Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-01-27
Selelte0 Storp.
CENTREPOLE BILL.

the house cleaned dimly through the mist
as If the wet had reached them too, Ever
old Don" who followed me ging rly out
from the porch, shook his shaggyc at. and
shifted his disgust at the weather. Salts.
fed that all was right was about return
ing TO shelter, when from around the cor
ner of the fence came the sound of horses
feet, and heavy wagon sucking and groan
ing up the inclined. A low, prolonged
growl from the dog greeted the coming
team and waited a moment to see who
could be travelling at such a time and in
such sorry stofm. There soon came
abreast of the gate huge wagon, drawn
by six mules, which / 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, it stopped, and after the brake
ratified down, hOarse voice issued:
when there, June! L say, stranger,
how far Is IL - town.
ITO Los Angeles? Ten miles"
That's a party outlook for me. Ten
milesl l. this tavern?"
'sNo"
''Ten miles to town. Waal, stranger, /
gusss I'll stake out here tonight Them
animules Is too beat to do that. Where's
yer water2"
Its 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"
''Wsal, I've seen wus nights nor this,
and I'm eenamost waterproof; but since
you're pressin', Ill turn out these critters
and jine We in shake. Git up here, you
old cantankerous Guv'ment mule! That
ar Black Bess Is the ornaTest animule
ever seer'
1t required but little time to unhitch his
team and l opened the gate. and in the fas-
eed creatures came gaunt and worn, with
moth-eaten tails, dripping with wet and
generally cast down, as mulesare when their
II, K ng days are past. Though there was
aIr1spect for them of fodder and corn,
no. the ghost Of trot appeared. but they
M andered slowly into the yard, where
onr own horses crowded together under
the shed. and gaZed inhOspitably at the
newcomers.
Have you had any supper inquired
of the tesmster as he came into the house
with his blankets.
s'Waal, now you mention it, I rayther
think not and do feel heap hungry
! managed TO get him cold bite and
glass OF toddy, and as he whipped out his
short, black pipe aGd moved up to the fire,
he began TO thaw, mentally, as / saw from
the eladness in his eye, and physically, as
the steam fr-m bis clothes attested. was
alone that night, and glad to have company
i had a good view of my gu st how: a
short, thick set man, with a shock of
beard. bronzed face, where il could be seen
and sharp, gray eyes. 4 soldiers coat,
much too large for him, was his upper gar
ment, the only apparent additional vesture
being pair of innene boots.
Il like that liquor o your, he said, after
a time. 1T kstehes as 1t goes down. How
long mont You have lived here?'
Only wear" ! answered.
Between the vreatLs Of curling smoke
he scanned NE closely, and again inquired:
Where mont We hail frorlf"
a great distance from here-from
Maine
from them parts myself 1T seems kind o.
good to meet fel!er-natioper in furrin
land. Hows eli the folks down in Maine?"
About as usual. fancy. But how did
you get ort hers?'
1--we made a long trip Of it. you bet. If
you don't want to turn In, Iii tell you all
about it. 1t kind o. drops the tail board ont
of feler's feelins to strike man from the
same deestrict-"
Assuring him that I should enjoy his
confidence and his stOry-having mixed
'.another stiff 'un to take out that last patch
of COLI" he related es follows:
The fust OF Il was. me and the old man
had a scrimmage-not a fightin' one mind
We, fur wouldn't have hurt bair of the
old mans head, not for gold; but vas
pesky tired of farlnin' and plowin' and hog
KILN, and such like, and was q bound for
TO GO 70 sea. It's Gurus a feller never knows
the right side OF his melon till it's too late;
that's the way nth all ON us and kDockin'
about in The world just pulls the husE of
of the cob, and shows We what's what
Howsomdever, seeiR' as how / was hank
erin' to go away, and IS .Mella Pritchard
had married that city chap, and as the old
man said shouldn't go. was more deter
mineder than ever. There was a circus
come along TO our town, and me and the
other boys was kinder hsndy-helpin' wa
ter the horses, and dois' chores for themen
and we got into the show. 1t was the
fust time l ever see a circus, and the riders.
and the beautiful women ON & calico horse
was too much for nee, partickly after was
let in to the Livin' Skeleton and the Fat
Lady. So / made up my mind to run off
with this show, and / marches up to the
boss and asked him if he would take me.
what can You dog says he. .Anythin',
says I; mostly drive WELL says he, 1
want "A 10y 10 drive the wagon with the
centrepole, and III I yyou.' And left the
old house and ell ten years ago, and I've
never seen EN- sence."
The thinking man paused a moment,
and then proceeded:
1T was Dan Rice's Circus-and you know
it was q good shOw-but 1t was hard lines
for NE, and the beautiful woman didn't look
so beautiful every time 1 see afterward, and
roughed tall the while; and shouldn't
have stuck to it if We hadn't been travelin'
Vest. j thought if went fur enough I
might get to Calforny, where the gold was
CROWN.
A grim, peculiar smile fitted across q
quarter-section OF his face, and, ending in
q sneer, lost Itself in his shaggy bard.
Il did leave the business for a while, and
was somezyears in CaDndy and Wisconsin,
but ] always hankered after the show, and
come back to il. There was three of Us
chums; and. very singler, we was all named
Bill, and they gave US names to know us
apart. was Centrepole Bill, cause Idrove
that wagon there was Canvas Bill, as drove
that wagon; and Stubby Bill, as was gen
eral hand We travelled and travelled until
we got to Mound City, in low ay; and there
Stubby was knitted for something or other
in row, and died. He and ] didn't go
cahoots SO much As Canvas aud me, but
we missed him for all o that. We see
some hutbly life, of and on, we did; and
If / was youngster, / sofather set mp in
any perfesxion but q circus driver, but q
man can't always have his 'drathers- Least
wise, if he could, p'r'aps be wouldn't be no
better eft
swe got to Iowsy, as,I was sayin', ard
the boss was mighty terry. one hight. He
had a swiyeleye, and was hot when be was
drunI. and he Civ US partickisr deviltry,
which no man bankers fur if he don't de-
serve it, which. we didn't t;sand that night
Canvas comes to me, and says he, Centre
pole, ! amt goin' to sling this cart any
more And / says to him, 'Whyf mo
man. says be, can drive, over me with
sharp-corked horses Which knew then
he nesnt to kaxe the show, and bound to
iins him anyway. And he Gays TO me-
There's an old psrd of mine here, and he
saws as how there's q Guv 'ment train goin'