Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-28

more spitefully snapped the swinging
whip as the slow-paced oxen toiled
mile after mile under the heat of Sep
tember sun. And there, in the road,
trudged Armstrong behind the wagon;
slowly, YEARLY, thoughtfuily, but not
silently. He was 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" sit will spoil these
clothes.s swell, don't you deserve it?"
1.-The dust fills my eyes" "Yes; any
man who CANDLES all his dust away at
three-card monte deserves to have dust
in his eyes-and aliak dust at that. !"
1.-THE dust chokes me-" "Al right;
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 viii
ever buck at monte again, Armstrong;"
And SO the poor culprit, self-arrested,
self-condemned, coughed and sneezed.
and choked, and walked, and talked,
mile after mile, hour after hour, while
the great wagon grUated and creaked,
the driver bawled and swung his whip,
the patient oxen gave their shoulders
to the yoke, and the golden sun of Sep
TENDER sunk YEARLY toward the west.
The shadows of evening were beginning
to fall when the wagon halted at the
place called Packers Roost, on the
Yuba.
Here we reet," sighed Armstrong.
Just above his breath, as ne looked at
the stream. mo you don't, answered
the head of the firm. "You buck your
maney away at monte and then talk
about resti Now Armstrong, go right
down the bank, sir, into that river"
AS the command was peremptory, and a
spirit of obedience was thought the SAT-
est, Armstrong Obeyed without parley;
and down be went, over head and ears,
htofe clothes and all, into the cold
mountain stream. 1t was long time
that he remained in the water and I'M
der the water. He would come to the
surface every little while to talk, you
understand. 1t was impossible for
Armstrong 10 forbear talking: ooh,
yes,' he would say as he canle UP and
snuffed the water from his nose, you'll
buck your money away at three-card
monte, will you? How do you like
water cure ?" His words were, of
eotirse, duly punctdated by irregular
plunges and catching of the breath.
1t so happened that the man who
kept the shanty hotel at the Parker's
Roost Had woman for wife She,
being kind hearted creature, besOught
her lord to 60 down and "help the
poor crazy man out of the water"
"Pshax !'' said the ox-driver, she
amt crazy man; he's d feel. He
walked behind my wagon and talked to
himself all the way from Scrabble
town"
Thereupoh arose 4 lengthy discussion
about the difference between crazy
man and fool. But after a while the
landlord and the ox-driver went down
to the bank and agreed to go Arm
strong's security against bucking al
monte in the future if he would come
ont Of the water go he came cut end
went up to the house.
"Will you have a cup of tea or cof.
fee:" said the woman, kindly.
Yes, madam" said Armstrong, 81
will take both"
He is crazy, sure as can be-" said
the woman. But she brought the two
cups, as ordered. "EIilk aid sugar:
she inquired, kindly. as before.
No, madam: mustard and red pep.
per-" answered Armstrong.
Il do believe he's a fool" said the
woman, as she went fct lie pepper and
mustard
Armstrong, with deliberate GOODNESS,
put a spoonful of red pepper into the
tea and a spoonful of mustard into the
coffee. Then he pouted the two to.
gether into a tin cup. Then the old
conflict ragged again, and hish ahOvt
the din OF rattlirs tih caps and pewter
| spooils, sounded the stern command,
| Armstrong, drink it, sir-drink II
down." A mOmentary hesitation and
a few desperate gulps, and 1t was down
'Oh, yes" said our hero. as his throat
burned and the tears ran ff7'm hi-eFes
you tr,cs y6Hi money away at three
card monte, do yOu:"
Now, the Thomsonian dose above de
scribed very nearly ended the battle
with poor Armstrong. He was silent
for quite time, ard eseiybOdy else
was Silent. After awhile the landlord
ventured to suggest that a bed could
be provided il it was desired. mo,
said Armstrong, IN s'eep on tn,
floor. You see, stranger" said he, eye
ing the landlord with ? rgrttl'ar G.
pfessiOnj "this fool has been squander
ing gold dust at monte-three- care
monte-and does not deserve to sleeE
in bed"
So Armstrong ended the days bettl
by going to bed on Che floor. The1
came the dreams. He first dregne,
that he was sleeping with his feet o,
the North Pole ard hia head In III
tropics, while ali the miners Of Yub
were ground-sluicing in his stomach
Next, he dreamed that he had swal
lowed Mount Shasta for supper, anC
that the old mountain had suddenly
become an active volcano; and. wa
vomiting acres ard actes OF hot lava
Then the scene shifted, and h,
seemed to have found his final abode il
place of vile MILLS and fierce flames
politely called the antipodes Of heaven
| And while he writhed and g~oared !,
sleepless agony fork tailed fiend wit
his thumb at his nose was saying (,
him in mocking voice: You bucl
your money away at three-card monte
do you-hey?" But even this trouble,
sleep had an end at last, and Arm
strong arose. When he looked at him
self in the broken looking-glass tina
hung on the wall, he thought his fac,
bore traces Of wisdom that had ncYe
been there before. So he said: ..
think you have learned lesson, Arm
strong. You can 60 back to your min
ing now, sir, and leave mont,
alone" Time showed tina
he was right. His lessol
was well learned. The miners looked
little curious when he rcappeared a
the camp, and still called him crazy
But he had learned lesson many o
them never learned, poor fellows. The,
continued their old ways, maxim!
| money fast and spendinfr II fOglisbly-