Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-01-11

bOppcu ny Jul ncdAtbH tnc NolOC Vi Jul
companion in the next
Lime showed up, is it?' said that
trying to appear calm in his
Jury, 'and we get out here? Obi and
10 You suppose am quietly going to
submit to this? The line ought to have
been cleared ready for us. shall bring
an action
But sirP I said, 'how ON earth could
they
might / request to know who spoke
to Won, sir? 1 consider your remark
and interference excessive imperti-
nence.'
This was little too bad, and 1 turn
ed to Jack and whispered that we
would devise some plan of giving our
friend a. lesson demOnstrative of the
evils attending bad temper at Christ
mas time
We we're fortunately stopped at a
distance of only two hundred yards
from a station; but very poor station
il was, without any waiting room or re-
freshment rooms.
The station master, who was plea
SAINT sort of fellow, said we should have
to wait but a couple of hours, and gave
as a room, where we made the best OF
bad Job, and having sent for some beer
from the nearest public, became, as
Edwards automatically observed, APP
proximately happy. The old gentle
man. however, had not yet vented all
his wrath, but kept on snathematizlng
the snow and the railway people at in
tervals. After we had warmed oursel-
YES, Stretcher proposed that we should
have some songs; but as no one volun-
teered, / suggested that we should get
on our way sooner if we all went out
and helped to clear away the snow from
the line. To this all agreed with the
exception of our amiable friend, OF
course-)
We had worked away merrily for
about an hour, and were congratulating
ourselves on being able to start again,
when Jack came running up with a
very pleased expression of eouDtenance,
and as he tapped me on the shoulder, i
remembered that he had not been with
Us for the last half hour.
Fred, he said, I've an idea.
Keep it them / replied, for it is so
rare a commodity with You, that /
would not deprive you of it for the
world.
l. Don't chat, and I'll tell you all
about it. / went up into the room at
the station Just now, and found our
friend, the old boy, fast asleep in his
chair completely collapsed under the
sopOrific effects of the fire and glass
of brandy and water. / Immediately
ran into the village and bought these,
he said, showing me a handful OF
screws, a gimlet, and a screwdTiver.
What in the name of everything
ridiculous do you want these for? /
asked.
Don't you see? we shall be able to
start again directly, now that the lire
is clear; we mean Shile run up stairs,
and screw the old gentleman firmly into
the room-the train goes on-we are
revenged for his surly behavior to us,
and he will then learn that sold gen
tlemen should not be i'll tempered at
Christmas time"
'CapitalP / said, always ready to fall
in with practical joke; let us be off at
once
We certainly found the old gentle
man in as Morphean a torpor as we
could wish. His feet were propped up
on a chair, whilst his boots were drying,
and he was breathing with his mouth
wide open, in rather apopletic man
ner.
Shall put SNOWFALL into each of
his b0ots?' i said.
mol that would be too much of a
good thing; but TIL tell you what You
shall do; you're rather a swell at draw
ing, aren't you? I'll just burn the end
of that beer-bOttle cork, and you shall
artistically adOrn his face
That is splendid, he whispered, as l
finished off with giving him a nous.
tache, which turned up in facetious
manner. Just move that looking glass,
and put it so that he may admire him
self directly he wakes; and now let us
be of.
We walked on tiptoe to the door,
The hinges began to cresk; and cold as
the weather was, faint perspiratiOn
began to develop itself on my forehead,
as noticed the old gentleman move in
his chair; it was, however, only to turn
his mead on to the other shoulder, aud
we closed the door in safety.
Give me the screws quick, l said,
and go 70 the bottom of the stairs and
prevent any one coming up
/ bored hOle after hole as nOiselessly
as could, and having made the door
as fast as eight good screws would make
it, ran down stairs and whispered
All rightP
lis there a gentleman upstairs, sirP
said the station master, walking towards
us. He asked me to wake him In tiLle
for the train, and it is just ready to
go
oh, he won't like to be disturbed
said Jack. Blythe by. 1 wished to
talk to you of a plan by which 1 think
your station might be much improved
Now architecture happened to be
one of the station masters hobbies, and
they were soon deep in discussion. 1
beat hasty retreat to the guard, and
a sovereign, said
IF you get us off in five minutes
from now, waiting for no one, and ring
your bell at the very last minute, this
is yours
All right, sirl the luggage is all in,
and most of the passengers. Take your
seats. Going onl' he shouted, whilst /
stood with my watch in hand.
'One minute leftl Ring the bell
nowl 1 said. IF they undo these
screws in one, or even five minutes, I'll
eat them.
We jumped into carriage, the guard
gave the final whistle, and The train
moved slowly on. We anxiously watch
ed the result of our plot, with our heads