Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-10-09
Ma pleasant day in early win
] ter, about a year after we
Z had settled on the Little Pc

the wagon. I was going for load of
straw to Johnson place, six miles
north, toward the head of the Little
Pecan.
Two miles from home came to the
house where Sinclair McCarty, boy
Of my own age, lived. AS he was a
good hand at stacking or loading straw
father had suggested that stop and
get him to 60 with me. But his moth
er told me that he had gone hunting,
and had been out an hour.
drove on. Johnson would help me
load the straw; but while jolting
through the woods, ] saw McCarty's
dogs run across the road, and knew
that Sinclair was near. A few shouts
brought him to the wagon. He was
very tall for boy of sixteen, very
thin, and had prominent nose.
"Wen, what do you think Of my new.
gun" was his first remark, es he
held the weapon up for inspection.
Traded my saddle for her." he ex-
planned.
Sinclair's "new" gun was an old
army musket, but he had never owned
q gun before, and was very proud Of
It.
"Eow does it shoot?" I asked.
"Don't know. Just got my ammuni-
ton this morning, and haven't seen
anything to shoot at yet. She's all
right, though; you can tell that by
looking at her."
he consented to go wth me, and as
we logged along, he showed me his
new powder-horn, which he had made
himself. 1t was large one, now near.
" full of powder. 1t hung on one side
: Of him, and an amunition-bag Of un-
dressed deer-skin on the other.
{ Scarcely hid we eft the woods when
/. q mule-eared rabbit jumped out of
the prairie grass by the road and went
hopping off, but sat down about thirty
yards away.
NOW just watch her tumble the
mule-earp' said Sinclair, for with bor-
rowed guns he had become a fair
{ shot.
q, Stopping the oxen, went and stood
, at their heads to keep them from run.
ming away. At the report Of the mus
ket the big rabbit darted of like a
streak. Sinclair stood staring after It,
as If expecting every moment to see 1t
drop dead. When 1t had disappeared
over the ridge, he rubbed his shoulder,
looked into the muzzle of the gun,
! and finally squinted his eye along the
{ barrel.
"she looks all right, and the barrels
!. straight enough he ramarked, in q
puzzled, serious way. Don't see why
she don't shoot straighter. Nearly
kicked my shoulder of, too Later,
! while releading, he said: !: She's a little
hard on the trigger. Guess I must
have pulled her up when I pulled her
off,
But after three more fruitless shots
at "mule-ears" as we drove along he
threw the .musket on the ground.
"If that was what the Confederate
soldiers had to fight with, no wonder
our side got lickedw he exclaimed an
grily.
"Pick 1t up and bring 1t along" I
said. laughing. you'll need 1t Christ
mas. It makes q terrible noise," for
It Is at Christmas time Texas boys set
of their fireworks.
Sinclair took up the musket. "I'n
trade her off the very first chance I
get" he declared, angrily. Somebody
has got to pay me for that saddle"
Sinclair was born trader. He had
3 reputation among the boys for get
ting the better in swappings, but for
once he had been badly cheated, and
was angry over 1t.
"What'n you take for it?" asked,
skeptically.
"Neyer you mind. That saddle was
worth $40. and I'll get something just
as good"
Lets be. travelling. Well soon be
where I saw the deer last week. You'd
better put In load Of buckshot," I
suggested.
He poured nearly handful Of pow
der into the gun. "I'll put In load
that is load-one that'll scatter all
over the countryw he declared. "If
there's deer between here and the
Big Pecan, I'll get it" Then he wad-
ded up O piece Of newspaper and
rammed it down on the powder.
= you'll get kicked heels over head"
remarked, from some experience
with a musket.
Let her kick" was his reply, as he
hammered the powder till the ramrod
bounced out Of the barrel. "I'm going
to put in ammunition enough to kill
something, If she kicks me clean out
Of the countyw
Then Sinclair went on ahead and
walked all the rest Of the way, but
saw neither deer nor anything else at
which he cared to shoot.
3: Johnson helped US put the straw on
thl frame. We threw off our coats
end worked and worked, till the wa
gon disappeared and the straw on 1t
rose high above the oxen. When
finished the huge load looked like
strawstack on wheels. The straw was
SO very dry and light that it would
not pack well.
To bind the load rope tied to the
fore end Of the frame was passed back
over the straw, pulled down till it cut
deep, and tied to the hind end Of the
frame. tossed Sinclair's coat, pow
der horn and ammunition bag up to
him, and reached up the musket.
Then, getting the oxen started into
the road, stepped upon the wagon
tongue, climbed the rope hand over
hand, and sat on the front end Of the
load.
Sinclair put down the gun, with the
pointing muzzle behind, stuck the
powder horn into the straw to keep 1t
from sliding off, crawled forward and