Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-14
THE COMPLETE BEST SELLER
No Time for Sergeants

and you never heered such barking and howl
ing and yelping in your life. There amt any
more ungodly yell that know of nohow than
a chicken yelping when it's scared-it's louder
than a dog any time, especially way in the
night like that-and you have to give Pa
credit for it all right: he had really outdone
himself.
Now Tear Out the Bridge
Anyhow, we stood around and cooled on
and put dipper of water over our heads.
and was right wore out with it all. But I
guess by then was about as wrapped up
in the thing as Pa was because got the idea
myself about how we should go down and
tear down the bridge along the road so no
cars could come up it. and was just ready
to mention it when remembered Warnt
really too much for it nohow So didn't say
nothing about it, but kind of got to worrying
that Pa would think of it, But after little
while, he said. We'll. I guess that is about
as good as we can get it. and I said right
quick, "Yessir, reckon that pretty well does
it."
Then Pa said, II want you to know that
I appreciate you helping me out and every
thing hit would have been lot Of work for
one man to do" And then he stood there
a minute looking around the place. waiting
for me to say something.
mighty glad to do it," and then I said.
appreciate you helping me out
But he shook his head and said, mo, Will,
you was doing it just to be nice. l know
hit don't make no difference to you. but
want you to know I appreciate it."
So then said that warnt so at all. said.
"NoSir, you got it all wrong. feel just like
you do If they come riding up here, I'll blow
their heads off. You just see if don't"
But then he shook his head sideways at me
and smiled kind of sad. and said. mo, Will.
the only reason you'll blow their heads of is
because you're so good-natured. But do want
you to know appreciate it."
So didn't soy no more about it, He had
his head set on it that way. and guess when
you come right down to it. 1t was the truth
too So let it drop and tried to change the
subject. l said, II wonder what happened to
them letters the man was talking about"
1T don't know" Pa said II guess they must
have Just come in down to the Corners and
they forgot to give them to- us. don't think
I would tell them that, though They would
Just think you couldn't read and didn't want
to say so. Some people think that way. you
know"
So said would be sho not to mention 1t
and we stood around a while longer, and
throwed another rock down in the woods to
try the chickens and the dogs again. and they
set up a pretty good racket again, and once
they Quoted down. we went on in to bed.
was dog-tired too and slept hard all night
long and didn't wake up until after the sun
had come up the next morning when heerd
Pa fooing around with the stuff in the
kitchen.
i. The thing was. guess, had kind OF
halfway expected Pa to forget all about it
once the fun of it was over. but he hadn't
oil IIa OH dv had
got up, and while was eating. he got out
this tweve-gauge double barrel shotgun he
had, and then he got out rife and this other
gun that's been around the house as long as
l can remember, and he took them out on the
porch and started loading them up. I went
ahead and washed the dishes and when
come out he was Just loading the long one.
1t had one of them large hammers on 1t and
the barrel was bent, and you had to load 1t
by stuffing powder down the barrel. but Pa
liked it, and I've seen him hit things with
that old bent-barreled gun that you could
never think Of hitting with no other gun.
Anyhow, he finally finished with it, stuff
ing nails and everything else down inside 1t.
and then loaded the others. and after that
we set there and waited and got right
tired Of it too after a while. mean I didn't
mind going to the draft much nohow and it
seemed like we was going to good bit Of
trouble about nothing to me. didn't say
nothing about 1t, Of course-Pa was so touchy
about things like that-but it really did seem
that way to me, and had to do good bit
of things to keep from telling him what I
thought about it, I played the harp while
and raked up around the front while he set
there next to the post with the gun across
his lap; then went out and watered the
chickens and the dogs that was tied up. and
then we both set around for couple Of hours.
and really did get right tired of it all before
it was over.
I mean waiting around like that not
knowing whether you're going to have to blow
somebody's head of or not can be right
wearing after while. And they didn't show
up until nearly noontime nohow. and by that
time. it really did seem like 1t was all more
trouble than it was worth to me-
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