Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-04-01
Nat Harrison's Adventure.

county, said an old fellow, as we were
all seated around the stove in the little
hotel, at McLeansborongh, Hamilton
county, illinois.
Old Nat was a regular old brick. He
was elected just because there was NO
one to run against him. Our county was
rather bad off for intelligent people in
those days. A few days after old Maj
had gone to Springfield to attend to the
duties Of his Office, ! happened TO be there
also, on some little business of a private
character, and thinking he would be GLAD
to hear from the folks at home, | conclu.
ded to call on him at the Prairie House
and inquire after his health.
"I'ye been well, Tem,' said he, hui
I got awfully scared the first night | stale
in this darned place."
"How was that ~ / inquired.
WELL" said Nat, I'll tell you al
about it. You see that fellow there be
hind the counter-the fellows here cal
him the host-well, / told him | wanted
to see my bed. so I'd know where tc
sleep when I'd come in after a while. He
took me up stairs to a little room, ano
said | could sleep there, and then be
went down. | took good notice of it.
brown door with yellow streaks here and
there and a white yearthen lock handle.
| started down a thinkin' about this, and
| would not look at any other door. for
fear I'd kinder get 'em mixed in my head,
and forget which was mine.
about twelve o'clock that night ]
came in with a half.grown humming in
my head. and the very first thing | found
at the top Of the stairs was my own iden.
teal door, with the yellow streaks and
white lock handle. "Good,n says I, and
in I lumbcrs. I walked up to the bed
and what do you think? Why l found
one Of your ~long-legged, black-whiskered
town fellers in it fast asleep. I takes
him by the beard, rears him on his end,
and gave him a short sarmin'; tells him
to leave as quick as double triggers or
I'd be cussed if I wouldn't kick him
down stairs; tells him | don't want to do
it nurther, for / am a member of the Leg
islature, the Representative from Hamil-
ton, but if | got to fighting he'd find me
to be a full team. The fellow looked
orfully scared and without saying a word
he got up very humble like and started
for his dry goods, which hung on a chair
up in one corner. 1 set down the light
and began to undress; and says | to him,
draw on them duds and toddle from here,
or I'll be cussed if Turning
around to look fierce at hin) when all to
wonst, l sees him a comm at me with
one of the dod drodest butcher knives in
the world. Well, thought I, Nat, you've
got yourself in a close place, by yingo
and so we began to lumber around the
like the very nation. Here I went
and here he come. At last I got be-
tween him and the door, and out | shot.
"This beats all, said I; Representatives
to the Legislature treated in this way.
| went down stairs and told the fellow
behind the counter that some cuss was in
my room.
"No, I ~guessnot.0, said he. perhaps
there is some mistake, yours is No. 80
Thinks /. perhaps there may be some
mistake, and SO | goes back. When | got
up to the top of the stairs | begun to
count at the first door, and until | had
counted eight. [ found that they all
looked just exactly alike. I opened the
door and went in, feeling certain
that it was the one picked out for me-
A candle was burning on the table, by
the light of which I saw that some per-
son was in bed. Not feeling inclined to
kick up another muss | concluded to
crawl in with him and say nothing about
it. In a very short time | was in bed
and ready to 60 to sleep. Ihad not been
in bed long before the door opened, a
young man and woman came into the
room and took seats by the candle stand.
Something else on hand, Nat, tho't l
to myself, but let 'em rip.
"They looked very serious at first, but
finally it wore off. and they got to chat
ting very lovingly, and to huggin' and
kissin' a little. | was delighted with the
performance, and thought the fellow in
bed with me ought to see it and enjoy
the fun too, so / whispered to him..
"Say, Captain-old boss, just look up.
"They both started up. like a shocken
mill had touched 'em and they seemed to
be orfully scared. till the gall said, it
was only the wind blowing against the
winder.'
"They soon got to huggin' and kissin'
again and as I could not rouse my friend
| tho't I'd jest have a little fun to myself.
. "Slips,' says I. just as they were fetch
ing their lips together, and up they
sprung like lightning and sloped for the
door, but as fortune would have it, the
young fellow had dropped the key and he
couldn't get out"
Never mind, said I, it's fun for me as
we'll as you. | love to- see such things
going on.
"This seemed to scare them more than
Tt was rich-to rich to enjoy
and | determined to awake my
bed-fellow. I slapped him on the chin.
it was as cold as ice!"
"Thunder and st. Louis, Nat. said [,
in bed with a dead man, and with
out waiting to consider the matter !
sprung to the floor. The youngsters
gave a loud squat, fetched agin the door.
and | pitched with them, which resulted
in smashin' the darned thing OPEN
Without waiting for ceremony or formal
tiles we all bolted for the stairs. Hearing
the racket the landlord who occupied a
still further back came boiling af-
ter US. Catching a glimpse of him, !
took him to be the dead man, and SO put
all steam on, and ran close in the wake
of the lovers. I could not pass them,
however, for they were frightened out of
their senses, having no idea but | was
the deceased in close pursuit. In this