The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-05-05
The PolDer Of d
Muzzie Loader

There IL a section of gulf coast coun-
try down In Texas where to live in
wolves no great struggle. The people
take things easy and live q long time
IT IL fiat country. grass grown, like @
still green sea. with islands of live oak
hazy and browsing in the dangerous
air. Over the broad expanse are many
cattle--cattle barons still feudalize
there with their retainers, and here
and there are inciosed cotton patches
and gray cabins against each OF which
one Is sure to See several cane fishpoles
reclining. There always is, also, net
stretched on the outside fence and
within, through the always open door,
one as surely glimpses rifles and shot
guns hung high on the wall.
Hard by q lily covered waveless ana
wide reaching lake, is the country
store that is the trade emporium OF the
district. 1t is a long, one-story frame
structure, implanted, with wide gal
lery in front. The store and it's sur
roundings are comparatively hfeless
on all days of the weeks save Saturday.
That is trading day for the whole dis
trict and everybody comes in to the
! store on that day.
Archaic in most things as are the
people about this store, Dabney's 1t
! 70 the times and that is. in the matter
Of firearms. BY hook or crook every
man or boy over the age of absolute
childhood has always managed to pos
sess gun and the more modern, inn
proved, quick and deadly shooting that
gun is, the higher is the rank of its
proud owner among his fellows. The
muzzle loader is as out of date at Deb
neys as a high, old-fashioned bone
breaker velocipede In metropolitan
garage. Nobody but negroes have
muzzle leaders about Dabney's and the
carrying Of one by a white man sub
jects him to a social lowering and
likely contumely.
Bill Dadd, from the nearby Three
Rivers cattle ranch, rode up to Dab
neys so early one Saturday morning
that the bull alligators were still bel
towing internationally far out in the
lake. He tied his pony to the rack.
walked to the store gallery and there
came upon his friend, 81 Rexroat. 81
sat with his legs dangling over the gal
iery edge, and across his lap was a
shotgun, a rusted, antique affair, an old
time duck and goose gun, and muzzle
loader 81 was busy repairing the
broken stock of this relic with baling
wire, and as Bill Dadd stopped short
and looked hard at the weapon, he felt
ashamed and disposed to apologize for
having such a thing.
"A niger over on Turtle Bayou" he
said, has been OWN me 81 nigh on
year. He offers me this ole gun an
takes 1t, beins it's all to be got. AS I
got It might as well fix it up"
you fix 1t? Them old guns amt no
more good now than a Down arrer.'
TIL git some powder, shot an caps.
Guns like this here shoots as hard as
any only they amt so fast shootin' an
loadin'. kin kill varmints round the
house with it stead of wastin' shells on
sich, which costs MORN this does.
Mebbe, too, kin sell 1t to some Niger"
Huh" says Bill Dadd, "niggers won't
tote such guns no more. You can't
make wore out, ole pot metal cam
not hit nothin'. an il it does it won't
hurt nothin."
Thus the thing started which led to
the practical test of the old muzzle
leaders. 1t would take too much space
to detail the various steps by which
! and Bill Dadd. their "dander'' ris-
ing, and crowd arriving meanwhile
and getting interested, arrived at the
details Of a test AS result Bill Dadd
offered to step off 100 PAGES, to stand,
his back exposed. and allow the muz-
Gle loader to be loaded with No. shot,
get, or, II hitting, failed to draw blood
then a certain SIS wagered by 81 and
held by stakeholder was to be paid
20 Bill Dadd. who had likewise deposit
ed and wagered S. on the reverse Of
the proposition.
There was interest and excitement in
The nuZzle loader was loaded, the
powder put In. wad put on and
rammed till the rod jumped out Of the
barrel, which made Bill Dadd look a
bit thoughtful and dubious. A meas
are of birdshot was put in and pressed
down gently beneath it's wad by means
OF the rod. A cap was put on the nip
pie and all was ready. Outside Bill
Dadd stepped off 100 steps in the long
est steps he could straddle. which was
his right of course. He then squatted
down. face away and exposed himself
to the artillery.
81 took his stand and the target stood
up fair and prominent. The master Of
ceremonies says: -
"One, two, three, shoot" and there
was q report like cannon and a cloud
of smoke Immediately and forthwith a
wild veil was heard from Bill Dadd
the target. He plunged full 20 feet in
the soft ground and furrowed 1t up In
his tumultOus rush forward.
Then he stood straight up, clapped
his hands behind him and set into
dead level running of the fastest kind,
straight away over the prairie. Some
body said:
We've been helpin to do a muir
derin'." and the whole crowd took after
Bill, men, women and children and a
pet coon In the rear, which was handi-
capped by dragging dog chain. None
Of these would have caught Bill, run
ming as he was from fire set to his
back and holding on; but some COW
amen quickly united their ponies,
mounted and pursued. They overlook
Bill, roped him, tied him up and sent
for doctor. Said one of them:
II had to ride 10 mis- for the
doc When he come he picked SO
bird sot out of Bill and give him one
of these here se-da-tives. He never
got all of them, for when Bill walks
right hard yet, he sheds shot an YOU
das'en' say SO for he's sorter sensitive.
He lost his IS on that there muzzle
loader, which makes him some sore
an nobody wants to monkey with one
of these here old time m'.zzle leaders
I'm their distance. They'll reach hard
and do hurt" Rollins Bingham.
Business Is Business.
y & IS