The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-12-12
MY WOULD BE
ASSASSIN
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1914, by Associated At
erary Press.

oming on a hunting trip with old Bill
Potts a dozen men called to bid me 4
last goodby. They looked their pity
and sorrow, and their hands fingered
lovingly In mine. | was rather skep
teal didn't see why | should be-
pulled down by mountain lion, claw
ed into mincemeat by grizzly bear
or buried under landslide, but they
smiled feeby and shook their heads
In solemn way. Only one telegram
received out OF eight or ten threw any
light on the matter. and the light came
too late. II read:
III you are going hunting with old
Bill Potts you'd better make your will
and leave things easy for the widowed
and fatherless"
/ liked old Bill. He was hale and
hearty and good natured, and he could
pack a mule, cook a good meal and
shoot fairly straight. He was a smok-
er and chewer, playing n good game
of euchre, and had every confidence
that the pair OF us would get along
style. and it was two full days before
anything happened to shake my con-
fidence In him. Then as sat cleaning
my rife he picked up the ak to cut
some wood He hadn't made six
strokes before the AK few off the ham
die and almost shaved my hair as it
passed
Excuse me. colonel" said old Bill
as he held up the handle. THE ak
has been loose for the last six months
and orter have bin fixed. I'll tend to
1t the first rainy day we have
But, man, that was a close call for
me-" said as felt my anger rising
Yes, colonel, but as long as no dam
age was done it's all right kinder
thought it was going TO cut yer head
off, but it riz leetle and missed ye."
! figured that 1t was pure accident
and overlooked it. Next morning old
Bill found the trail of a lion near our
camp, and after breakfast we took 1t
up and started out. | had a Winches-
ter and he had double barreled shot
the lead, and we had trailed for half
mile when stumbled over stone and
pitched forward Potts was about
twenty feet ahead of me, gun on his
shoulder and passing over perfectly
open ground. As I went down both
barrels Of his gun were discharged.
and my hair curled as the handful of |
shot shrieked over me and cut away |
half the branches of young pine.
What is it? What were you shoot. !
ing att" l shouted as | scrambled up, |
half expecting the lion had got in our
rear and was stalking us,
''Ye see. colonel" replied old Potts,
with a sheepish look on his face. II
allus carry my gun on the full cock SOS
to save time, and | guess / must have
bin fingerin' them hammers"
"You dolt. You idiot! You jackassw
| yelled at him as / looked for club.
IF / hadn't stumbled over that stone
you'd have blown a hole through me
rs big as a barTel!'
ayes. but We stumbled, and, bein' as
40 harm was done, hope ye won't get
mad about it.
told Potts that IL ever caught him
his gun in that shape again
ID pump lead into his legs and leave
lim TO the wolves. and for the rest of
he day the relations between us were
trained. Under the influence Of a
-ood supper and pipe we got closer
ogether, however. and by and by no
vent into the tent for the cards. He
vas fussing around for several min
ties and l had just opened my mouth
o ask him the cause Of his delay when
bullet lifted the hat of my head and
ant It ten feet behind me- ] made two
jumps for a bowlder and yelled TO
otis. thinking had been fired on by
renegade Indian. but when the man III
lme out with my self cooking revolver NJ
] his hand | knew what had hap. III
ened lHI
you blunder head. You fool OF
lekass, | shouted as | made up TO
i'm. But be backed OF sod protest
Igly explained: HI
Don't get nervous, colonel. ! had
ever seen one OF these self cookers and
as Just tryin' IT, i might have pint.
IL the other way. but didn't think" W
''No. you didn't, and the ball went
rough my hatl Potts, you are a fool
on DOM know enough to chew
ans
What a fuss to raise over a Ieetle
and nobody hurt at that II
"a Potts WAL, the fact OF II IL
NJ goin' to quit. The boys said ye =
as a crank and a kicker and that I'd
on cut my Job. but ye talked smooth
a give orders fur plenty Of grub. and
was willin' 10 take chances. How. a,
'Howsumever what7 Howsumever-
uint eyed. dunderheaded pothunterr -
Sert day We started the outfit Tor u.
me. Potts might have r-considered 81.
resignation. bot ] wouldn't give him
chance. couldn't stay NJ there
ne. but u was death 20 stay with
.. We made the journey q nnv IN
Ies without q word when We -
.ched home paid hin OF and said
POTTS. yoa-yOu-you are an unhunc
~
Whist Tor. c0lonel2~ be iuuocsutlv IN
-
Racnuae ven cant hain nfs