The Winslow mail., 1898-05-28
A GOOD GUN?
WELL, 1T WAS!
The Knob Country Man Said So,
and He Knew About 1t.

y
want to sell the gun for? It's good
gun, amt it?' says.
"'Good gun.' says Sam. We'll, 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 you?' l says.
81 knowed the gun from way back.
It belonged first to oil Solly Ebers, an
then it was swivel britch, with
couple o. bar'ls that never barked ur-
less they bit. 1 met Uncle Solly the
first time he went out with it, and
says:
"'Uncle Solly, where you goin'?
"'Goin' to try my swivel britch, he
says.
~ 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 says,
Il noticed that Uncle Solly was prick
in up his cars 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. i hadn't see Eor heerd nothin', and
l thunk to myself that Solly was may
be jest wantin' to hear her bark, but
he hadn't no moren' whanged her off
in that direction than what 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 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 I
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 'em,' says he.
Il was Sc nigh gumspluttered that l
couldn't say word. hadn't see no
bear, nor heerd no bear, and thought
Uncle Solly must "a gone a little crazy
over thai new swivel britch O. his'n, but
went along. Solly led off in the direc-
tion he had let the gun go the first
time, and we walked SO fur that was
most gittin' tired, when Uncle Solly
stopped and p'inted off in the brush.
"'Go ask that bear what he thinks
O. swivel britches luggin' loads says
he.
There laid a slammin' big bear with
hole plumb through his gullet.
"sUncle Solly!' says. This is amaz-
inn
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 a stone, with ball clean
through him.
''Was he on the pint O. jest gittin'
outen my reach or wasn't hep says
Uncle Solly.
''IIe 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
gun I'd ever see or heerd tell on afore,
and 1 changed my mind. about swivel
britches. l 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 Widder Budd $13, and she
levied on the gun, and Pete, like the
darn fool he was, let her have the gun
for the debt. The Widder Rudd was
the meanest and ugliest and sl1inniest
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 widder wouldn't
let him 60 in the woods with it, and she
deviled and sot down on Joe so that he
pined away, and one day snuck the gun
out'n the house, took it back in the
stone medder, and socled a bullet
through his head with it.
THE widder had been wantin' to buy
some timber land O. me, and I-wouldn't
sell, but couple O days after we had
given Joe his funerl l went down to
the widder's and told her I'd sell her
the timber if she'd sell me the gun.
:" I don't want your durn TIMBER she
snapped. And | hain't got no gum
II didn't burst ask her what she'd
Gene with the gun, but found out that
she had traded it to Sim Dukes for
steer, Now, Sim Dukes never, went
iuntin', and I couldn't see what he
wanted to trade steer for gun@for,
so I mogged over to his clearin'. -.
"'Sim,' says I, 'I>hear you traded a
steer fer the widder's gum
YES says Sim. Has he histed her
isit?'
"'Histed hero says.
"'Yes, says Sim. That's the hookin'
est and kickin'est critter that ever
paved dirt and slung its hind feet in
the air and tossed its horns,' says he.
He h'isted that boy Jim o. mine so
high t'other day that Jim hain't ben
outen the house since, an he tossted
Huldy ANN in the hay NOW an KEEP
her there for two hours fore we could
get pitchforks enough in him to make
him think there was sumpin' else wuth
while besides kicl1in' and hoollin'. So
L thought maybe he mowt be Just the
crittcr that folks would like TO see the
widder have, and 1 struck up q dicker
with her, and traded the steer for THE
gun. Seems as if he must histed her
fore this.!'
"sIVell Sim saws tive eoy,oe tn b1Iy