Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-08-19

and ortef hove bin fixed. I'll tend to
1t the first rainy day we have"
But, man, that was close call for
me- said as l felt my anger rising.
Yes. colonel, but as long as no
damage was done it's all right. I
kinder thought it was goin to cut
yer head OF, but 1t riz leetle and
missed lye.' g
l figured that 1t was pure accident
and overlooked it. Next morning old
Bill found the trail of lion near our
camp, and after breakfast we took it up
and started out. / had Winchester
and he had a double-barreled shotgun
loaded with buckshot. He took the
lead, and we had trailed for half
mile when | stumbled over stone and
pitched forward Potts was about
twenty feet ahead of me, gun on his
shoulder, and passing perfectly open
ground. AS / went down, both barrels
of his gun were discharged, and my
hair curled as the handful of shot
shrieked over me and cut away half the
branches of young pine.
What is it? What were you shoot
ing at?" l shouted as / scrambled up.
half expecting the lion had got in our
rear and was stalking us.
I'VE see, Colonel" replied old Potts.
with sheepish look on his face. Il
allus carry my gun on the full cock.
SOS to save time. and l guess l must
have bin fngerin' them hammers.
You idiot! You idiot! You jackass!"
yelled at him, as looked for club.
IF l hadn't stumbled over that stone,
you'd have blown hole through me
as big as barrel"
yes, but We stumbled, and, bein' as
no harm was done, l hope We won't
get mad about it. Why, SIGH things
are liable to happen every hour in the
day."
told Potts that II / ever caught him
carrying his gun in that shape again
I'd pump lead into his legs and leave
him to the wolves, and for the rest of
the day the relations between US were
strained. Under the influence of a
good supper and a pipe We got closer
together, however. and by and by he
went into the tent for the cards. He
was fussing around for several min
utes, and had just opened my mouth
TO ask him the cause of his delay when
a bullet lifted the hat off my head and
sent it ten feet behind me. l mads
two jumps for bowlder and yelled
to Potts, thinking l had been fred on
by a renegade Indian, but when the
man came out with my self-cocking
revolver in his hand knew what had
happened.
You blunderhead! You fool OF
jackass!" shouted as l made up to
him, but he backed off and protesting
ly explained:
Don't git narvous, colonel. had
never seen one OF these self-cockers
and was jest tryin it. might have
p'inted it the other way, but didn't
think"
mo, you didn't, and the ball went
through my hat. Potts, you are
fool You don't know enough to chew
beans"
What fuss to raise over a leetle
accident, and nobody hurt at that"
sighed Potts, and we spoke no more
together that evening. l made up my
mind before going to sleep that the
firm of Soft e Potts would dissolve
after breakfast by mutual consent or
otherwise, but he prepared such a
good meal and seemed so downcast and
repentant that l found myself melting,
We had with us a humping big bear
trap, and while he shouldered 1t anG
set off to place 1t in hopes to catch a
lion took up my gun and went in an
other direction.
/ came back to camp at noon with
small deer on my back and found Potts
and dinner waiting. Two hours later,
when we had taken care OF the meat
and the hide, he asked me TO go with
him and see a hot spring he had dis
covered farther up the mountain. I
saw that the hammers OF his gun were
down; but, not knowing what surprise
he might have up his sleeve, took the
lead. Now and then he gave me a
word of direction. and he had Just an
nounced the spring as close at hand
when | tripped and fell / heard the
clank OF chain, and it flashed across
me that l was pitching forward on TO
his bear trap. fell. but also swerv-
ed aside, and it was my rife which
struck the pan and sprang the trap.
The terrible Jaws, each armed WIN Is
great teeth, closed together within a
foot Of my face and with sound that
made me think Of a surgeon saving
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