The Republican., 1898-04-07
Bear Wasn't the Point.
The Point Was Gun, and the Result
Proved the Truth Of II.
lit lie consarned gun hadn't been

shot off for 30 year and better,
said the Knob country man, land told
Tom so when he started out with it
that night. Tom ! says, that gun'll
kick you worse'n a mule if you fire il;
mind what tell you.' Cause it was an
old army musket that Tom had lugged
all through the war, and when he come
back home he hung it up on couple
o. pegs on the settin' room wall, and it
seemed to me that it hadn't never been
took down sence. Tom | says, that
gun1l kick you worse'n mule
But Tom he says: But do you want
bears to pitch in and chaw me?'
~ hain't sayin' nothin' bout bears,
l says. It's the gun | was talkin' bout.
l wouldn't be afeard O mectin' half a
dozen bears l says, but seems to me
I'd be overpcwerin' skittish O. that
gun
"'But here's two more O my sheep
lugged away last night says Tom.
And by that same Internal old bear,
know. And that makes nine sence the
fust O. the month"; says he. 'Hain't
this clearin' got nothin' to do but raise
mutton for bears? {? says he.
Tom l says. 4 hain't raised the
question O. bears, l says. Stick to the
pint | says. The pint is that if you
shoot that gun it'll kick you worse'n a
mule. That's what | argue, an ! stick
TO it. Kickin' guns, not bears, is what
I'm arguin' on. It'll kick you worse'n
a mule, l says. Mind what | tell you.
Tom he says: oh, you pshaw!' and
off he goes with the old gun and Jake
Dolph, his hired man.
Samantha | SAYS to Toms wife.
that gun hain't been fired for 30 year
anG better, has it?' | says.
mot as | knows on, says Samantha.
Pap took it down year or so fore he
died, Jest after Tom fetched it home
from the war she says, and put load
in it to kill hawk, says she.
THAT'S So says. 4 didn't think It
had been took down sence Tom hung it
up l says.
Yes says Samantha. Pap took it
down an loaded it to shoot a hawk.
says she, but the hawk wouldn't be
come nigh to, and Pap didn't shoot it;
so he hung the gun back, says she.
Yes, and it was took down ag'in, come
TO think on it., says Samantha.
1T was, eh?' l says.
Yes says she. Along mebbe a
couple or three year after Pap died
Toms brother Sim took it down and
loaded it to kill fox, but the fox got
away and Sim didn't fire it, says she.
"'Your pap loaded it and didn't fire
it?' says.
YES says Samantha.
"'And Toms brother Sim loaded it
after that and didn't fire it?' says.
"'Yes,' says Samantha.
did Tom load it for usin' this even
in'?' I says.
eyes says Samantha.
Samantha says, when they fetch
Tom home tonight considerable on
tinted, I says, and mebbe peeled like
a spudded hemlock, send fer me and
I'll explain things l says.
"'Why, Abel says Samantha, skeery-
him and mummix him as bad as that,
do yOu?'
"'Bears amt the pint | says. 4
hain't said a durn thing about bears!
! says. Gun is what I'm arguin' on!
If Tom fires that gun itll kick him
worse'n a mule. Worse mule, SiZ-
1lin' Socrates! Worse'n drove O
mules.' | says, and away | starts for
home, aggravated like Sam Hill cause
they KEEP throwin' up bears at me when
! want arguin' bears, but was maxim
that gun the all pervadin' pint
"Yit, when l come to think on it,
hadn't orto blamed Tom and Samantha
so much for it, after all, for bear had
been thinnin' out their sheep tremen-
dous, and though hunters had sot uE
nights watchin' for the thievin' bruin
and tried to run him down with dogs
daytimes, he give 'em all the slip, and
then when they'd go home to rest and
git little sleep he'd sneak in and lug
off another sheep. till he had Toms
pastur' pretty well thinned down, and
Tom he made up his mind he'd go out
with the old musEet and see what he
could do himself. Consequently, meb-
be I hadn't orto blamed him so much
for arguin' bear when was maxim gun
the pint.
81 hadn't got fur on my way home
when l says to myself that l better &C
find Tom where he mowt be layin low
in the pastur' lot and argue with him
ag'in, thinkin' mebbe that I mowt be
able to make more of pint by fetchin
in the arguments about Samantha's S daC
havin' rammed load in the gun anC
left it there, and Toms brother Sin
havin' rammed a load in the gun on tor
o. Samantha's dads and left It there
and the load that Tom himself hat
rammed in on top o Samantha's dad,
and Sims with the idee O. not leavin' il
there.
"'If them arguments amt enough tC
show Tom that the pint is gun more
than bear I says, then he don't know
nothin' about logic, and if Samantha Is
left widder and the coroner gifts fee,
/ says, "twon't be because didn't ar
que on proper p'ints.'
$50 | turned and follored the roaC
lords Toms back pastur' lot. where ht
was more'n likely settin' on the brinl
of a volcano that would do some onmer