and ne
pulled Off l s'posed you knowed tnat'
saws Sim. I'D rather be constable tnan
have the gum says he.
"That made me so consumed mad tnat
/ went home end run agin Sim Tor con-
stable myself, and beat him outen ms
boots. Then what does Sam kriter
do but marry Jake Peeler's daughter
jimmie, and Jake gives him the gun 1or
a wedding present, and L. I'D IT ever
since. So when he CONF round and
said he wanted to sell the gun, says 10
him:
"'Sam,' says, what do you want TO
sell the gun for? It's good gum ain I
it?'
"'Good gun?' says Sam. We'll, there
want never no better gun printed at a
bear than that gun is says he. NO.
nor as good a one, by smoke, says he.
"'Then what in Sam Hill do you want
to sell it for?' l says. Amt short o
money, be you?' l says.
mot particular Sam says, but 1
hired out to Miles Boyd to do the work
on his farm, and not fer to be a minute
man, by smoke! And l don't hire my
gun out to Miles, not by durn sight
says Sam. Now jest look a-her how
things is runnin'. Only yesterday l
was settin' on the back stoop up to
Miles, greasin' double harness. Miles
he was dom chores round the barn
yard. His chickens was scratchin'
and peckin' away, when cheeky big
hawk sweeps down from somewheres
or other, and sweeps away ag'in with
one O. Miles chickens. Course didn't
see none O. this, but suddenly I heerd
Miles say:
"' Samuel, git your gun!''
81 alluz keep my gun jest behind the
kitchen door, says Sam, and when l
heerd Miles boiler, l maturity runs and
grabs it, and runs with it to the barn
yard. AS got there Miles hollers:
''' onder he is, gol ding him!" and
he pointed up into a dead pine tree
more'n quarter of mile away, where
the hawk was settin', rippin' his dinner
outen Miles's chicken. "Yonder he isl"
Miles hollers. He's got the dominick
hen! Whang him, gol ding him!"
".'Now,' says Sam, 4 wa n t goin' to
strain that gun by whangin' a hawk
that was C. quarter of mile away, and
l started to sneak up little, but the
hawk must knowed the gun, for he
riz and sailed away, and in less'n two
seconds be- was SO far that a cannon
bali couldn't overlook him. Sol went
back to my harness greasin', and put
the gun behind the door ag'in. Miles
old woman was weedini onions in the
garden down back o. the house. I
was gittin' pooty well along with my
harness greasin' when heerd squeal
and a yell down in the garden, and
Miles old woman riz her voice and
hollered:
Samuel, git yer gun!'
81 grabs the gun ag'in an pixies fer
the garden. AS got there, says Sam,
the old; woman she pipes out:
"'"Yondcr he goes! Down yonder
he runs, lords the brush lot. He's got
one O. my bramer hens chickens!" she
pipes.
"'"It's a ding funny hawk to be
runnin'," I says.
CO" faint NO hawk" hollers the old
woman. cts blacksnake, and he's
bigger'n bean pole," she boilers.
81 hurried on with my gum says
Sam, but the blacksnake got to it's
hidin' place, and I couldn't find him.
81 went back and put my gun be-
hind the door, says Sam, and took up
the harness greasir' ag'in. I hadn't
been at it more'n 20 minutes when
Miles boy Tommy he. come runnin' up
from the back medder a-hollerin':
Samuel, git your gun!"
Il drops the harness and grabs the
gun and follered Tommy down to the
medder.
There's big grounding got his
hole in our medder." says Tommy, as
we run, "an' he's eat up half O. our
clover crop!"
II sot down in that medder and
watched till shutdown fer that ground
hog to come outen his hole, and be tore
to splinters with that gun, but he never
come out says Sam, and 1 shoulders
my gun and went home
Hawks, snakes and groundhogs'll
make produce on this here farm come
high if things keep on" says 1.
After supper me and Miles was set
tim on the back stoop smokin' our pipes
when we see a man comm on a run
down the road. 1t was our neighbor.
Job Spring. He stopped at the fence,
and as soon as he could get his breath
he hollered:
:" Samuel, git your gun!"
:" 1 jumps for my gun, and we run out
to the fence to find out what had struck
the farm now.
slammin' big bear has Jest
come outen your pastur',' says Job,
and has gone inter the woods with one
o your lambs!" he says.
Then says Sam, 4 see how things
was runnin', and says to Miles:
Miles," says 1, ''this here amt in
the contract says, "and I git ten dol
lars more month or sell the gun!''
l says.
Miles said he'd be burned if he'd
pay ten dollars more month, and now.