The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-11-30

hood, but with my first pair of pants
came the longing for real gun, which
rapidly increased as i grew older. Ny
brother Will two years my senior, was
possessed with the same longing, and
by the time | was nine and he elev-
Ell years of age. we had come to seri-
Ously consider ways and means of ac.
quiring a gun. Our father was n very
positive in his refusal to assist us in
so far as to forbid our attempting it
ourselves, considering us too young to
be trusted with a gun.
Inclined to obedience, we gave the
matter up for a season, but could not
bring ourselves wholly to abandon it.
One day brother VIII came to me in
great excitement. saying he had found
a gun that could be bought for $1.50.
and that we must set about raising
ane money at once, before some one
else secured the prize. 1t was a large
I'm of money for us to get together,
and il cost much thought and labor
10 do 1t, but the possibility of owning
~ eh NAiAhhthAth US ~ Ahdl VIC SDttu-
sly accomplished the task, and one
fine morning purchased and proudly
bore home our first real gun. 1t was
an antiquated army musket, rusty and
battered, but to our eyes all that a
gun ought to be.
We found it IL heavy load to carry.
but no burden was ever borne more
cheerfully. A careful and critical ex-
animation of our treasure, after we
had gotten it safely home, developed
the fact that it was so heavy neither
of Us had the strength TO hold it out
Sn firing position. But VIII solved this
problem by suggesting that we could
shoot from a rest on some convenient
stump or fence.
Then on further Investigation we dis
covered that neither of us was tall
enough to reach up to the muZzle of
the gun TO pour in the powder and shot
with which to load It, This was more
serious, and not so easily remedlad as
the first difficulty. | suggested that
we might carry a box 10 stand on
when loading but this plan did not
seem quite practical, and was not very
well received by my brother. 1T is
al we can do to carry The gun. without
luGeing big box. too said he. And
who ever heard Of anyt 1dy going
bunting with gun and box to stand
on when loading it, he rather indig-
nantly inquired.
think the fact OF It's being so unor-
tbodox. rather than its novelty, caused
Us 20 dismiss it as wholly impractical: (:
for we could not consider any method
lot approved by sportsmcn, now that
we bad real gun.
We finally consulted an Oh gun
smith. telling him our troubles. and he
advised that we have the barrel of the
gun cut OF thereby reducing the
weight and the length, and agreed to
do the job himself for the modest sum
OF forty-fiye cents.
We promptly resolved ourselves. for
the second time, into ways and
means committee. and after few days
OF as earnest financiering a. ever fell
10 the lot OF men engaged in an enter
prise Of Importance, W. allied forth TO
The gunsmith's with our gun and the
price OF the desired improvements.
With something like two feet cut off
the barrel. and the same from the iron
TamrOJf we bad an arm that 'i,her Of
US could hold-very briehy-in firing
position. ana readily reach the muzzlc
OF from the ground.
(fnslsfUrr
trouble at first. but this we finally
learned to DO by resting the muzze on
the ground. bracing the stock against
our chest, ana pulling on the ponderous
lock with both hands. The sound OF
the two 'clicks," announcing the
stages which we knew as half and
whole cooked" was thrilling In the
extreme. bearing a strong resemblance
10 the noise made'by heavy are.set
falling on a stone hearth Ii was sim.
ply sweet music TO our ears, and we
knew that no gun ever had stronger,
o. more business-like click.
II was some time before we could
persuade our father to allow us TO
test Its shooting qualities; and when
we did. our further knowledge OF the
gun. and its strong characteristic
might be thus summed up: 1t had
wonderful capacity for ammunition.
taking handful each OF powder and
shot. at load. with handful of paper
on each. A very loud and booming re-
port. when fired. A recoil, which led
us seriously TO consider. at times
whether or not the propeling power
had not--iu some manner-become re-.
verscj and the knack OF scattering
shot IN way beyond the power OF
belief.
We also discovered a little later on
that the threads OF the tube seat were
worn. and that occasionally the tube
WINS blown out. whistIing by our heads
with terrific force. aud not killing u.s.
although occurring several tInes--slm-
ply ana solely because OF the Kind and
all-wise Providence that especially re-
CARDS the reckless boy.
But what grand. good, beautiful
gun that old iron wreck was to us. and
hoH we ioysd Il, The boy ss te-day
- W