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Daddie and I.—II. 
Newport, Ky., Sept. 7.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: About three miles out on the Alexan- 
dria turnpike, facing the intersection of the river 
road with that dusty thoroughfare, half a long 
lifetime ago. stood the long, low, tumble-down 
shop of William H.—otherwise “Billie’—Beard, 
the cheery and bubbling little blacksmith, known 
and well liked that whole country round about. 
Bile is theie still, but older now and more 
sedave; so is the shop, but it is just the same. 
On a late summer morning at the t.me 1 write 
of, Billie's early rush of work was over, and he 
sat on his bench idly swapping jokes and gossip 
with one or two loafing friends who frequently 
dropped in for that purpose. They were all 
laughing uproariously over some morsel more 
juicy than ordinary, when a clear, childish voice 
came to them from the open doorway: 
‘Mr. Beard, Daddie told me to br.ng my gun 
down to have you straighten it. He thinks it 
is hent.” 
The speaker was a small boy perhaps ten or 
twelve yeers old, thotgh his diminutive figure 
barely justified even so high a guess. He was 
hare-footed and ‘wore a pair of already short 
knee breeches rolled far above his knees. A blue 
flannel shirt wide open at the throat, and short 
of sleeves, displayed a wealth of wiry, muscular 
strength that underlay an expanse of ruddy 
brown skin which, save where tanned by the 
sun, was thickly sown with freckles in size rang- 
ing from a pinhead to a pea. A straw hat as 
large as an umbrella surmounted the head of 
reddish-brown, close-curling hair, and the bright 
dark eyes took in everything at a glance. He was 
the picture of rugged outdcor health rampant, 
and the men looked at l.m smilingly as, gun 
in hand, he came in. 
“Well, if thar ain't Cap. Roebuck’s red-headed 
kid; an’ huntin’ again,” said one. 
“Hello, Johnnie!” said the kindly blacksmith, 
“ain't you Captain Roebuck’s son?” 
“Yes, sir,’ was the firm though quiet re- 
sponse, 
“Ts that the gun? I heard it got burned in a 
fire. Let’s look at her.” 
He took the weapon and carefully looked it 
over. It was an ordinary Springfield musket, 
relic of ’65, the original length of the barrel and 
stock remaining the same, though the latter, ex- 
tending almost to the muzzle of the old arm, was 
charred and burned by the action of the fire. 
“It seems to shoot all right,’ was the timid 
suggestion of the anxious boy. 
“Yes, son, I heard about you shooting, be- 
fore, and I guess most any gun would shoot 
about right in yorr hands. The old man is a 
good shot, too, I hear.” 
“Yes, sir, he tavght me to shoot.” 
“T swan, Johnnie, I can’t see no bend in that 
barrel. It looks as straight «as aydie to me: 
What do you fellers say?” and he passed the gun 
around to the rest of the interested group for a 
confirmation of his opinion, which was at once 
unenimotus and emphatic. 
“Well, I dunno,” said the puzzled smith. ‘if 
it’s bent at all, it ain’t much. Wait till I take 
the barrel off and I can see better.” 
Sviting the action to the word, he quickly re- 
moved the barrel, ther sighting along it toward 
the open sky and rollirg and turning it in his 
hands. at last he said, still doubtfully, though: 
“T believe there is a k'nd of a kink in it up 
there abovt six inches from the muzzle. but no 
fire ever did that; something heavy fell on it.’ 
And he carefully rolled the barrel over and over 
on a flat, smooth plank, when the inequality at 
once became apparent. 
“Tell you what, Johnnie. if I was you. I’d cut 
ber cff. ’Taint no vse to try an’ straighten her. 
The very best thing is to file that barrel off 
right below the bend.” 
GLUNTE TRA AUNTD GUN | [a 
rod to the 

