The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-08-12
A Murderer's Den.

NXT ELL, my boy, to amuse you, I'll tell
w how l paid hotel bill. l was
travelling through Arizona, when my guide
Jim sickened and left me.
My new guide was prairie Indian, a
little, dirty, sneaking- docking beggar, whose
sole object in life seemed to be to get drunk
as often and as thoroughly as possible.
However, wasn't likely to want him more
than four or five days, and l thought |
could do with him that long so gave
him to understand that, if he behaved him
SELF I'd give him as much rum as he could
drink, when we got in, and if he didn't I'd
send bullet through him at once upon
which understanding we started. That
day, all went smoothly enough but the
next morning my evil star made me catch
sight of a rare plant on the top of pre-
cipitous bank, thirty feet high and must
needs go up after it, while Master Redskin
trudged slowly on with the horses. 1t was
a stiff climb but got up at last, and had
Just collared the vegetable, when 10
the edge Of the bank broke away and down
/ went 1t was marvel that didn't break
my neck but the briars and fallen earth
saved me bit.
However, when came TO, found my
self all bruised and covered with blood, and
my watch (Which by some miracle wasn't
broken) showed me that I'd been lying
there good hour at least. But what was
worse there wasn't a sign of my worthy
esquire or the horses At first / thought
he might have got tired of waiting, and
struck on ahead but when got to the
crown of the pass, and couldn't see him
anywhere, guessed at once that he had
bolted. In fact, as afterwards found out,
he had seen me fall, and making sure that
l was either dead or too much damaged to
look after him, he'd just constituted him
self heir to all my property, rife and sad
dlehags included, and made tracks with
them. So there was left high and dry
in the worst part of the Sierra, with four
dollars in my pocket, and only my knife if
got into trouble-for the lock of my re-
volver had got broken by the fall.
Well, there was nothing to be gained by
standing still, and when a thing has got
to be done, you must just Go it ; so l hob
bled along anyhow, and got on pretty well
after bit. Just about sundown came to
ahut whose only tenants seemed to be
very tall, gaunt, vicious-looking Yankee
and just about the ugliest looking nigger /
ever saw in my life.
"Good evening mate, said /, "can you
put fellow up for to-night9 don't feel
like going much further, somhow."
kin you pay for it?--that's the idee,
you know, [" said my host with a grin,
don't look as yew he'd made pile, now
that's fact %
1t was my weakness in those days 10 be
always riled by that kind of thing. Iwhip-
ped out my pouch and slapped it down ON
the table and with all the small change in
it, it made very tolerable jingle. saw
the fellows eyes light up, and ! knew
directly I'd done wrong.
" Good as pork, mister" said he, nod
ding at the pouch. "Guess you'll be for
bite afore goin' TO roost. just hold on
minnit, and we'li fix for supper right
away"
"Ail right" answered ], "Illjust look
round outside 70 see II there are any plants
worth picking up, while you get II ready"
This was bit Of diplomacy ON my part,
for knew if they meant tmischiefthey'dlay
theirheads togetherthe moment my back
was turned, and ] wanted 70 make sure.
As soon as they'd gone into the hut again,
sDeaked round to the back, and crouched
behind the wcod-pie, where could hear
every word they said. And, sure enough,
in minute or two they began