The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-08-05
geleeted Story.
MY. FELLOW TRAVELLER.

aAnd that" said I, "is pretty nearly
all have to tell you"
The above words formed the perora-
ton OF synopsis of several years trav-
elling, communicated by me to fellow
passenger from Helsingfors to Stockholm,
as we leaned over the side of the good
ship Viborg, and watched the countless
groups of rocky islets, crested with green
foliage, which arose on every side from
the smooth transparent sea. My auditor
was a long, lean, wiry American, with G
cold clear eye, and look of indomitable
frmness in every line of his pinched sa.-
low face, which gave him the aspect 60
quote from pug gnacious friend of Eine)
esof man you would like to be back to
back with in a row."
"Wal, stranger" remarked he at the
close of my narrative, "yu hev bin about
bit, [ reckon but yu hain't seen much,
and what's more, w hain't done much
neither"
NV dignity was somewhat rufled by
this plain-spoken criticism for | privately
regarded myself as second Siadbad, on
the strength of moderate acquaintance
with the majority of the countries which
figure on the tourists visiting list. More
over, my listener had himselfproT oked my
communicativeness by series of search
ing questions upon every point of my per-
sonal history, from the color of my grand
father's hair 70 the amount OF pocket
money allowed me at Rugby Conso-
quently, there was perhaps shade of ac-
rimony in nv tone as | replied: "I've
done what could; but Of course every
body can't have as many adventures as
you"
"Wal, yu air abouJ right thar" re-
turned he, taking my words literally !;
"I've seen a few things in my time: L
reckon; but mark ye, it's cause I've
looked about me, and fixed for doin
sonethin' wharever went, stead @ trail
in about with my eyes shet and my
hands in tho pockets O my panteys, like
some folk. Now, I'll tell yu how yu
Britishers travel; yu jest foller the rail
way track right square from one big town
to another, and see the opera houses, and
the theayters, and the promenades, and
stitch like; and O. course yu meet heap
o. riffraff. and mayhap get yure eye-tceth
drawn leetlc too slick; and a'tcr devo-
tim three weeks or month to SEEM a
country with some millions O. people in
it, WI como back and write a tarnation
big book to say, "that air country amt
no great pile O. punkins after all; the
critters thar air all lazy and shittless, and
good for nothin' but to cheat and tell lies
land no wonder, seein' they're only
cussed turrners, and han't got the ines
timabie blessn' of q free British consti-
tootion.' Tha, now, stranger" he con-
cluded with the paternal superiority OF
q missionary instructing a Hottentot,
"that's the way yu go to work; but, yu
observe, 'tain't the right way, nohow yu
kin fix it." -.
"And how did you go to work, then Z,
asked l, wishing to divert the current OF
this flood of cxtempore criticism.
"Wal, | fixed to do somethin', and L
done it; leastways, man that's been
teamster in the Rocky Mountains, a gold
digger in Ameriky, sailor in the lnJ'ne
Ocean, storekeeperat at Shanghai, news
paper editor at San Franciskey, and an
agent for one notion or another i'll every
country of Europe, mout say he'd done
somethin', guess, if he had mind to-"
"And have you really done all that Z"
asked l, somewhat startled at the cata-
logue.
SReckon 1 hev; I've been kinder NOV
in round ever sim I was as big as mo-
lasses-iar, and 1 amt done yet. Guess
Pm like John Browns soul in the old
song-I go a-marchin' on pretty consld'.
able, and it'll take while to tire me of
it tew.'' .,
"And do you always travel alone, then?"
"Reckon 1 do; leastways, what yu'd
cali alone. I've got bosom-friend here,
though" added he with a strange chuckle,
putting his hand into his brcast-pocket;
aand he's done me more'n one good tuln
in his time, so tell ye. Yes, sir, he has
that; and what's more, he speaks or
holds his tongue jest as | please, which
faint every man as 'ud do J!
And with this enigmatlcal preface, he
produced small but handsome revolver,
fitted with spring -bayonet, and orna-
mented about the stock with eleven studs
of silver, arranged in the form of square,
which would be completed by the addl-
tion of twelfth. .,
"Ain't that friend, now stranger I"
said the Transatlantic eXultingly; "and
good friends we've been, him and me;
never mistrusted him but once, and that
war down in Australey, when L war
gold.digging up Turon way. Two tellers
cum to my tent one night, cause they'd
hearn as I'd heap 20 gold thar, and they
thought O. bein' so kind as to relieve me
O. the 'sponsibility O guardin' it. | hearn
'em creepin' in, and O. course the tust
thing 1 did was to slap all six barrels in
to 'em, just to Civ 'em hint not to call
a'ter visitin' hours [ hearn screech,
and then pattin o feet runnin' off; but