Smyrna times., 1900-12-05
~..~..>.-~..~..s-..~~-.-~..>..~-.~.'
! Ny Would Dc Assassin.
BY Nj. QUAD.
COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY O. B. LEWIS.

When it was finally settled that 1
was to go up into the mountains OF
Wyoming ON a hunting trip with old
Bill Potts, dozen men called to bid
me a last goodby. They looked their
pity and sorrow, and their hands lin
gered lovingly in mine. l was rather
skeptical 1 didn't see why l should be
pulled down by mountain lion, claw
ed into mince meat by a grizzly bear
or buried under a landslide, but they
smiled feebly and shook their heads
in a solemn way. Only one telegram
received out of eight or ten threw any
light on the matter, and the light came
too late. 1t read:
"If you are going hunting with old
Bill Potts. you'd better make your will
and leave things easy for the widowed
and fatherless."
The other kilograms simply read
that the senders would see that my
grave was kept green, if it could ever
be found, and that it was to be hoped
l wouldn't suffer over week in dying.
l liked old Bill. He was hale and
hearty and good natured, and he could
pack a mule, cook a good meal and
shoot fairly straight. He was a smOk-
er and Il chewer, played a good game
Of euchre, and l had every confidence
that the pair of us would get along
like brothers. We got away in good
style, and it was two full days before
anything happened to shake my con-
fidence in him. Then, as l sat cleaning
my rifle, he picked up the ak to cut
some wood. He hadn't made six
strokes before the ak flew off the han
die and almost shaved my hair as 1t
passed.
Excuse me, colonel" said old Bill
as he held up the handle. THAT ak
has bin loose for the last six months
and orter have bin fixed. I'll tend to
it the first rainy day we have"
"But, man, that was a close call for
me-" l said as l felt my anger rising.
Eyes, colonel, but as long as no dam
age was done it's all right. l kinder
thought it was goin to cut yer head
off, but it riz leetle and missed ye."
figured that it was pure accident
and overlooked it. Next morning old
Bill found the trail Of lion near oul
camp, and after breakfast we took II
up and started out. | had n Winches
ter, and he had double barreled shot
gun loaded with buckshOt. He took the
lead, and we had trailed for half 6
mile when l stumbled over stone
and pitched forward. Potts was abOu
20 feet ahead of me, gun on hi:
shoulder and passing perfectly OpeI
ground. AS | went down both barrels
Of his gun were discharged, and IN!
hair curled as the handful Of shO
shrieked over me and cut away hal
the branches of young pine.
"What is it? What were you shoot
ing at?' | shouted as | scrambled up
half expecting the lion had got in ou
rear and was stalking us.
''Ye see, colonel" replied old Potts
with a sheepish look on his face, 81 al
lus carry my gun on the full cock, so
to save time, and l guess l must hav
bin fingerin them hammers"
You dolt! You idiot. You jackass!
l yelled at him as l looked for a clul
IF | hadn't stumbled over that stone
you'd have blown a hole through me a
big as a barrel"
Yes, but We stumbled, and, bein q
no harm was done. hope We won't &c
mad about it. Why, sich things al
liable to happen every day"
l told Potts that if ever caught hiI
carrying his gun in that shape agai
I'd pump lead into his legs and leay
him to the wolves. and for the rest {
the day the relations between us wei
strained. Under the influence of
good supper and a pipe we got clos'
together, however. and by and by
went into the tent for the cards. Il
: was fussing around for several mil
= utes, and had just opened my mOut
| to ask him the cause of his delay wht
, bullet lifted the hat off my head al
, sent it ten feet behind me. | mac
: two jumps for a bowlder and yellt
' to Potts. thinking l had been fired {
by a renegade Indian, but when Il
man came out with my self cooking l
g volver in his hand | knew what hi
=, happened.
You blun2erhead! You fool of
=, lackassw | shouted as | made up
him. but he backed off and protestin
~ explained:
Don't git narvOus, colonel. hi
l. never seen one of these self cooke
"a and was jest tryin it. | might ha
1t p'inted it the other way, but | did,
d think"
Il mo. you didn't. and the ball we
. through my hat. Potts, you are
fool! You don't know enough to che
- beans"
10 "What a fuss to raise over a lee
Il accident, and nobody hurt at tina
es sighed Potts. and we spoke no mC
a. together that evening. made up l
q. mind before going to sleep that I
"a firm of Soft & Petts would dissol
after breakfast by mutual consent
otherwise, but he prepared such
re good meal and seemed so dOwnci
'e- and repentant that | found mys
of melting. We had with us a thumpl
he big bear trap, and while he shoulder
M it and set off to place it in hopes
q catch a lion l took up my gun q
went In another direction.
| came back to camD at noon wifi