30 JAKE'S FIRST GUN. 



" Boyees," said Jake, " did I ever tell yer about the 

 fust gun I ever got my claws on ? " 



"No, Jake," answered Gaultier; "do tell us about 

 it." 



" Wai, it wur a funny thing too," continued the old 

 hunter. " Ye see I wur fond o' shoo tin' since I broke 

 the shell; and when I wur about seven year old, I 

 determined to get a gun somehow. Now, I seed jest 

 what I wanted over the chimbly at Uncle Silas's, whur 

 I wur sent to stay fur my health, bein' a bit back'ard 

 for my age. Wai, the thing wur twice as long a'most 

 as myself, but I guess that wur no diffeeculty ; so one 

 fine mornin', bright an' airly, I skips out o' bed, an' wi' 

 the help o' a table an' cha'r, I gets my claws upon the 

 gun, a-leavin' the bag behint wi' a stick in it to keep it 

 stiff. I reckon I didn't greatly admire it now I had a 

 holt of it ; but it wur a gun, an' that wur everything. 

 I stole out to the wood-shed to look it over, an' to ile 

 the lock, which o' coorse wur a flint. I soon diskiv- 

 ered, hows'ever, that the hammer wouldn't work any- 

 how, I guess I cudn't make it an' I wur a-gwine to 

 put the old blunderbox back agin, when who shed look 

 in but Pete Sniggers, as bright an imp as arey a one 

 round them diggin's. Pete, who wur a kupple o' years 

 older'n me, no sooner sees the old gun than he says, 

 ' Jake, you've sloped wi' that thar gun, and I'm jest 

 a-gwine to tell old Silas about it / am ef we don't 

 run it on shares. Say.' 



" ' Wai, Pete,' says I, ' I don't say agin that. I've 



