Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-29

and I'm a retirin' from this bizness
forever"
"Ain't a-goin' to turn States eyl-
dence?" cried Cranks, grasping thepls-
tol on the table. /.
"I'm a-goin' to make a lead mine OF
you eff you don't take that back
roared the Colonel, with a bound,
which caused Cranks to drop the pistol
and retire precipitately forward, apollo,
giving as he went. "1'm goin' to tend
to my " buziness, an that's enough
to keep any man bizzy. Somebody
lend me fifty till / see him again."
Perkins pressed the money into the
Colonel's hand, and within two minutes
the Colonel was on Tipsie's back, and
galloping on in the direction the stage
had taken. -,
He overlook it, he passedit, and still
he galloped on.
The people at Mud Gulch knew the
Colonel well, and made it a rule never
to be astonished at anything he did;
but they made an exception to the rule
when the Colonel canyassed the prlncl-
pal bar-rooms for men who wished to
purchase a horse; and when a gambler
who was flush obtained Tipsie in ex-
change for twenty slugs-only a thous-
and dollars, when the Colonel had al
ways saidthat there wasn't gold enough
on top of the ground to buy her-Mud
Gulch experienced a decided sensation.
One or two elterprising persons
speedily discovered that the Colonel
was not in a 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 shaver
and his hair neatly trimmed and parted,
betting was so wild that a cool-headed
sporting man speedily made a fortune
by betting against every theory that
was advanced.
Then the Colonel made a tour Of the
stores and fitted himself with anew
suit Of clothes, carefully eschewing all
of the generous patterns and pro-
nounced colors so dear to the average
miner. He bought a new hat, and put
on a pair of boots, and pruned his I'm
ger nails, and, stranger than all, he
mildly declined 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, claim
ed the stakes. But those who stood
near the Colonel heard the constable
say:
Colonel, 1 take it all back, an Town
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 road agent business, so 1 follered
you-duty you know. But when Iseed
you sell Tipsie 1 knowed l was on the
wrong trail. l wouldn't suspect you
now if all the stages in the State wuz
robbed; and I'll give you satisfaction
any way you want it"
Its all right" said the Colonel,
with a smile. The constable afterward
said that nobody had any idea of how
~curiously the Colonel smiled when his
beard was off. "GiTe this fifty to Jim
Perkins, fust time yer see him. I'm
leavin' the State"
Suddely the stage pulled up at the
door with a crash, and themale passen-
gers hurried into the saloon in a state
Of utter indignation and impecuniosity.
The story of the robbery attracted
everybody, and during the excitement
the Colonel slipped out quietly and
opened the door of the stage. The old
lady started and cried:
"George?"
And the Colonel, jumping into the
stage and putting his arms tenderly
about the trembling form of the old
lady, exclaimed:
sMOtherI ~