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Show Huckleberry ing BY RADIA SMITH It all began this stirring saga of the Old West with my little brother getting struck by lightning. At least I contend con-tend that nothing less could have made him suggest, one night at the supper table, that we go'hucklberrying. My sister and I jumped at the idea! Why it was an inspiration! l't since our trip I have thought it out very carefully and decided decid-ed that Daddy, at least, was old enough to know belter. The next morning Daddy, Gene, Irene, and I piled into the car, looking like a cross between a bankrupt circus and a tin pan band. We picked up Daddy's brother, who, good reason suggests, must also be my Uncle Koy. He gathered his clan, consisting of his wife and four children, ranging from the crawling and squaw ling age to the age of too much vitality if you know what I mean. At last we were really off! Interpret that sentence as you choose. You can't be far wrong either way. Anyway, merrily we rolled along until we went off the highway. Then merrily we jogged along. Also we had the joy of suspense sus-pense never knowing which window whose head was going to crash through on the next bump. After we had gone as far a.s we could in cars, Irene pulled her elbow out of my ea.-, Gene pulled his feet out of the huckleberry buckets, and we all proceeded to pull ourselves out of the car. What a merry procession as we started up the hill! Everybody was laughing and pushing each other off the trail. The whole party was bubbling over with happiness. (As I look at it now, I'd rather attend' a funeral). Then the sun began playing tricks on us. For every inch the sun rose, the laughter became more strained and pathetic. By ten o'clock we began what is commonly known as a "strip tease." First, off came our outer jackets, then we rolled up our pants legs and so on. To this minute I don't know wlio to pity most, my uncle who was 'Carrying the baby or my aunt who was carrying his discarded clothing. The hours flew by like centuries. By eleven o'clock we found ourselves at the top. The happy thought connected , with this is that we had to ,go down the other side as far as we had come up that one. I am sure that my name should go down in history along side those of Lewis and Clark as a trail blazer. I wandered through brush so thick that 1 could almost walk on top of it. I saw snakes, and squirrels, and spiders. And what do you think I saw as a final startling start-ling surprise? I suddenly came into a little clearing and there not two feet away was a huckleberry. A rare experience, experi-ence, rare indeed. I could tell you about being so thirsty that we could have died and then eating soda crackers and chipped beef for lunch, but I won't. I could tell you about picking huckleberries huckle-berries until I had nightmares for a week, but I won't. And also about starting back up over the trail, blisters and all, but I won't. The grand finale occurred just two rods from the car I was being a brave little lassie and bearing up beautifully inspite of my blisters, thirst, mosquito bites, etc., when I caught my foot in the cuff of my trousers and fell. My huckleberries, huckle-berries, all three of them, were smashed by the impact o my well you know what which landed squarely on top and slid a yard to make a thorough job of it. What do you think I did? Of all insane, stupid things to do, I laughed and laughed and laughed. Never have I known a more pathetic sight than me, laying in the last huckleberry pie, slithering around on my back and so weak from laughing that sort of laugh that you couldn't stop if you're life depended on it. Oh, I learned my lesson the hard way, but I learned it well. Huckleberrying is reserved for the select few such as Superman Super-man and Bull Moose. BLUE and WHITE. o o |