Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1850-11-14

| feel tew hum Already, and Ill do all
kin to make myself comfortable; but
say, Cap'n! l guess there's sunthin' on
yer mind, { nodding, winking and smiling, }
l noticed yeou was an ALFRED spell a
gittin' ready to be perlite but here, III
tell yeou what It's, (passing the guitar
box through the window and placing it
on the Captain's secretary, / want yeoa
to take special care of that ere trunk, for
/ love my old fiddle better n all the purt,
gals in Punkintown."
O yes, certainly p snickered the
Captain, hurrying off to give the item 10
Brown, Strong and Walker-three up
river captains who were laid up BY low
water, and were now making trip down
as dead heads to have time un-
known to their employers.
!. : ! say, boys says Brown, that's
" The richest thing we have heard for
. long time echoed the party.
"Only TO think of his grasping the
Captains hand-ha! ha ha! Sticking
his old fiddle box into the Office win
dow The he he! A Mississippi Cap.
tain .foddering a real live Yankee--ho!
no! ho!' And thus roared the whole
party till the old boat echoed again.
What do you say, boys-let's turn
artists and take contribution Of ten
spot from the Yankee, to pass over to
our credit to the barr said Brown, q
fat rubicund-visaged lump of mortality,
some two hundred and seven
ty; and who was the greatest practical
joker and story teller on the river.
What game shall we stick him on ?''
asked Walker, long, lank, and lean
specimen of bones and sinews, loosely
made up, with Ratchet looking phiz as
dry as chip. atA
4'l'm in for anything that's rich" re-
piled Strong, whose name contradicted
itself-he being little dried up, dimin-
utive, weasel-faced man who would, in
New Finland, have been termed trun-
dle-bed trash (. Yes, boys, / go it blind
for anything that's rich-but hold per-
haps our worthy host, the Captain Of the
boat can suggest something for us.''
90 no, l can't have anything to do
with it, replied the Captain. s In the
first place, it's my own boat-and in the
second, don't think it's exactly fair for
such old heads to bleed a poor fellow
that's so decidedly good hearted and YER
dant withal. No, you must manage it
among yourselves, I'll have nothing to
do with it-but don't be TOO hard on the
boy, you may be fathers yourselves some
day." e' '4'* a.iS
We'll, let's see," says Strong, ad-
dressing his iovial companions, sss Swing
ing Jack'is toe I'D. Calling Jack too
complicated; Raising Jack, that's bet
ter; Changing jack that's near, and
just the thing to take with the Yankee.
Changing Jack it is, and III handle the
books-who'll be Peter Funk ?"
" Well, l think I'll make very re-
spectacle Peter" chuckled Brown, CLAN
cling over his well-stuffed corporation.
Strong, my dear fellow, you're rath-
er small to play the principal character
in the DRAMA" exclaimed the long, cada-
verous looking Walker, "but l rather
think you're shrewd enough to make it
up; SO let's see! what shall do for my
share Of the profits? All! have it, no
one can do the sroping in better than
myself. I'll pretend to belong to the
ministry-get the fellows confidence
talk about camp-meetings-the blessed
heather, and all that sort O. thing, and if
we don't make game out Of young flax
head in less than two hours from his ar
rival, then we're a set of dough heads
every one Of u.s.
During this colloquy among the sharps,
Dodge was Walking around the spacious
and richly furnished cabin, with his
hands affectionately clasped behind, un-
der the extremity of his swallow tailed
blue, and with all the yerdancy imagin-
able, peering into the state-rooms and
talking to himself about the ssallfredest
skiff to carry folks in, that was ever
made since Samson swallowed the
whale"
The majority of the passengers, in
Guiding the professionals, were seated at
the farthest end of the cabin, deeply en-
gagged in the exciting and intoxicating
game Of 'cucre,' whist poker and
forty-fives, at which games hundreds Of
dollars were almost constantly changing
owners.
As Dodge gradually came nearer and
nearer to the trio of wild and frolicsome
Captains, Walker put on an expression
Of deep solemnity and ministerial gravity,
and after few slight coughs, ahens, and
adjusting the borrowed pair of blue
specs, he slowly advanced, offering his
hand, and exclaimed W
"Ah! my dear young friend, how do
you do? ! am very happy indeed to
meet you, although perhaps you may not
fully recollect me, but 1 really hope you
are well J"
"a WI -. .-..tx..