"MUS'ftATTIN" 



ONE November afternoon I found Uncle 

 Jethro back of the woodshed, drawing a 

 chalk -mark along the barrel of his old musket, 

 from the hammer to the sight. 



"What are you doing that for, Uncle Jeth? " 

 I asked. 



" What fo' f Fo 7 mus'rats, boy." 



"Muskrats ! Do you think they 7 11 walk up 

 and toe that mark, while you knock 'em over 

 with a stick?" 



"G'way fum yhere ! What I take yo' pos- 

 sumin 7 des dozen winters fo', en yo 7 dunno 

 how to sight a gun in de moon yit ? I 's gwine 

 mus'rattin' by de moon to-night, en I won't 

 take yo' nohow." 



Of course he took me. We went out about 

 nine o'clock, and entering the zigzag lane be- 

 hind the barn, followed the cow-paths down to 

 the pasture, then cut across the fields to Lup- 

 [37] 



