Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1913-07-10


When he caught sight of she gun his
face fairly beamed. and l knew was
out on the track of adventure, because
he was first hunter, then fisher
man, He said the gun had belonged
to his father before him and while. he
wouldn't dare say just what execution
bis father had done with it, he would
say that he, himself, had killed. five
bears and hundreds of deer.
'sIn my day." he said, "we didn' {
keep count of the deer we killed. but /
can safely say I've killed hundreds
with that old gun
AS for the shooting matches for
beef. SO common in the mountai ns
some thirty years ago. he used to
break them mp by winning every quar-
ter and taking his beef home ION the
hoof. There was such monotonous
repetition of this proceeding that the
other fellows, who wanted to have a
beef stew occasionally. finally put mp
the bars and wouldn't let him shoot.
The old man took the gun and his
great big hands fondled 1t as tenderly
as mother would babe.
''You see, it amt in no sort O. fix
now," he crooned apologetically.
''That set trigger is all out O. whack
and she won't even stand cooked. ;"
And slowly up and down he raised
and lowered the battered old hammer
and suggestive silence ensued. At
ter holding back the hammer and gaz-
ing down intently for some moments
he exclaimed:
"And / DO believe that old tube is
plumb burned out"
"But la me guess the rust done
some of it; there amt no tellin when
that gun was shot the last time"
He laid it across his knees ana turn
ed it slowly over; then looking up at
me with little start, he said:
'If you want to make a picture of
me with this gun, like you said, you
got to cut limhsor something to go
in here; this gun amt got no rams
rod. Ma
Well. we "cut a limb as you may
see for yourselves by glance, and af-
ter the snapshot was made the old man
raised the gun very deliberately to his
shoulder and, glancing along the
sights, brought the muzzle to bear on
a grazing calf in a distant field. With
an audible sigh be lowered the gun
and there was world Of significance
in his brief exclamation as he turned
TO his big chair. tia, mani"
After being seated. no trifling task,
the old man fixed his gaze on the
green slopes and towering. bluffs be-
yond the river but there was a far
away expression that showed his Wis
ion was reaching beyond those hills
and beyond the years, so it, did not
come as surprise when, after a. bit,
he turned to me and said:
s'I'll Just have to tell you about one
D them Ave bars. .
The joSe was on me, but | tell it,
cause its the only time y ever done
TIE runnin' while the bar done the
huntin'.
He was a big old scoundiel and
tough as pins knots, | knew cause ar
ter had 1nt two bullets into him out
o this Old gun he was still Jest a-rack
in along up the side p that noun
tain.
Ny good old dog WIS right at his
heels pesterin him all he could.
I III ut esttin isis head boxed off, and
rAs a-cornin putin and a-blowin,
trim III gef cleaa enough to get In
I uather shot when All Of suddent. l
heevd the dadburnGsat racket, and
when looked up seen EN- a-comin'.
ssThe dog was in the lead, but not
much, and that oldsbar, with his red
tongue hangin out an his white
teeth. .a-shinin', looked jest like the
devil fore day.
"Tbe bar was arter the dog and the
dog was arter me.
SIN those days / was some runner,
and guess / made my. record right |
then and thar as | came down that
'hittin' jist the high spots.
''But guess that dog was scared
worse n me cause twant long fore he
passed me, and right thar things gun
TO look mighty different. cause now
twas me arter the dog. and the bar
arter me. was thinkin' mighty hard |
bout takin' to saplin', and the only |
reason / didn't was cause I didn't |
have time. / thought of heap Of |
ievilment had done, and asked the |
Lord to have mercy on ME; then l |
took one last look back to see how
close them shinin' teeth was to my |
meat and seen that darned ole bar
pluggin' along goin' back up the
mountain.
"TbenI got sure 'nough mad, and
thout calm my dog nor nothin' / |
went light after Mr.. Bar, and caught |
lp yath him, and | went right up |
long side of him, and hput the muz- i
lie of this old gun up side O. his old