The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-04-09
RETIRING FROM BUSINESS.
BY BRET HARTE.

Il DDOAAESoa
BY BRET HARTE.
What the colonel's business was no
body knew, nor did any one care par
ticularly. He purchased for cash only,
and he never grumbled at the price OF
anything that he wanted who could
ask more than that? q?
Curious people occasionally wondered
how, when it had been fully two years
since the colonel, with evey one else,
abandoned Duck creek to the Chinese,
he managed to spend money freely, and
to lose considerable at cards and horse
races. In fact, the keeper of that one
of the two Challenge Hill saloons
which the colonel did not patrOnize was
heard to absent-mindedly wonder
whether the colonel hadn't a money
mill somewhere where he turned out
double eagles and "slugs" (the coast
name for fifty dollar gold pieces).
When so important parsonage as q
bar-keeper indulged publicly in an idea,
the inhabitants of Challenge Hill, like
good Californians everywhere, consid-
cred themselves in duty bound to give
it grave consideration, SO for few days
certain industrious professional gentle
men, who won money of the colonel,
carefully weighed some of the bright
est pieces and tested them with acids,
and tasted them and sawed them in
two, and retired them and melted them
up and had the Jumps assayed.
The result was n complete vindica-
tion of the colonel, and loss of con-
siderable custom to the indiscreet bar
keeper
The colonel was as good natured man
as had ever been known at Challenge
Hill, but, being mortal, the colonel had
his occasional times of dependency,
and one of them occurred after series
of races in which he had staked hi all
on his own bay mare Tipsie, and had
lost
Looking reproachfully at his dead
animal failed to heal the aching void of
his pockets, and drinking deeply, swear
ing eloquently, and glaring defantly at
all mankind were equally unproductive
of coin.
The boys at the saloon sympathized
most feelingly with the colonel /; they
were unceasing In their invitations to
C~ink, and they even exhibited consid-
eTable christian forbearance when the
colonel savagely dissented with every
one who advanced any proposition, no
matter how incontrovertable.
But unappreciatad sympathy grows
decidedly tiresome to the given, and it
was with a feeling of relief that the
boys saw the colonel stride out of the
saloon, mount Tipsie. and gallop furi-
ously away.
Riding on horseback has always been
considered an excellent sort of exercise,
and fast riding is universally admitted
to be one of the most healthful and
delightful means of exhilaratiOn in the
world.
But when a man is so absorbed in his
exercise that he will not stop to speak
to friend, and when his exhilaration is
so complete that he turns his eyes from
well-meaning thumbs pointing signifi-
cantly into doorvays through which &
man has often passed while seeking
bracing influences, it is but natural that
people should express some wonder.
The colonel was we'll known at Toddy
Flat, Gone Hand, Blazers, MurdeTer's
Bar. and several other villages through
which he passed, aud as no one had
been seen to precede him, betting men
were seen offering odds that the colonel
was running away from somebody.
Strictly speaking they were wrong,
but they won all the money that had
been staked against them, for within
uLil III uOAL > bAA4G bnGAO pa Sou OfGt
the same road an auxious-looking in
dividual, who reined up in front of the
principal saloon of each place, and
asked If the colonel had passed.
Had the gallant colonel known that
he was followed, and by whom, there
would have been an extra election held
at the latter place very shortly after,
for the pursuer was the constable OF
Challenge Hill, and for constablea aud
all officers of the law the colonel pos
sessed hatred of unspeakable intensity.
On galloped the colonel, following
the stage road, which threaded the old
mining camps on Duck creek but sud-
denly be turned abruptly out OF the
road, and urged his horse through the
Young pines and bushes, which grew
thickly by the road, while the constable
galloped rapidly on to the next camp.
There seemed to be no path through
the thicket into which the colonel had
turned. but Tipsie walked between the
! trees and bushes as if they were the
familiar objects of her own stable-yard.
Suddenly, voice from the bushes
shouted: ''What's up2'
g Business what, replied the
colonel.
'sIt's time" replied the voice, and its
owner-a bearded six-footer-emerged
from the bushes, and stroked Tipsie' s
nose with the freedom of an old ac-
auaintance. "We amt had nip since
lastssssnight, an thar sirt' croker or q
handfal of flour in the shanty. The
old gal go back on yer p
"Yes, replied the colonel, ruelully,
+" lost ev'ry blasted race. 'Twasn't her
fault, bless her-she done her level
best. Ev'rybody to homeT, - s
s You bet, said the man. "All ben
a prayin' for yer ter turn up with the
rocks, an somethin' with more color
than spring water. Come on.
The man led the way and Tipsie and
/ the coloLel followed. and the trio sud.
denly found themselves before n small
log hut, in front of which sat three sol
emn, disconsolate- looking individuals
who looked appealingly at tie colonel.
Mac II tell yer how twas eliers,
said the colonel, meekly, ''whi' 1 picket
] the mare.
] The colonel was absent but a very
! few moments, but when he returned
each of the four was attired in pistol.
/ and knife, while Mac was distributing
some dominoes, made from q rathel
dirty flour bag.
"'Taint so late as all that, is it p in
! quired the colonel.