proper length, rubbed it with an oily| 
rag and it pc one into its groove like a 
, and the work was done at 
last, to the detent of the impatient boy. 
’ said tne equally de- 
“and [ll show you how she 
The youthful owner demurred. That gun was 
Every foot of it was precious to 
he hated to part with even an inch of it. 
its too long anyhow. 
finger into 
B.llie persisted, 
shoots just as well, 
whole lot 
| just guarantee you that gun ’] 
twice as well after it’s cut off as it does 
an’, by gum! Ill 
this piec ce of newspaper; 
lighted blacksmith, 
ought to shoot.” 
tiunting about, he found a piece of thick sole 
leather, and an old pasteboard box, out of whick 
he punched a number of first-class light ané 
wad-cutter 
you take 
about two foot by 
Tack it up over there on the side of the 
p, then you load your gun the 
, step off thirty yards, and let’ 
a target you can mz tke: 
best you know 
s see how good 
Then when we cut her 
closely watched his 
Putting in a moderate pow det bi arge, -) 
pusher down two of the thick leather wads or 
ramming them smartly home. 
pouring in a generous load of shot, 
it lightly in the barrel by pressing down firmly 
one of the thin cardboard wads, not, 
then he stepped out for his trial 
Putting up a similar piece of paper at the s 
just as steadily, 
quickly, "and Both. ran to survey the mark. 
evenly over the 
target as regularly almost as the 
perforations in a pepper-box, while the bullseye 
had no less than seven shot in different parts oi! 
Not even a sparrow could 
have passed unharmed through that hail of lead: 
and the pair of marksmen were boundlcssly en- 
thu ee 
the youngster 
same sized paper, an’ top of it, 
If mine ain’t bet- 
shot at the same eramenee, 
we ll see who’s the best shot. he secures 
I won't charge your 
if you don’t like your 
I'll give you another one just like 
it lve got up to the house r.ght now, in 
This ei 
fuse, and the boy eagerly yielded the point. 
First tacking the outspread paper Sh ep the 
Wi vail of iene shop, the little fellow c 
according 
done with it, ramming this; 
proposition good to re- 
pellets were scattered 
surface of the 
and fired. its blackened body. 
y seen tlrat 
straggling shots had struck the paper, while not 
a single pellet had entered the hand-lar 
marked with cl i 
took quick but steady aim, 

ge bulls- 

said the kindly 
or’ ’_teasingly— 
“he ade fe pee go up and get you my old. gun 
arcoal in the 
Just wait now 
7 to beat that al it couldn’t be any 
I think Vi 
the confident 
Pyniare of heart 
e-cornered a and went 
Betas if ae ae a hundred dollars. | 
keep this one. 
Daddie ‘ll pay be 
look here, 
haps, he got a ae 

filing aid turning, don’t you call me ‘Mr. 
until he was able 
ee time \ 
off at Pee 
to break the barrel 
little more work with a smooth, flat file squared 
‘Billie’; that’s good enough for me. 
more fun than a circus. 
Captain that’s fe 
shouldering 
gratefully 
started for home, 
Just you tell 
piece of emery cloth finished it off with a polish improved 
¢ j Billie then 
a small hole in the top of the barrel about an 
f inserted a short piece of 
and riveted it in place, f ing 
s ght than its heavier prede- 
hearted blacksm‘th, \ 
quietly remarking as he left: 
Ba — Billie 
neater and better JoHN S. RoeBuck, Jr. 

A Bear Trees Hunters. 
7.—Editor Forest 
Inclosed clipping is from our local 
5 . . 
stock was cut off between the encircling bands, 
AUGUSTINE, 
and a drop of oil was applied and 
-~ Stream: 
‘restoring its natural dark 
give me your 
Then we'll see. 
ubheel in, 
ramrod 
Is that the 
disdainfully regardirg t 
apple sprout the ot used for that purpose. 
e I had an iron on 
but the gun was ii inside and I go 
in her and couldn't get it out, y by 
i After I dig it out of the ground, 
that I couldn't 
Then I got an apple sucker and they 
are killed 
year a bear or two 
incident hap- 
1e me aealen ne heed where 
game laws are not responsible for the 
Fernando Falaney 
turning to town from a trip to the lower part of| 
the county, minus a big she bear which they met. | 
“hey were at work near the banks of the canal 
when the bear dashed out from the jungle and 
Not having a gun the men made 
succeeded 1 imbi 
and son in re- 

attacked them. 
for the nearest tree and 
to a safe height before the bear could get away 
from a dog which 
dog received 
you one that'll be 
Said Billie. 
: vod fran Falaney had with 
a correr “of tpe ies ‘and put it in the fo.ge 
The big bear 
long, but returned to the jungle 
They believe the 
which ac- 
Falaney captured 
as consolation 
this bellers a 
you'll burn that steel.” 
picked un the severed end of the barrel ae be- 
san filing the end of it to a sharp cutting 
Then he put it on the grindstone and charpene e 
so it would cut like < 
and the two made their escape. 
bear has cubs in the neighborhood, 
big rattlesnake 
for losing the ane 
A snapshot of the two hunters up the tree with | 
the bear at its foot would have been -re*t. would 
DS We Wis 
it smooth and trve 
. Just the same size as your gun.” 
fie ante ‘it to the wondering, expecta 
Taking the steel rod from the fire. 

Tue Forest AND STREAM may be obtained from 
Then meas- your dealer to 
he cut off the 
rovnd end or head. 
uring by the length of the barrel, 
forged a neat 
supply you regularly. 


