Show r A rHE DICTION AE ThE RUFLE E By fly D DANtEL L F F. F LINDSAY s r I I ONLY 30 The clerk smiled down at Jud as be he handed him the rUle rifle Uh Jud hesitated for tor a moment moment mo mo- ment tent ai u hit his trembling lingers fingers ran along the dull barrel I 1 haven't bavent got that much Sorry son Ion son lie He took It Jt back Juds Jud's wistful eyes followed him as u ashe ube be he sat oat It In the rack and hurried down the counter Thirty dollars dollard lie He had a lick sick feeling as u he stumbled out of the store Why hed he'd never even had his hb hands on that much money As J he be walked down the street he ht swung th the ba bag of salt from hand to hand band If It a rifle cost that much think how much that house must have cost Enough to buy all aU the rifles rifle I In the world Reaching the edge of town he started up the twisted mountain road Unconsciously his bare calloused calloused calloused cal cal- loused feet avoided the blistering hot rocks Any other day he would have walked close to the jagged cu elf cuC formed ormed by the road Today he didn't care about the cool shade Ills JIls mind was still back at the little store Maybe his Ws Fa Pa would get it anyway The thought made him half run As he rounded th the curve he could see lee his hll mother waiting for Tor him In the doorway You sure lure made a quick trip Jud What you so 10 excited about I got to talk to Pa He lIe handed her the bag of salt and went inside for a drink of water She followed him Wm with amused eyes What about son He hung bung the cup back on its Hs hook and shook his head Man talk mom mom Oh I 1 see she ducked her head Well hes he's out in the upper pasture lIe He rushed outside again Pa he shouted as u he reached the edge of ot the tree ringed field Its down at the store down at the store son Ion Ills JIls eyes were affectionate as 81 he watched Jud Jud gallop toward him The end of the world done up in pink ribbons No Pa Ills his young face was serious as he slid to a stop My rifle The one I want Oh Pa Ill looked away uncomfortably You sure its it's the one you want How lIow he had dreaded this day All winter long they had talked of ot guns particularly the theone theone theone one Jud would get some day Each time they went to the store Jud would rush eagerly over to the shiny gun case but they never I suited him Gradually It had I reached the maybe someday stage Pa had been glad Sure Pa I 1 went down for a bag of salt and there it ft was was Ills His eyes were shining You ought to see It It How much did they say it was son Mentally he be braced him him- self seU Well his face tace fen fell a trifle it was 30 I 1 see sec Pa took his hll hand well have to talk about it later Right now MW I want you to help me mend some ome fences Slowly the afternoon passed for Jud Every minute seemed a year ear lie He watched his fathers father's set face out of the corner of his eye Dy By the time they started back down the path toward the house bowl his heart was heavy Whenever Pa acted like lice this It meant they didn't have havethe havethe havethe the money Silently he ht ate his supper supper sup sup- per and went to bed It was several hours houn before he fen fell asleep He lie listened closely to the rise and fan fall of his fathers father's voice straining to make out the mulled muffled words word It was useless The walls of ot the old log 10 cabin weren't built for tor eavesdropping After Alter a awhile awhile while white he be heard the sounds sound of their going to bed and end the house was silent He Ile Uy ly there Ita staring ring miserably miser ably at the ceiling his mind tilled filled with the deep dup aching and despair that goes gou with wanting the unlit tamable Finally his tired little brain could stand tand no more and befell he be fell into a restless sleep The early morning mornin sunlight streaming across his face woke him Wm lie He started to jump up then remembered the rifle and sank lank back The sounds sound of hungry animals ani ani- orals mall edged around his conscious conscious- ness lIe He could hear Pete Blackie and Joe his lame sheep bleating for him At least he shrugged his shoulders Ive I've got them Son his hi mother came in from the kitchen As soon as youre you're b It sirs 1 Ir I I F vv j l e p i Sure Pa I went down for a bag bar of salt and there It was was Ills His eyes were shining You ought to see it it dressed your our Pa Ill wants to talk to toyon yon yonAn you All AU right lIe He hurried into his pants and shirt At least he would know for sure lure His Ills father smiled as he entered Good morning Jud Morning Pa Ills His eyes searched his fathers father's face for a sign Your mom and I talked 1 about the rifle rUle last night son Jud just stood there And we dont don't think we can spare the money right now I Okay Pa his face fell tell 30 30 is a lot of at money But Dut his father tather continued we did think of a way you could get the rifle if it you wanted it bad enough Oh I do Pa His face tace was wu one broad smile I want It more more than anything in the world En Enough ouCh to sell seU your sheep JUD pushed open th the screen door and walked outside without an ID- His Isis mother and father exchanged glances clances and went on with their breakfast Once away from the house Jud hurried to the little pen The sheep hobbled over to his hi side He lie slipped one arm around Petes Pete's neck and his mind went back to the day he had hid crawled down into the ravine in search of him H lIe stood there then a alona along along long lona time while a chain of memories memories mem memo ories passed palled over him Finally he wiped a tear ou on his shirt sleeve and went back Inside the house I want the rifle Pa He held his sturdy little body stiff All AU right son Ion It Its It's up to you His father got to his feet fee and went outside Jud rud sat down at the table swallowing the lump in his throat His IU mother filled his plate tate with pancakes lie He didn't even know they were there Through the screen door he be could hear his sheep being loaded Into the battered old truck A rifle was better anyway When his father tather tooted the horn he getup getup get got up solemn faced and kissed his hll mother All AU the way to town he kept his hll eyes away from the back of the truck Just as they camo to the slaughter house he could stand Uno It U no longer lonter Pa he be burst bunt out Th They y wont won't hurt long will they No son his fathers father's eyes eyu know shone hone kindly never what happened All right He stared out of the window while his father sold them When the man took them away he swallowed hard then shook his head ills His father handed him Wm the money and they drove off oft Want me to come in m too son Pa smiled as they came to the store Jud shook his head and hurried hurried hur hur- ried tied up the rickety steps Half Hall a minute later he came back out outwearing outwearing outwearing wearing a proud smile mlle Say Say Jud that's some iron Ills His father put the box of she shells Us on the seat between them Why its it's even mine It sure is a Pa lIe He held it upright between his Ws legs aUthe all aU the way home All afternoon they could hear the crack of the new rUle rile echoing down the range Then toward evening there was a long period of silence When they called him Wm for supper he pushed open the screen door and shuffled inside His sigh was heavy Pa looked up with an understanding understanding un un- smile Regret your bargain son No he shook his head bead but I 1 miss my lame uns uns I know son Growing up is tough Yes Pa He ran his fingers Angers along the dull barrel lIe He tried hard not to think about Pete Blackie and Joe |