Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-04-28
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A GOOD GUN?
WELL, IT WAS!
The Knob Country Man Said So.
and He Knew About 1t.
fT SAYS to Sam" said the man from

the Knob country, WhaI 40 you
want to sell the gun for? It's good
gun, amt it?' says.
Good gun! says Sam. Well, there
want never no better gun p'inted at a
bear than that gun is says Sam. No.
nor as good one, by smoke!' says he.
Then, | says, what in Sam Hill do
YOU want to sell it fer? Amt short O.
money, be your 1 says.
81 lnowed the gun from way back.
1t belonged first to OF Solly Ebers, an
then it was swivel britch, with
couple O. bar'ls that never barked I'M
less they bit. l met Uncle Solly the
first time he went out with it, and l
says:
"'Uncle Solly, where you goin'%
"'Goin' to try my swivel britch,' he
says,
al don't think much O. swivel
britches, says. They don't lug your
load fur enough to tumble things that's
Jest on the pint O. gettin' outen your
reach l says,
81 noticed that Uncle Solly was prick
in up his ears while was talkin', and
hadn't hardly got through yit when he
wheels plumb around, claps the swivel
britch to his shoulder, and lets her hol-
Ter. hadn't see nor heerd nothin' and
| thunk to myself that Solly was may
be lest wantin' to hear her bark, but
he hadn't no moren' whanged her off
in that direction than whist does he do
but wheel in t'other direction, clap her
to his shoulder, and let her bark ag'in.
Then he says, as cool as a cowcumber:
"Maybe not he says. Maybe they
can't lug your load fur enough to
tumble things that's on the pint O. git
tin outen your reach he says, but l
bet you them two bears has got a diff
ferent idee-leastways they'd have a
different idee if they was in shape to
have any idees at ALL says he. Come
along and look at EN- says he.
81 was so nigh gumspluttered that l
couldn't say word. 1 hadn't see no
bear, nor herd no bear, and I thought
Uncle Solly must "a gone little crazy
over that new swivel britch O his'n, but
I went along. Solly led off in the direc-
ton he had let the gun go the first
time, and we walked so fur that I was
most gittin' tired, when Uncle Solly
stopped and p'inted off in the brush.
eco ask that bear what he thinks
O. swivel britches luggin' loads says
he.
There laid slammin' big bear with
a hole plumb through his gullet.
"'Uncle solly!' says. This is amaz-
in'!'
"'Not for this gun,' says he.
"Then we went back in t'other direc-
ton. and walked just as fur if not
furder, and there lay another bear,
deader'n stone, with ball clean
through him.
"'Was he on the pint O. jest gittin'
outen my reach or wasn't he" says
Uncle Solly.
lie hadn't been only on the pint Of
gittin out of reach, but he was about
three rod outen all sorts O. reach Of any
run I'd ever see or heerd tell on afore,
and changed my mind about swivel
britches. | offered Uncle Solly Is acres
o hemlock timber land for the gun,
but he wouldn't take it. He mowt bet
ter "a done it, though, fer he died only
the next week, and they ratified the
swivel britch off, and Pete Goble won IL.
Pete owed the Wilder Budd $13, and she
levied Gu the gun, and Pete, like the
darn fool he was, let her have the gun
for the debt The Wilder Budd was
the meanest and ugliest and skinniest
and pepperist woman that ever sot
down in that country. Joe Sewers he
tried to buy the gun of her, but she
wouldn't sell, and what do you think
Joe done? He married her, by film
ders, Jest to git that gun! Did he git
it? No, sir The wilder wouldn't
let him 90 in the woods with it, and she
devied and sot down on Joe so that he
pinned away, and one day snuck the gun
out'n the house, took it back in the
stone medder, and socked a bullet
through his head with it.
The widder had been wantin' to buy
some timber land O. ne, and wouldn't
sell, but a couple O days after we had
given Joe his funer'l went down to
he widders and told her I'd sell her
he timber if she'd sell me the gun.
81 don't want your durn TIMBER she
mapped. And I hain't got no gun!'
Il didn't burst ask her what she'd
one with the gun, but found out that
he had traded it to Sim Dukes for a
;teer. Now, Sim Dukes never went
nuntin', and I couldn't see what he
wanted to trade steer for gun for,
mogged over to his clearin'.
"'Sim, says I, 4 hear you traded q
teer fer the widder's gun
YES says Sim. Has he histed her
+, it?'
: "'Histed her?' | says.
Ives, saws Sim. That's the hookin'-
st and kickin'es critter that ever
2awed dirt and slung its hind feet in
he air and tossed it's HORNS says he.
lie h'isted that boy jim O. mine SO
high t'other day that Jim hain't ben
, outen the house since, an be tossted
5 uuldy ANN in the hay NOW an KEEP
her there for two hours fore we could
ret pitchforlls enough in him to make
lin think there was sumpin' else with
yhile besides Lickin' and hoolin'. Sc
+ thought maybe he mowt be just the
ritter that folks would like TO see the
yidder have, and I struck up dickel
nth her, and traded the steer for tile
e ;un. Seems as if he must h'isted hel
: fore this.!'
"'Well, sin,' says I, I've come to buy
the gum
: "'Why,' he says, s'pose you lonowed
: that l hain't got the gun, Danl,' says
he.
"'Haint got it?' says.
i "Why, no. he says. disposed yo'
n knowed that Jake Peeler had pulled OIL
says he.