Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-07-02

stlnging reports OF the long Missouri
ox-whip. Glang g'lang wo.haw II
shouted the tall, dust-begrimed driver,
as he swung his whip and cast side.
long glance at the broken firm, wonder
ing "what in thunder all them store
clothes was a-doin' thar" Now, when
Armstrong saw the long column of
white dust rising behind that wagon he
was taken with an idea. SO he shouted
to the driver, to know if he might be
allowed to walk in the road behind the
wagon.
"Get in and ride" said the driver.
"No," said Armstrong "I wish to
walk"
"Then walk, you crazy fool" was the
accommodating response, as the driver
swung his whip.
Then came the tug of war. Greek
never met Greek more fiercely than did
the two contending spirits composing
the firm of Armstrong & Self, at that
particular moment. sNow, Armstrong" +"
said the imperious head of the firm,
"you get right into the middle of that
road, sir, and walk in that dust, behind
that wagon, all the way to the Packers
Roost, on tho Yuba river" "What,
with these clothes onP" eyes, with
oAOoo oioeuco ou. WhJs ~ ID ulGeou
miles and dusty all the wav." emo mat
ter, sir; take the road. You squander
you money at three-card monte; I'll
teach you lesson"
G'langl g'langl" drawled the dri-
curious mingling of pity, contempt
and more spitefully snapped the swing.
ing whip as the slow-paced oxen toiled
milo after mile under the heat of Sep.
tember sun. And there, in the road,
trudged Armstrong behind the wagon
slowly, YEARLY, thoughtfully, but not
silently. He was q man who always
spoke his thoughts.
"This serves you right, Armstrong.
Any man who will fool his money away
at three-card monte deserves to walk in
the dust" cit will spoil these clothes. ("
"Well, don't you deserve it?" "The
dust fills my eyes," eyes, any man
who CANDLES all his dust away Mt
three. card monte deserves to have dust
in his eyes-and alkaii dust at that. +"
The dust chokes me-" Gail right 7;
any man who will buck at monte de-.
serves to be choked. Keep the road,
sir-the middle of the road-close up to
the wagon. Do you think you will ever
buck at monte again, Armstrong
And 80 the poor culprit, self-arrested,
self-condemned, coughed, and sneezed,
and checked, and walked, and talked,
mile after mile, hour after hour while
the great wagon groaned and creaked,
the driver bawled and swung his whip,
the patient oxen gave their shoulders to
the yoke, and the golden sun of Sep.
tember sunk wearily toward the west.
The shadows of evening were begin
ming to fall when the wagon halted ut
the place called Packers Roost, on the
Yuba.
"Here we rest" sighed Armstrong,
just above his breath, rs he looked at
the stream. "No, you DON'T" answered
the head of the firm. "You buck your
money away ut monte, and talk about
resting! Now, Armstrong, go right
down the bank, sir, into that river. F"
AS the command WAC peremptory, and
spirit of obedience was thought the
safest, Armstrong obeyed without par
ley; and down he went, over head and
ears. store-clothes and all, into the cold
mountain stream. It was q long time
that he remained in the water, and un-
der the water. He would come to the
surface every little while to talk, you
understand. It was impossible for
Armstrong to forbear talking. so,
yes, he would say, as he came up and
snuffed the water from his nose. "you'll
buck your money away at three-card
monte, will yon? How do you like
water-cure ?" His words were, of
course, duly punctuated by irregular
plungings and catching of the breath.
It 81 happened that the man who
kent the shanty hotel at the Packers
Roost, had a woman for wife. She, be-
ing kind-hearted creature, besought
her lord to go down aud "hclp The
poor crazy man out of tho water"
Pshaw!" said the ox-driver, "he
amt q crazy man; he's fool. He
walked behind my wagon and talked to
himself all the way from Scrabble.
town."
Therenpop rose lengthy discussion
about the difference between n crazy
man and fool. But, after while, the
to the bank and agreed to go Arm
strong's security against bucking at
monte in the future, if he would come
out of the water. So he came out and
went up to house
VIII you nave cup OF tea or cOf-
fee ?" said the woman kirdly.
&c Eyes, madam" said Armstrong, "I
will take both"
He is crazy, sure rs can be-" said
the woman. But she. brought the two
cups as ordered. "Nlilk aud sugar %
she inquired kindly, as before.
"No, madam, mustard and red pep.
per-" answered Armstrong.
" 1 do believe he is fool, said the
woman, ns she wont for the pepper and
mustard.
Ara strong, with deliberate coolness,
put spoonful of red pepper into the
tea and spoonful of mustard into the