The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-04-11

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ing to do, and we didn't even dare to
whisper, for we could hear Mr. Eaton
talking to his men in a field not far
off, and we all had q wholesome fear
OF him.
1 The board fence to the Eaton barn
yard, on the side nearest us, was al
most hidden By an extra high growth
Of timothy and clover. The pi pen was
on the other side. containing a monster
white sow that Mr.. Faton was specially
proud Of and vas PLANNING 3 win the
prize with her 80 tee next cattle how
Fred made for this spot. right
/ behind him. and al soon a saw he
was going toward the pispen I i'd ned.
round Hnf in
1 ness, the necessity 81 j 9inr covered
and silent, almost shout to the boys
/ behind.
eGreat Scott, he's going to, shoot
the pig!"
We boys were more scared than ever,
for this was far more serious business
than we had bargained for. Luckily,
my action had not 'given us away"
and in a few momenSg more we were
n all up to the fence, The pig lay facing
us asleep in the sunshine, one ear
down, the other up-a funny habit
i pigs seem to have when they are per-
fectly happy. Fred stuck the gun
through the fence in place where a
I1.-1, III
Pale with dread and fear, but not dar-
ing to demonstrate, the faces of the
other boys might have been seen at
his side, peering anxiously through
the crack. The supreme moment was
at hand. 4 .a
''When fire, skip through the high
grass to those bushes, then through
them to the brook, and up into the
woods, and they'll never see u.s." said
Fred. He was cool as a cucumber. as
be placed the muzzle of the weapon all
most at the brain of his sleeping VIC
tim, and whispered:
| HOne-two-three!"
Then a crash! Mingled with the guns
awful report was the Unearthly roar of
the most surprised squealer on record.
The pigs head appeared *te-be split
i open and to, squirt torrents of blood
as she stumbled toward the barn while
keeping up her internal noise. But we
didn't stop to view the remains. If any
boys ever skedaddled at a more lively
pace than we did, history doesn't say
so. Frightenedfa fails to express it. For
several days afterward the other fell
! lows kept away from US, and we three
brothers were so well behaved that
mother asked father if he thought we
were sick.
y fsifsangelY. enough, not word was
Y hedId ab6utthGI hGIndruersus .she,
Eaton evidently hadn't mentioned 1T to
a soul. AS a week rolled by, and moth
ing was said about the. affair, we boys
quaked in anguish, sure that some de-
tective was secretly arranging our
capture. Our suffering was fit and am
ple punishment for what we had done
We had by no means recovered our
composure when cattle show opened
in all its glory, and we boys went the
rounds in a body.
Lets see what this crowd is over
there by the swine department" said
one, 9hd away we went pell nell for
the point of interest.
As we reached the pen, and looked
in you could have knocked us down
Rifh a feather. There was Farmer
FEaton's SOW standing and looking
I peacefully around, one ear happily
erect as usual, and clean hole about
as big as a marble through the ear, and
through it was neatly tied the first
prize ribbon!
"Why, we thought you'd killed her,
Fred!" the boys all said, as soon as
we could get off by ourselves. "You
certainly aimed right at her brains!"
"Now, boys, don't be alarmed" an
swered Fred, in his superior way. 'It's
true the gun was pointed at the pigs
brain, but it was aimed at her ear.
You forget that that gun shoots around
a corner! I really meant to make that
hole and mar the pig so she wouldn't
take first prize. Eaton didn't dare say
a word for fear the judges of stock
would hear what had happened. But
the hole healed up beautifully. and the
judges this morning were SO taken with
it that they awarded the pig first prize
on the spot, and put the ribbon through
it as an earring"
"All's well that ends WELL" and we
were glad enough to be safely out of
what we then saw had been a mean
act, and might have turned out very
serious one. We boys never went gum
ming for 'big game" again.-Farm and
Home.