The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-17

common as they were rs or 80 years ago
Chance led me to one about year ago
was travelling in one of the northeast
ern counties when l overlook a swarthy
bright-eyed, smerky little fellow. riding
a small pony and bearing on his shoulder
a long, heavy rifle, which, judging from
Its looks, I should say had done service
in Morgan's corps.
Good morning, sir!' said I, refining VI
my horse as I came beside him.
How goes it, Stranger" said he, with
tone of independence and self-conf-
dence that awakened my curiosity to
know a little of his character
Going driving?" inquired I.
Not exactly" replied he, surveying
my horse with a quizzical smile. u
haven't been a-driving by myself for a
year or two; and my nose has got SO
bad lately can't carry a cold trail with
out hounds to help me-"
Alone and without hounds as he was
the question was rather a silly one; but
| 1t answered the purpose for which it was
| put, which was only to draw him into
conversation. and 1 proceeded to make
as decent a retreat as I could.
IT didn't know said I, but that you
were going to meet the huntsmen, or
| going to your stand"
"Ah, sure enough" rejoined he, that
| mout be a bee, as the old woman said
when she killed a wasp. 1t seems to me
! I ought to know your"
What mout your name be?''
ut might be anything" said I, with
borrowed wit. for I knew my man, and
knew what kind of conversation would
please him most.
well. what is it. then?'
ut is Hail." said I; but you know
!, tf,rx
else"
pretty diggingr' said he. 1T find
| you're not the fool I took you to be: so
here's to better acquaintance with
you!"
with all my heart" returned I; ''but
you must be as clever as I've been, and
give me your name"
ITO be sure I will. my old coone take
it-take It, and welcome. Anything else
about me you'd like to have?"
No." said I, there's nothing else
about you worth having
"Oh, yes, there is, stranger! Do you
see this?" holding up his ponderous rifle
with an ease that astonished me. III
you will go with me to the shooting
match and see me knock out the bull g.
eye with her few times, you'll agree
the old Soap-sticls worth something
when Billy Curlew puts his shoulder to
her."
This short sentence was replete with
information to be. 1t taught me that my
companion was Billy Curlew: that he
was going to a shooting-match; that he
called his rifle the Soap-stick, and that
he was very confident OF winning beef
with her; or, which is nearly but not
quite the same thing, driving the cross
with her.
'fWeli,' said I, "if the shooting-match
is not too far out of my way I'll go to
1t with pleasure"
UNLESS your way lies through the
woods from here" said Billy, it'll not
be much out of your way; for it's only
mile ahead Of us, and there is no
other road for you to take till you get
there: and as that thing you're riding
in amt we'll suited to fast travelling
among brushy knobs, reckon you won't
lose much by going by. I reckon you
hardly ever was at a shooting-match,
stranger, from the cut of your coat?"
"Oh yes" returned I, many a time. I
won beef at one when I was hardly old
enough to hold a shotgun offhand.'
Children don't go to shooting-matches
about here said he, with a smile of In
credulity IT never heard of but one
that did, and he was little swinge cat.
rels before he was weaned."
Nor did / ever hear of but one," re-
piled I, land that one was myself"
"And where did you win beef SO young,
Stranger"
AT Berry Adams's."
why, stop, stranger, let me look at
you good! Is your name Lyman Hall?"
1.-The very same" said I.
well, dang my buttons, if you ant
the very boy my daddy used to tell me
about. I was too young to recollect you
myself; but I've heard daddy talk about
you many a time. 1 believe nanny 8
got a Northumberland now that daddy
won on your shooting at COLLEEN Reid s
store when you were hardly knee-high.
Come along, Lyman and I'll go my
death upon you at the shootingmatch.
with the old Soap-stick at your shoulder"
"Ah, Billy" said I, 1.-The old Soap-stick
will do much better at your own shoulder.
1t was my mothers notion that sent me
to the shooting-match at Berry Adams's,
and to tell the honest truth, 1t was alto
gether chance shot that made me win
beef but that wasn't generally known,
and most everybody believed that I was
carried there on account of my skill in
shooting, and my fame was spread far
and wide, well remember I remember,
me at the store. He was at the shooting
match, and nothing could make him be-
lieve but that I was a great shot with
la rifle as well as shotgun. Bet he
would on me, in spite of all could say,
though I assured him that l had never
shot a rife in my life. 1t so happened,
too that there were but two bullets, or
rather, a bullet and half, and SO con-
fdent was your father in my skill that
he made me shoot the half-bullet; and,
| strange to tell, by another chance shot I'd
like to have drove the cross and won his
lbet"
Now know you're the very chap. for
heard daddy tell that very thing about
the half-bullet. Don't say anything bout
1t, Lyman, and darn my old shoes If ]
don't tare the lint Off the boys with you
at the shooting-match They'll never
spect such looking man as you are OF
knowing anything about rifle I'll risk
your chance Shots
| 1 soon discovered that the father had
eaten sour grapes and the sons teeth
were on edge; for Billy was just as In
corrigibly obstinate in his belief of my
dexterity with rifle as his father had
been before him.
| We soon reached the place appointed
for the shooting-match It went by the
name of Sims's Cross Roads, because
here two roads intersected each other
and, because from the time the first hai
been laid out, Archibald Sims had re-
| sided there Archibald had been JUS
tice of the peace in his day land where
| Is the man of his age in Georgia who has
not?); consequently he was called Squire
Sims. 1t Is the custom In this state
when a man his once acquired title
| ~ IL -