OLD JAKE'S STORY. 25 



hit that on the head ; whoever did that fust wur the 

 hest shot. 



"Wai, to make my story short, Green an' t'other 

 chap I forgets his name loads thur rifles an' takes 

 thur stand, an' tosses fur fust shot. The toss fell to 

 Green, an' arter a kearful aim he fired an' jest a'most 

 touched the nail. The boys cheered the shot, an' that 

 made t'other 'n savage as a meat-axe. ' Shet yer mouths, 

 ye blatherin' pack,' sez he, 'an' wait till I shoots to 

 cackle !' Wai, he aims away, an' pulls ; but thur wur 

 no report, I guess. ' Blank this 'ar gun,' sez he, ' but 

 I wur dead on that nail, an' 'ud 'a made a hit sure as 

 pison ! Hyur goes agin ! ' No shot kem this time 

 eyther. Boyees, the talk that fellur went on with 'ud 

 rise yer ha'r ! He pranced round cussin' awful, an' 

 drivin' home his ramrod to put down the charge. He 

 wur jest a-goin' to put on another cap, when one o' the 

 boys he sez, ' What'n thunder ails yer rifle, old coon ? 

 Why, blank ef she ain't got the tapeworm ! ' You bet 

 we all rolled about in fits o' larfin. Sure enuff thur 

 wur a long whitey thread a-pokin' out o' the nipple o : 

 the fellur's rifle, which wur cheese ! 0' coorse the gun 

 cudn't go wi' that behint the powder. 



" The way that fellur got on wur a sight to see, I 

 reckon ! But it wur nigh havin' a bad endin', as he 

 wanted Green to fight ; but the boys wouldn't let that 

 go on, an' arter a while they got him to think the hull 

 thing a joke. Ye-es, that wur a funny sight, I guess, 

 an' tickles this coon as often as I thinks o' it." 



