Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-06-16
Chr Sfprq.
The Klng Of t.le Nme-pinsi 4 M,th.

} I2NHA4tA oIund4t2i Of Didch I1dl, a.
be was wont 10 be called, was an old to-
per, but he was possessed of infinite good
humor, and related great many very
queer stories, the truth of which no one
that | ever heard Of had the hard hoed
TO doubt; for Black Hal hld an uncom-
mon share of "Teutonic pluck' about
him, and was at times Very unceremon-
lous in the display of it. But Hal had
weakness-it was not liquor, for t!at
was his strength-which he never de
MED IIal aoas too fond Of Nlac~P Pins
lie had told me, in confidence, that
"many time and of" he had rolled in
cessanIly for weeks together. I think I
heard him say that he once rolled for a
month, day aud night, without stopping
single moment to eat or to dfink, or
even TO catch his breath.
did not question lis yeracity at the
time, bu; since, on reflection, the fact
seems almost incredible; ard were it
not that tbs sketch might accidentally
fall in his way, | might be Tempt d to
show philosaphical'y that such thing
could not possibly be. And yet l have
read Of very long fnsts in my day-that,
for instance, IF Captain Riley in tie
great Sahara, and others, which will
readily occur to the reader. But I must
not cpsod.ze, or l shall not reach my
story.
Bacl; IJal was sitting late one after
noon in Nise-Pin Alley, in the little
town Of kaatskill, in the State Of New
ToIk-it is true, f he said so-wten
emendoas thunder storm invested his
ret ea-. His companions, one by ona,
had left him, until, rising from his seat
and gazing around, he discovered that lie
was alone. The alley-ker per, too, could
nowhrre be found and the boys who were
emp p'oyel to set up the pins had disap-
pcared with the rest. /, was growing
very late, ard Hal had a long walk and
he thought ii most prudent to get ready
to start home. The lightning slared in
at the dnoy and windows most yiyldly,
and the heavy thunder crashed and rum
bled ''rder than he had ever heard it be-
fore. The rain, too, now commenced to
batter down tremendously, and just as
night set in. Hal just got ready to set
out. Hal first fe t ureasy, next unhap-
py, and finally miserable If he had but
boy 10 talk to ! I'm afraid Hal began
TO grow scared A verse that he had
learned in his boyhood, across the wide
sea, came uuasked into his mind 1t
always came there precisely at the time
he did not desire its company. It ran
thus
"Oh for the might OF dread Odin,
The powers upon him shed,
For sail in the good ship Skidbladnir,s
And talk with Mimir's head -
This verse was reported over and over
again inaudibly; gradually, however,his
voice became little louder, and little
louder still, until finally poor Hal hall
looed it vociferously forth so sonorously
that it drowned the very thunder. He
had repeated it just seventy-seven times,
when suddenly a monstrous head was
thrust in at the door. and demanded in
voice that sounded like the melstrom
"What do you want with 0din :"
"Oh nothing, nothing in the world,
I thank you, sir" politely responded
poor Hal, shaking from head to foot.
Here the head was followed by the
shoulders, arms, body and legs of giant
at least forty feet high OF course he
came in on all fours, and approached in
close proximity to Black Hal Hal in
Voluntarily retseated, as far as he could,
reciting to himself the only prayer he
remembered, "Now lay me down to
sleep, etc.
The giant did not appear desirous of
pursuing Hal, ''being afraid" so Hal
said. "ihat he would draw his knife on
hin" But be the cause what il might,
he seated himself at the head Of the
nirle-pin al ey, and shouted, Stand up =
As he did SO, the nine-pius at the other
end arose and took their appropriate
places
"Ncw, sir,r said be tarnipg again to
IEd,, "l'll bet you an ounce OF your
blood that / can beat you rolling.
Ils.l tfembled again, but meekiy re-
pli 1