Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-12-30
MY WOULD BE
ASSASSIN
BY NJ QUAD
Copyright. isia. by Associated alt
erary Press.
BY M. QUAD


lovingly In mine was rather skep-
teal didn't see why should be
pulled down by mountain lion. claw
ed into mincemeat by a grizzly bear
or buried under a landslide, but they
smiled feebly and shook their heads
In a 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:
"If 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 be could
pack a mule. cook good meal and
shoot fairly straight He was smok-
er and n chewer. playing good game
OF euchre. and had every confidence
that the pair of us would get along
like brothers. We got away in good
style. and 1t was two full days before
anything happened to shake my con-
fidence In him. Then as sat cleaning
my rife be picked up the ax to cut
/ some wood. He hadn't made six
/ strokes before the AK few off the han
/ die and almost shaved my hair as 1t
| passed.
Excuse. me. colonel" said old BIZ
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 II was going TO cut yer head
of, but 1t ris ieetle and missed ye.'
] figured that 1t was pure accident
and overlooked IL. Next morning bid
Bill found the trail OF lion near our
camp. and after breakfast We took 1t
up and started out. had winches-
ter. and he had a double barreleSi shot
gun loaded with buckshot. He took
the lead. and we had trailed for half
mile when I 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 | 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 Il? What were you shoot
Ing att" / shouted rs scrambled up.
half expecting the Hon bad got 10 our
rear and was stalking us.
''Ye see. colonel" replied old Potts,
with n sheepish look on his face. II
alins carry my gun on the full cock SOS
to save time. and guess ! must have
bin fingerin' them hammers"
"You dolt, You idiot. You jackass."
yelled at him as l looked for a club.
IF | hadn't stumbled over that stone
you'd have blown hole through me
as big as barrelr'
'sYes, but We stumbled. and. bein' Ms
noharm was done. hope ye won't get
mad about IL"
l told Potts that III ever caught him
carrying his gun in that shape again
I'd pump lead into his legs and leave
him to the wolves, and for the rest OF
the day the relations between us were
strained Under the influence Of
good supper and a pipe we got closer
together. however and by and by he
went into the tent for the cards. He
was fusssng around for several min
utes ana had just opened my mouth
to ask him the cause Of his delay when
bullet lifted the hat or my head and
sent Il ten feet behind me. made two
Jumps for bowlder and yelled to
Potts. thinking had been fired on by
a renegade Indian. but when the man
came out with my self cooking revolver
in his hand 7 knew what had hap
pened.
.'You blunder head, You fool of
jackass.' ! shouted as l made up to
him. But he backed of aNd protest
ingly explained:
Don't get nervous. colonel. had
never seen one of these self cookers and
was Just tryin' It. l might have pint
ed 1t the other way. but didn't think"
"No. you didn't, and the ball went
tnlouEh OAtos W. Wv - 1900
You don't know enough to chew
| beans.'
what fuss to raise over a leetle
accident, and nobody hurt at that
said Potts. WAL. the fact Of 1t Is
I'm goin' to quit The boys said ye
| was a crank and a kicker and that I'd
soon cut my job. hut We talked smooth
and give orders fur plenty Of grub. and
was willin' to take chances. How.
sumever"-
"Howsumever what? Howsumever--
squint eyed. dunderheaded pothunter!
Next day we started the outfit fol
home. Potts might have reconsidered
his resignation, but wouldn't give hin
chance. | couldn't stay up their
alone. but 1t was death to stay with
him. We made the Journey of eft,
miles without a word When w
reached home paid him on and said
! sspaff1 xou--ynu--ycr a "a a N nm hmm,