Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-03-18
end to Cranks, the old lady would have

ouu W CTtukb, Guo O1u lauy WOulu nave
ct beg your parding, ma'am,'' said
the Colonel, raising his hat politely with
one hand while he opened the coach door
with the other, but we're taking up a
collection fur some deserving object.
We aU,tz a-goin to make the gentlemen
fork over the hull amount, but ez they
hain't got enough, we will hev to bother
yOu." s3#F# '." 80 laF
The old lady trembled, felt for her
pocket book, and raised her veil. The
Colonel looked into her face, slammed
the stage door, and sitting down on the
hub of one of the wheels, stared vacant
ly into space. f#. .a
per and with a face full of genuine
sympathy.
"No-yes," said the Colonel dreami-
ly. "That is, unite 'em, and let the
stage go ahead" he continued, spring.
ing to his feet. ''TU hurry back to the
cabin" And the Colonel dashed into
the bushes and left his followers so
paralyzed with astonishment that Old
Black afterwards remarked that "ef
ther'd been anybody to hold the bosses
he could hev cleaned the hull crowd
with his whip"
The passengers, nowrelieved of their
weapons, were unbound, allowed to
enter the stage and the door was slam
med, upon which Old Black picked up
his reins as coolly as if he had lain
them down at a station while horses
were being changed, then he cracked
his whip and the stage rolled off, while
the Colonels party fastened back to
their hut, fondly inspecting as they
went certain TASKS they had obtained
while transacting their business with
the occupants of the stage.
Great was the surprise of the road
agents as they entered their hut, for
there stood the Colonelin % clean white
shirt and in a suit of clothing made up
from the limited spare wardrobes Of the
other members of the gang.
But the suspicious Cranks speedily
subordinated his wonder to his pru-
dence, as laying on the table watch,
two pistols, a pocket book and heavy
purse he exclaimed :.
"Come Colonel, bizness before
pleasure let's divide, an scatter. Eff
| anybody should hear bout it, an find
our trail, an ketch the traps in our
possession, they might"
"Divide yerselves p said the Col
onel, with abruptness and great oath.
81 don't want none of it.
"Colonel," said Perkins, removing
his own domino and looking anxiously
into the leaders face, "be you sick ?"
Here's some bully brandy I found in
one of the passengers pockets"
CT hain't nothin'," replied the Colon
el with averted eyes. Tn goin', and
I'm retirin' from this bizness, for
ever"
CANT agoing to turn evidence %
cried Cranks, grasping the pistol on
the table.
"I'm a-goin to make lead-mine of
you eff you don't take that back p roar
ed the Colonel, with a bound, which
caused Cranks to drop the pistol and
retire precipitately forward, apologizing
as he went. I'm goin' to tend to my
own bizness, an that's enough to keep
any man bizzy. Somebody lend me
fifty dollars till [ see him agin."
Perkins pressed the money into the
Colonel's hand, and within two minutes
the Colonel was ON Tipsie's back, and
galloped on in the direction the stage
had taken.
He overlook it, he passed it, and still
he galloped on.
The people at Mud lGuch knew the
Colonel well, and made it rule never
to be astonished at anything he did
but they made an exception to the
rule when the Colonel canvassed the
principal bar-rooms former who wished
to purchase a horse and when a gam
bier who was flush obtained Tipsie in
exchange for twenty slugs-only a
thousand dollars, when the Colonel had
always said that there wasn't gold
enough on top of the ground to buy
her-Mud Gulch experienced decided
sensation ...-- re 81.
One or two enterprising persons
speedily discovered that the colonel
was not in communicative mood so
every one retired to his favorite saloon
and bet according to his own opinion of
the colonel's motives and actions.
But when the colonel, after remain
ing in a barber shop for half an hour,
emerged with his face clean shaved and
hair neatly trimmed and parted, betting
was so wild that cool-headed SPORTING
man speedily made fortune by betting
against every theory that was advanced.
Then the colonel made tour of the
stores and fitted himself with new
suit of clothes, carefully eschewing all
Of the generous patterns and pronounc-
ed colors so dear to the average miner.
He bought new hat, and put on pair
of boots, and pruned his finger nails,
and, stranger than all he mildly declin-
ed all invitations to drink.
AS the Colonel stood in the door of
the principal saloon, where the stage
always stopped, the Challenge Hill
constable was seen to approach the
Colonel and tap him on the shoulder,
upon which all men who bet that the
Colonel was lodging somebody claimed
the stakes. But those who stood near
the Colonel heard the constable say:
Colonel, [ take it all back, an 1 own
up fair AN square. When [ seed you git
out of Challenge Hill it come to me all
of a sudden that YOU might be in the