THE FLORIDA KID. 



The nex' day we didn't do much, 'ccptin' 

 tend ter the traps. We got 3 more coons, 

 an' Mr. Sam cut a turkey's neck off with 

 'is Winchester. A Winchester is the slick- 

 est thing I ever seen. Look like its got 

 sense, same's a human ; fer when you work 

 the lever, it throws out the empty shell, an' 

 takes a hold of a good one, an' puts it in 

 the right place, an' never fails. 



That night they was low clouds a llyin' 

 up from the Southwest, an' pa said he 

 reckoned we'd git that rain we was a wish 

 in' fer, an' he said if it 'ud turn off cold 

 after it, we'd kill 3 or 4 deer an take home 

 with us. Shore 'nuff, before day it com- 

 menced ter rain, an' I woke up an' heerd 

 it a patterin' on the tent over my head. I 

 shore love ter lay in a warm bed in camp, 

 an' hear the rain, an' know it kaint git to 

 me. 



"Ter-morrer," sez pa, "we'll have a go 

 at the old varmint, an' the day after, if it 

 turns cold, we'll all take ter the woods, 

 an' see'f we kaint git a load of venison 

 ter take home." 



Long erbout 2 o'clock, the wind got 

 around inter the Northwest, an' the clouds 

 begun ter break, an' Uncle Dick said it 'ud 

 be coldern cats anghtin' 'fore mornin'. Pa 'n 

 me tore fer the traps fer the last time. We 

 found 2 coons in 'em, an' a 2 thirds 

 grown otter. We pulled 'em up as we 

 come to 'em. 



We was on our way back ter camp, an' 

 pa was a totein the traps on 'is shoulder, 

 an' I was a carryin' his gun an the hides, 

 an' a little buck jumped outen the bushes 

 right at us, an' run quarterin off. Pa sez, 

 "B-a-a-a," an' he stopped right still, an' 

 went ter lookin' round. 



"Shoot 'im, son ; shoot 'im, drap yore 

 hides, an' aim fer his flank," pa whispered. 



The little old deer weren't over 50 yards 

 off, an' I 'membered what Uncle Dick said 

 'bout gittin me a rifle if I killed a deer. 

 Seem like it sorter steadied me, fer I 

 weren't no more excited 'n if I was aimin' 

 at a killdee. I fetched 'er ter the right 

 place, an' pulled down. 'Er-r-o-o-o-m, 'er- 

 r-o-o-o-m, with both barrels, an' the old 

 gun like to a' kicked me down. 



"He's down, you've got 'im," pa hollered. 

 Run an' cut 'is throat, but look out he 

 don't strike yer with 'is feet." 



An' I laid the gun down, an' run to 'im, 

 but 'fore I cud git there, he riz to 'is feet, 

 an' went a runnin' off with is tail down. 

 I dashed after 'im, but pa hollered ter come 

 back, an' I was shore the chawed boy an' 

 I woulden' fool yer. I seen my rifle a disa- 

 pearin' over the horizon, as the sayin' is, 



CHARLEY APOPKA. 



X. 



but pa said he was hit bad, an' we'd shore 

 git 'im. 



We set down an' waited 'bout 10 minutes 

 an' then started after 'im. Where he fell 

 it look like a quart of blood had been spilt, 

 an' there was a plenty on the grass an' 

 leaves ter trail 'im by. We follered the 

 trail toward a little bayhead 'bout a quarter 

 off, an' we found 'im in a gully that run 

 out of it. Look like he'd tried ter jump it, 

 an' is breath failed 'im. I was shore the 

 tickled boy an' that's a fact. I grabbed out 

 my knife and bled 'im, an' pa 'n me drug 

 'im outen the ditch an' hung 'im in a 

 saplin, an' took out is innards. His kid- 

 neys was nearly buried in fat. Four blue 

 whistlers went plum through 'is liver, an' 

 one in 'is bladder, but he run a quarter of 

 a mile. I'd rub down 'is hair an' feel of 

 'is horns, an' I reckon I said a dozen times. 



"Oh, pa, ain't he purty !" I reckon I was 

 the proudest boy in the world. 



Pa taken the buck on 'is shoulder, an 

 the gun in 'is hand, an' I taken the traps 

 an' the hides, an' they made me a purty 

 big turn. It was dark 'fore we got ter camp, 

 but we could see the fire a far ways 

 through the woods. We stopped ever 

 'casionally, ter rest, an' one time, jest after 

 we'd sighted the fire, we hearn a painter 

 holler, not more'n 200 yards back of us. 

 Well, sir, of all the fusses I ever hearn, 

 that was jest natchelly the scariest, an' if 

 pa hadn't a been with me, they ain't no 

 tellin' what I'd a done. Pa said, 



"Don't be skeered, son ; he won't bother 

 us, he's thes a follerin' this fresh meat"; 

 but, all the same, I was mighty glad when 

 we got ter camp, an' I reckon pa weren't 

 so powerful sorry, but I don't bleeve he's 

 afear'd of nothin' that draws breath. Uncle 

 Dick sez, 



"Doggone yore little hide, you've stuck me 

 fer a Winchester, ain't yer ; an you shall 

 shore have it, soon's I sell them steers." 



Mr. Sam said when I got that rifle, look 

 out deer an' varmints, fer I was deadly 

 pizen. We went ter whittlin' steaks offen 

 my deer, an' we fried up a whole hind 

 quarter, an' it seemed like it was the best 

 meat I ever tasted. I fried some of the 

 liver, but it was so strong I couldn't eat it. 

 We told 'em about the painter a follerin 

 us, an Mr. Sam said we could strike 'is 

 trail in the mornin' where we cleaned the 

 deer. 



We went ter bed soon's we was done 

 eatin', fer we aimed ter git up 'fore day, 

 an' give the old varmint a run fer 'is 

 money. Uncle Dick said he'd stay an' 

 keep camp fer us. 

 44i 



