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Show hi - felCTlON CORNER I " I THE RIFLE I the W' By DANIEL F. LINDSAY year XVv.J 1 got t . I Ji outside. Jud sat down at the table, swallowing the lump in his throat His mother filled his plate with pancakes. He didn't even know they were there. Through the screen door he could hear his sheep being loaded into the battered old truck. A rifle was better anyway. When his father tooted the horn he got up solemn faced and kissed his mother. All the way to town he kept his eyes away from the back of the truck. Just as they came to the slaughter house he could stand it no longer. "Pa," he burst out, "They won't hurt long, will they?" "No, son," his father's eyes shone kindly, "They'll never know 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. His father handed him the money and they drove off. "Want me to come in too, son?" Pa smiled as they came to the store. Jud shook his head and hurried hur-ried up the rickety steps. Half a minute later he came back out wearing a proud smile. "Say, Jud, that's some iron." His ed f; ' i the ( NLY $30." The clerk smiled bug. J down at Jud as he handed he'r ( ' him the rifle. d t! "Uh," Jud hesitated for a mo- y hir ment as his trembling fingers ran spra along the dull barrel. "I haven't : Ed got that much." lts "Sorry son." He took It back, imec Jud's wistful eyes followed him as towr he sat it in the rack and hurried ugs, down the counter. Thirty dollars! )its. ' He had a sick feeling as he stumbled out of the store. Why, he'd never even had his hands on Dthat much money. As he walked down the street he swung the bag of salt from hsnd to hand. If a rifle cost that much, think how much that house must have cost. Enough to buy all the rifles in the world. Reaching the edge of town he started up the twisted mountain walls of the old log cabin weren't built for eavesdropping. After a while he heard the sounds of their going to bed and the house was silent. He lay there staring miserably miser-ably at the ceiling, his mind filled with the deep aching and despair that goes with wanting the unattainable. unat-tainable. Finally his tired little brain could stand no more and he fell into a restless sleep. The early morning sunlight streaming across his face woke him. He started to jump up, then remembered the rifle and sank back. The sounds of hungry animals ani-mals edged around his consciousness. conscious-ness. He could hear Pete, Blackie and Joe, his lame sheep, bleating for him. At least, he shrugged his shoulders, I've got them. "Son," his mother came in from the kitchen, "As soon as you're "Sure Pa. I went down for a bag of salt and there it was." His eyes were shining. "You ought to see it." road. Unconsciously his bare cal-j cal-j loused feet avoided the blistering ; hot rocks. Any other day he would I have walked close to the jagged cut formed by the road. Today he didn't care about the cool shade, j His mind was still back at the i little store. Maybe his Pa would j get it anyway. The thought made him half run. As he rounded the ! curve he could see, his mother j waiting for him in the doorway. "You sure made a quick trip Jud. What you so excited about?" , "I got to talk to Pa." He handed : her the bag of salt and went inside for a drink of water. She followed him with amused eyes. "What about son?" He hung the : cup back on its hook and shook his 5 head. "Man talk, mom." "Oh, I see," she ducked her head. "Well, he's out in the upper pasture." He rushed outside again. TFJ, "Pa," he shouted as he reached I'K '. the edge of the tree ringed field, "It's down at the store." aW "What's down at the store, son?" Jt ' His eyes were affectionate as he watched Jud gallop toward him. H , "The end of the world done up in ! pink ribbons?" Iv ' "No, Pa." His young face was serious as he slid to a stop. "My ja i rifle. The one I want." "Oh?" Pa looked away uncom- i& ; fortably. "You sure it's the one you want?" How he had dreaded 1 i- this day. All winter long they had talked of guns, particularly the r 'j one Jud would get some day. Each g ! time they went to the store Jud 'i. j would rush eagerly over to the . shiny gun ease, but they never ' suited him. Gradually it had reached the "maybe, someday" stage. Pa had been glad. "Sure Pa. I went down for a bag of salt and there it was." His !.; eyes were shining. "You ought to see it." j I "How much did they say it was, -j son?" Mentally he braced him- -O ; self. "Well," his face fell a trifle, "it - j was $30." I "I see," Pa took his hand, j "we'll have to talk about it later, j Right now I want you to help me I mend some fences." j Slowly the afternoon passed for j Jud. Every minute seemed a year. j He watched his father's set face m ! out of the corner of his eye. By the r, i time they started back down the i j path toward the house his heart Ul j was heavy. Whenever Pa acted J like this it meant they didn't have W ; the money. Silently he ate his sup- ; ' per and went to bed. It was several hours before he fell asleep. He listened closely to ; the rise and fall of his father's voice, straining to make out the muffled words. It was useless. The I - father put the box of shells on the seat between them. "Why, it's even better'n mine." "It sure is a beaut. Pa." He held it upright between his legs all the way home. All afternoon they could hear the crack of the new rifle echoing down the range. Then toward evening there was a long period of silence. When they called him for supper he pushed open the screen door and shuffled inside. His sigh was heavy. Pa looked up with an understanding un-derstanding smile. "Regret your bargain, son?" "No," he shook his head, "but I miss my lame 'uns." "I know, son. Growing up is tough." "Yes, Pa." He ran his fingers along the dull barrel. He tried hard not to think about Pete, Blackie and Joe. dressed your Pa wants to talk to you." "All right." He hurried into his pants and shirt. At least he would know for sure. His father smiled as he entered. "Good morning Jud." "Morning Pa." His eyes searched his father's face for a sign. "Your mom and I talked about the rifle last night, son." Jud just stood there. "And we don't think we can spare the money right now." "Okay, Pa," his face fell, "$30 is a lot of money." "But," his father continued, "we did think of a way you could get the rifle if you wanted it bad enough." "Oh, I do, Pa." His face was one broad smile. "I want it more than anything in the world." "Enough to sell your sheep?" JUD pushed open the screen door and walked outside without answering. an-swering. His mother and father exchanged glances and went on with their breakfast. Once away from the house Jud hurried to the little pen. The sheep hobbled over to his side. He slipped one arm around Pete's neck and his mind went back to the day he had crawled down into the ravine in search of him. He stood there a long time while a chain of memories mem-ories passed over him. Finally he wiped a tear on his shirt sleeve and went back inside the house. "I want the rifle, Pa." He held his sturdy little body stiff. "All right son. It's up to you." His father got to his feet and went |