38 



A Memory of My Boyhood. 



the tree on which the quarry was diligently 

 seeking its breakfast, and having placed him- 

 self in position behind a low bush which sup- 

 plied a convenient rest for his weapon, he 

 drew back the cock and took aim. 



"Darn the thing " (Saturday, despite his 

 many virtues, would "swear in Quaker," 

 under extreme provocation), "haow hard 

 them trainin' guns does pull ! " 



Bang! The air seemed filled with fire 

 and smoke, and I might add, legs and 

 arms also, for, totally unaccustomed to the 

 use of firearms, Saturday had overcharged 

 and overprimed the piece, and had forgot- 

 ten to hold it tight to his shoulder, so that 

 when the smoke lifted, the gun was found 

 in the rear of the marksman, whose eyes 

 were almost blinded with the flash of the 

 priming. 



"By gosh! I didn't mean to say that, but 

 darn it all, haow them trainin' gunS: does 

 kick," said poor Zed, as he ruefully exam- 

 ined his various members to see which of 

 them had sustained the greatest injury, and 

 satisfied himself that the bottle of powder 

 remained unbroken. " Did you get him ? ' 

 said I. " I d'no, less go see," said the 

 sportsman, raising the musket cautiously 

 from the ground, and moving toward the 

 tree. A long search failed of satisfac 

 tory results, and Saturday said, while he 

 uncorked the bottle with his teeth, and pre- 

 pared to charge his piece : " Them high- 

 holders is al'ays a gittin behind limbs when 

 yer a'ter 'em. I see that feller dodge, jist 

 as I was a-pullin' on him. Less go down 

 inter them alders 'n git some catbuds." 



Saturday's mishap had at first impressed 

 me with the thought that it was a judgment 

 of Providence for seeking the life of the 

 harmless bird, but the very small quantity 

 of powder which he used for the next 

 charge convinced me that he had over- 

 loaded the gun. 



We proceeded to put the last suggestion 

 in practice by moving toward the river, 

 whose waters were seen gleaming through 



the boughs not far distant, and it was not 

 long before the familiar cry of the bird we 

 sought caused Saturday to cock his gun, 

 and to move forward with extreme caution, 

 enjoining me, meanwhile, to remain behind. 

 It was not that there was any probability of 

 alarming the catbirds, but Zed felt that his 

 reputation as a sportsman was endangered 

 by the recent occurrence, and that it was 

 necessary to show to the world that he 

 knew something of the correct methods of 

 approaching game. To level his musket 

 " off-hand " was beyond his powers, but 

 tliere was no difficulty in securing a con- 

 venient rest within ten or twelve yards of 

 his unconscious victim. 



He drew the trigger — a huge puff of 

 smoke arose from the pan, and after a short 

 interval, a small, flat report was heard, and 

 the ground in front of the musket was 

 strewn with fragments of the hornets' nest. 

 The catbird squalled, as it hopped to a 

 higher branch, and when I came running 

 up, Zed said ruefully : " I dont b'lieve I put 

 in half paowder 'nuf, that time. 'F I hed, 

 I'd 'a hed that there catbud, /know." 



He deigned no further speech, but the 

 vicious ring of the ramrod soon told that 

 he was thoroughly in earnest, and the load- 

 ing completed, he crept a little nearer, took 

 aim, and the joyful shout which followed 

 the report of the piece, told that at last 

 Saturday had secured a victim. 



Poor little bird ! It lay in my hand, torn 

 to pieces by the heavy shot, and for a mo- 

 ment I thought that we might better have 

 fired at a mark, but such reflections were at 

 once banished by the voice of my com- 

 l)anion, who exclaimed : " There's a flock 

 o' blackbuds over in that 'ere wilier, 'n I 

 shouldn't wonder 'f we c'd git three or four 

 on 'em to onct." 



Now, it so chanced that the willow tree 

 in question was situated in a small pasture 

 adjoining the river, and surrounded by a 

 high fence ; and that this pasture was at 

 that moment occupied by a very ferocious 



