LITERATURE.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1110, 10 November 1883, Page 2

LITERATURE.

TIM PRICE’S FROG HUNT.

By Tobb Hodge. ( Continued.) ‘ Colonel,’ he said, ‘ yer’s the rifle. The a-ger’s cornin’ back on me like I hod it ton years ago; I’ve got ter go hum an’ shake. I knowed ther whar somethin’ wrong. Ycr’s ycr rifle. I hate powerful ter gin up tber ole gun ; I’ve traded back’nrd an’ torrid fer it an’ gin an’ tuk boot for nigh on ter twenty year an’ I never p’inted her crooked afore. I were kinder lively sayin’ things terns I oughtent, but yer riled mo Tout lamin’ ter shoot. She kicks like thunder. I reckon yer’ll lend her ter me at the full of the moon, when yer not nsen her, to go raus’ ratten, er I’ll work her out, or gin yet’taters Tether.’ ‘ What is she worth, Tim ?’ His distress was 100 much for me, but I wanted to see the native come out in him. ‘ Not much. Her stock’s busted, an’ her sight gone, and she’s weak in the hammer, an’ kicks powerful, an every time I uses her I hez ter wedge the nipple in, nn’ she’s nearly blowed the head off uv me goin’ off onexpected like,

while loadin’ of her. I reckon I’ll gin yor a bushel or a bushel an’ a peck nv 'taters for her.’

By this time we were at home again. I said—

‘ Tim, I’ll keep her, You can’t shoot, anyhow, and she’ll only hart yon. Bring the frogs I killed and I’ll carry the gun. A nice show yon have for your morning’s shooting.’ Tim picked up a frog and dropped it as if it were hot. He was frightened. * Colonel, thar’s somethin’ wrong; Everything’s agin’ me —the devil’s in it. It’s heavy as lead, an’ you’ve knocked it stiff as a maulin’-wedge. I’m gittin’ flighty—like the a-ger took me afore, an’(here’s misery comih’ in my legs. I’ve got the a-ger 1’ I gathered up the frogs and took them and Tim to the house, where he began to revive on a glass of whisky. * Tim,’ I said, ‘here is yonr rifle; I don’t want it; I’ll have ’ fun enough telling about yonr missing the frogs and ray having to kill them with the paddle.’ * Don’t, don’t,’ said Tim. * They’d never slop rnnnin’ me an’ a boastifin over me. Id rather gin yer my old rifle— ’ ‘ And then, Tim,’ I added, ‘ when I tell tlieni that yon; don’t know a frog when yon see one—but keep shooting all the morning at chunks of cast iron—what will they think of you ? What glorious fun it will; be. Here, look at this,’ and I handed him one of the Iron frogs,:Slice me up and kiver me with salt if hit haint iron. How did yon iver get hit turned into iron so quick 7’ said-Tim, within most_ piteous” mixture of shame and astonishment in bis face. ‘l’m ready for the buryin’ sarmen uv a denied fool. I’ll give yer the rifle anti taters, too, ef yer’ll keep: your mouth shuti. I’ll bring yer a hull pail full of live minners fur perch bait, an’ a—an' r a pnrp nv Spider’s if ycr’ll say nothin’ to nobody nary time.’ As soon as I could stop laughing X said : ‘ Tim. do you think I'm a fellow; you can stuff any thing into and hell believe it V " ; ‘ Denied if I do. I never done it;;I never said so nohow no time anyway. Don’t kidc iii > Colonel. I’m chhwin’ tlid ground.'" Yori’ve got'me this time.’ turned as be was going away with rifle and. said ; ‘Tbet’s gospel trulb tolled yer ’bon t the sq’rls, though, anTet'I -hadn’t a, fresh: chaw;in say somethin’.’ .