Two Barrels Needed

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3087, 22 December 1888, Page 3

Two Barrels Needed

The forethought Bhown by the hero .=, of the William Tell legend, in preparing a second arrow to shoot the tyrant should the first have killed his boy knot confined to heroic times andmoocis, An American gold seeker in Ajifornia onco adopted similar pracroal means, thoiigh with a less dignified motive. The story is told by one of .the minora there. When he arrived at the diggings, tired and footsore, one of the first persons to attract his notice was a man who, 'at an iinprorata table tnadd by placing boards upon the top 3 of barrols,,was prepare! l ' ftkserve coffee and food to tho other miners. The new arrival was as poor as he was hungry, and therefore endeavored to conciliate the resturant keeper by every means [in his power, : hoping that ho might so far ingratiate to himself with that dignitary as to obtain credit for a meal, The hour for dinner arrived and tho proprietor of tho table went into his shanty and appeared ■ with a double barrelled gun, which he proceeded to firo onco in front of the house. •' What are you firing for J" aaked the ' now • corner, .: innocently, " Oh," aimwered tho.niau, ,"I keep a sort of restaurant, and that's my dinner-bell, . The miners here are'scattered round i. for two or three mile's,".,.-." But," said tho stranger, " they may not hear the irßij|arr'el."'Why don'tyoa'malca a BtidPliing of it, and shoot off the second?" A wicked smile passed over the grim, coiuiteuance of tho old settler, and he looked at tho querist '■■:"■'. with meaning as bo;said.;'.-."That :.'; ptloe

of thd dinner with I" Alter.that lovelatio'n it. is ' possible that the stranger's longing.for" tick"; may bave vanished with his appetite.