Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-06-24

peremptory, and spirit of obedience was
thought the safest, Armstrong obeyed with
out parley; and down he went, over head
and ears, store-clothes and all, into the
cold mountain stream. 1t was a long time
that he remained in the water, and under
the water. He would come to the surface
every little while to talk. you understand.
twas impossible for Armstrong to forbear
talking. 80, yes," he would say, as he
came 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
course, duly punctuated by irregular plung
es and catches of his breath
1t so happened that the man who kept
the shanty hotel at Packers Roost had a
woman for a wife. She, being a kind
hearted creature, besought her lord to go
down and ''help the poor crazy man out
of the water.
Pshaw!" said the ox-driver, he aiR't
a crazy man; he 5 fool. He. walked be-
hind my wagon and talked to himself all
the way from Scrabbletown.'
Thereupon arose a lengthy discussion
about the difference between crazy man
and fool. But, after awhile, the landlord
and the ox-driver went down to the bank
against bucking at monte in the future, if
he would come out of the water. So he
came out and went up to the house.
VIII you have a cup of tea OF coffee"
said the woman, kindly.
Yes, madam" said Armstrong, |
will take both"
:" He is crazy, sure As can be-" said the
woman. But she brought the two cups as
order ed Milk and sugar." she inquired
! kindly, rs before.
No, madam; mustard and red pepper,
answered Armstrong.
Il do believe he is Il fool, said the
woman, as she went for the 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 poured the two together into large tin
/ cup. Then the old conflict ragged again,
and high above the din of rattling tin cups
/ and pewter spoons, sounded the stern COM
mand, " Armstrong, drink it, sir-drink it
down. \ momentary hesitation, and a
few desperate gulps, and it was down. 20,
ves," said our hero, as his throat burned
and the tears ran from his eyes, you buck
Your money away at three-card monte, do
you?n
Now. the Thomsonian dose above de-
scribed very nearly ended the battle with
poor Armstrong He WAS silent for quite
a time, and every body else was silent.
After while the landlord ventured to sug-
gest that bed could be provided if 1t was
desired. No." said Armstrong, III
sleep on the floor You see, stranger,
said he, eyeing the landlord with a pecu-
liar expression, :. this fool has been squan-
dering gold-dust ut monte = three card
monte-and does not deserve to sleep in a
bed"
50 Armstrong ended the days battle by
going to bed on the floor. Then came the
dreams He first dreamed that he was
sleeping with his head on the North Pole
and his feet in the tropics, while all the
miners of Yuba We're ground sluicing III
his stomach. Next, he dreamed he had
swallowed Mount Shasta for supper, and
that the old mountain had suddenly become
an active volcano. and was vomiting acres
and acres of hot lava.
Then the scenes were shifted, and he
seemed to have found his final abode in 8
place of vile smells and fierce flames, po
litev called the antipodes of heaven
And while he writhed and groaned in sleep
less agony, a forked tail tiend with hi:
thumb at his nose was saying to him IN {
mockinp voice: :. You buck yOur nlOnel
d,cay at three card monte, do you-hey?
But even this troubled sleep had an end al
last, and Armstrong arose. When he
looked at himself in the broken looking
glass that hung on the wall, he though
his face bore traces of wisdom that never
had been there before. SO he said: 81
!, think YOU have learned Il lesson, Armstrong
You can 90 back to your mining now, sir
and let monte alone" Time showed tina
he was right. His lesson was we'll learned
= The miners looked Il little curious wher
he reappeared at the camp, and still calle'
him crazy. But he had learned lessor
many of them never learned, poor fellows
: They continued their old ways. making
money fast and spending it foolishly-ever
giving it to monte dealers. But the Arm
: strong firm was never broken in that way
= but once After that, whenever he saw
: one of the peculiar signs, Robbers
= RooSt," Fleecers' Den," or - Fools Las
< Chance Armstrong would shake his hea'
with knowing air, and say to himself a
he passed along: 80, yes, Armstrong
: you've been there; you know all abou
: that, you don't buck your money away a
three-card monte-not much! !"-Ocerldnt
| Monthly for June.