The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-05-09
miscellaneous.
BY BRET HARTE.

nobody knew, nor did anybody
care, particularly. lie purchased
for cash only, and he never
grumbled at tie price of anything
that be wanted; WHO could ask
more than that:
Curious people occasionally won
dered how, when it had been fully
two years since tie Colonel, with
every 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 once heard to absent
mindedly, wonder whether the Col
onel hadn't a money mill some.
where where he turned out double
eagles and "slugs" (the coast name
for titty-dollar gold pieces.
When 50 important a parsonage
as a bar-keeper INDUCED publicly
in an idea, the inhabitants Of
Challenge Hill, like good Califor-
mans, everywhere, considered them
selves in duty bound to give grave
consideration, so for a few days
certain industrious professional gen
tlemen, who won money Of the
Colonel, carefully weighed some of
the brightest pieces and tested them
with acids, and tasted them and
sawed them in two, aud retired them
and melted them Zip and had the
Jumps assayed.
The result was a complete vim
dication OF the Colonel, and a loss
ofconsiderable custom to the in
discreet barkeeper.
The Colonel was as good -natured
a 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 a series ofraces,
in which he had staked his all on
his own hay mare Tipsie, and lost.
Looking reproachtully at lis
beloved animal, he failed to heed
the acRing void of his pockets, and
drinking deeply, swearing elo-
quently, and glaring defantly at
all mankind, wee equally unpro-
ductive OF coin.
The boys at the saloon sympa-
thlzed most feelingly with the
Colonel; they were unc( (asing in
their invitations to drink, and they
even exhibited considerable Chris
tian torbearance when the Colonel
savagely dissented with every one
who advanced any proposition, no
matter how incontroyertible.
But unappreciated sympathy
grows decidedly tiresome to the
giver, and it was with a feeling of
relief that the boys saw the Colonel
stride out of the saloon, mount
Tipsie, and gallop funously away.
Riding on Horseback has always
been considered an excellent sort of
exercise; and fast riding is univer-
sally admitted to be one OF the most
healthtul and delightful means Of
exhiliration in the world.
But when a man is So absorbed
in his exercise that he will not stop
TO speak to q friend; and when his
cxhllaration is 50 complete that he
turns his eyes from wel,-meaning
thumbs pointing significantly into
doorways through which a 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, Lone Hand, Blazers,
NLurderer's Bar and several other
villages through which he passed,
and as no one had been seen to
precede him, betting men were soon
offering odds that the Colonel was
runnig away from somebody.
Strictly speaking, they were
wrong, but they won all the money