"'Hofficer,' said he, 'I ax your pardon if I offended you, I thought
you was a pokin' fun at me, for I am nothing but a poor hignorant
farmer, from the country, and these townspeople are always making game
of us. I'll tell you all about that are moose and how I killed him. He
urt my feelins, Sir, or I never would have mislested him, for Zack
Wilcox is as good-natured a chap, it's generally allowed, as ever
lived. Yes, he trod on my toes, I don't feel right yet, and when any
fellow does that to me, why there ain't no mistake about it, his time
is out and the sentence is come to pass. He begged for his life, oh,
it was piteous to see him. I don't mean to say the dumb beast spoke,
but his looks were so beseeching just the way if you was tied up to
the halbert to be whipped, you'd look at the general.'
"'Me?' said M'Clure.
"'Yes, you or anybody else,' said the man. 'Well,' said he, 'I told
him I wouldn't shoot him, I'de give him one chance for his life, but
if he escaped he'd be deaf for ever afterwards. Poor feller, I didn't
intend to come it quite so strong, but he couldn't stand the shock I
gave him, and it killed him--frightened him to death.'
"'How?' said M'Clure.
"'Why,' sais he, 'I'll tell you,' and he looked cautiously all round,
as if he didn't want any one to know the secret. 'I gave him a most an
almighty hambler that fairly keeled him over.
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