The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-01-28
Selected storm.
C%ENTREPOLE BILL.

AaMAA Univ NaAAAkA w 49, 49, @1@ ~
the sleeve. ] pulled on my coal and splash
ed out 10 the gete TO see j. il we've fast
against wandering. cattle. The lights in
the house cleaned dimly through the mist,
as IL the wet had reached them too, Even
old Don" who followed me ging rly out
from the porch, shook his shaggy jat, and
shifted his disgust at the weather. Salts
fed that all was right l was about return
ing 10 shelter, when from around the cor
ner Of the fence came the sound Of horses
feet, and aheavy wagon sucking and groan.
ing up the inclined. A low, prolonged
growl from the dog greeted the coming
team, and 1 ' waited q moment to see who
could be travelling at such n time and in
such q sorry storm. There soon came
abreast Of the gate n huge wagon, drawn
by six mules, which 1 could barely see
through the fog, Attracted by the fire in
nv pipe, which / had succeeded in keep
ing alight, and the increased growing of
the dog, il stopped, and after the brake
ratified down, a hoarse voice issued:
when there, Junel 1 say, stranger,
how far is it to town."
ITO Los Angelos2 Ten miles"
That's a party outlook for me. Ten
milesl Is this a tayern2"
iNo."
''Ten miles to town. WAL, stranger, I
khNNn ~ hNhhN bhN hNAo AR~AAhANH AANAA
animules is too beat to do that Where's
yer water?"
It's all around you tonight; but you can
turn your mules into the corral and bring
your blankets before the fire. It's too wet
to stay out here"
"Waal, I've seen wus nights nor this,
and I'm eenamost waterproof; but since
you're p%ressin', II, turn ont these critters
and jine ye in a shake. Git up, here, you
old cantankerous Guv'ment mulel That
ar Black Bess is the ornarest animule /
ever seel'
1t required bat little time to unhitch his
team and l opened the gate, and in the fag-
ged creatures came gaunt and worn, with
moth-eaten tails, dripping with wet, and
generally cast down, as mulesare when their
kicking days are past. Though there was
q prospect for them Of fodder and corn,
not the ghost Of a trot appeared, but they
meandered slowly into the yard, where
our own horses crowded together under
the shed, and gazed inhospitably at the
newcomers.
Have you had any supper" I inquired
Of the teamster as he came into the hous,
with his blankets.
''Waal, now you mention it, l raythe,
think not, and l do feel a heap hungry"
managed 10 get him a cold bite and
glass of toddy, and as he whipped out BIZ
short, black pipe and moved up TO the FIRE
he began to thaw, mentally, as l saw from
the gladness in his eye, and physically, a
the steam frsm his clothes attested. wa
alone that night, and glad 10 have COMPANY
l had a good view of my GU st now:
short, thick-set man, with a shock Of
beard, bronzed face, whereit could be seen
and sharp, gray eyes. A soldiers coat
much too large for him, was his upper gar
ment, the only apparent additional vestur
being a pair Of immense boots.
II like that liquor o'your, " he said, afte
q time. at ketcheS as II goes down. How
long mout you nave lived here2"
''Only q year, l answered.
Between the wreaths of curling smok
he scanned me closely, and again inquired
"Where mout ye hail from?'
"A great distance from here-iron
From Mainel You don't say so! Tn
from them parts myself. 1t seems kind q
good to meet a ieller-nationeF in a furril
land. How's all the folks down in Manner
About as usual, ! fancy. But how di
you get out herei"
"Ive made a long trip Of it, you bet. !
you don't want 70 turn in, I'll tell you a
about it. 1t kind o. drops the tailboard on
Of a feller's feelius 10 strike a man from III
same deestrict.
Assuring him that should enjoy hi
confidence and his story-having nike
another stiff 'un to take out that last pate
Of cold"-he related as follows:
The fust of it was, me and the dd ma
had a scrimmage-not a fghtin' one min
ye, fur l wouldn't have hurt a hair Of II
old mans head, not for gold; but 1 wi
pesky tired of farmin' and plowin' andh ol
Es1I.-H 81 r..al ILL - r.
to 60 to sea. It's Gurus a Teller never know
the right side of his melon till it's too lat
that's the way with all on us and knoeki
about in the world just pulls the husk @
of the cob, and shows We what's what.
H~owsomdeyeT, SEEM as how | wal han
erin to go away, and ~ 'Mella lPritchai
had married that city chap, and as the ol
man said | shouldn't 60, / was more dete
mineder than ever. There was a circr
come along to our town, and me and Il
Other boys was kinder handy-helpin' WI
ter the horses, and doia' chores for the me
and We got into the show. It was Il
fust tim | ever see a circus, and the rider
II the beautiful women on a calico horl
was too much for me, partickly after / WI
let in TO the Liyin' Skeleton and the Fl
Lady. So / nude up my mind TO run {
with this show, and l marches up to Il
hhAA ~ nlhNNA MN a. NC M0uAu NhAt IN
What can you do?' says he. 'Anythin
says l; mostly drive. Well says he,
want a boy to drive the wagon with Il
centrepole, and III try you And left Il
old house and all ten years ago, and L.
never seen 'em sence."
The thinking man paused q momer
and then proceeded:
ut was Dan Rice's ~Circus-and you knt
II was a good show-but it was hard Lin
for me, and the beautiful woman didn'tlo
30 beautiful every time l see a~fterward, a
we roughed tall the while; and / should
have stuck to 1t if we hadn't been travel
West. / thought if went fur enough
might get to Californy, where the gold v
CROWN.
A grim, peculiar smile fitted across
quarter-section Of his face, and, ending
q sheer, lost itself in his shaggy beard.
81 did leave the business for a while,
was some years in Canady and Visions
but / always hankered after the show, {
. come back to it. There was three Of
chums; and, very sing'ler, we was all nan
Bill, and they gave MS names TO know
apart. l was Centrepole Bill, cause IdrG
that wagon; there was Canvas Bill, as dr.,
that wagon; and Stubby Bill, as was a &
eral hand. We travelled and travelled III
we got TO Mound City, in Ioway; and tn
Stubby was knitted for something or OF
in a row, and died. He and i didn't
oahoots so much as Canvas and me,
we missed him for all o. that. We.
some hubby life, off and on, We did;
If / was a youngster, / 'drather set up
any perfession but a eircus-driVeT, bu
man can't always have his 'drathers. lie
wise, ifhe could, p'r'aps he wouldn't b.
better on.