"MUS'RATTIN" 



ONE November afternoon I found Uncle 

 Jethro back of the woodshed, drawing a 

 chalk-niark 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' ? Fo' mus'rats, boy." 



"Muskrats ! Do you think they '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' des dozen winters fo', en yo' 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- 

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