The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-04-09

trail, an ketch us with the traps in our
possession they might"
!" Divide yerselvesI' r. said the colonel,
with abruptness and a great oath. 4"
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"
/ hain't nothin'," replied the col
onel, with averted eyes. "I'm goin'.
and I'm a retirin' from this bizness for
ever"
"Aiu't a-goin' to turn evidence ?"
cried Cranks, grasping the pistol on the
"I'm again to make lead mine of
you eff you don't take that back -
roared the colonel, with bound, which
caused Cranks to drop the pistol and re-
tire precipitately forward, apologizing
as he went. I'm going to tend to my
own bizuess, an that's enough to keep
any man bizzy. Somebody lend me
fifty till see him a0in.
Perk ms pressed the money into the
colonePs 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 passed it, 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 canvassed the princi-
pal bar-rooms for men who wished to
purchase horse and when a gambler
who was flush obtained Tipsie in ex-
change for twenty slugs-only thou
sand dollars, when the colonel had al
ways said that there wasn't gold enough
on top of the ground to buy her-Mud
Guich experienced decided sensation.
One or two enterprising 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 eolonel's motives and actions.
But when the colonel, after remain
ing in barber shop for half an hour,
emerged with his face clean shaven 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 tour of the
suit of clothes, carefully eschewing all
of the generous patterns and prcnoun-
ced colors so dear to the average miner.
He bought new hat and put on q pair
of boots, pruned his finger 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 al
ways stopped, the Challenge Hill con-
stable was seen to approach the colonel
and tap him on the shoulder, upon
which all men who bet that the colonel
was dodging somebody claimed the
stakes. But those who stood near the
colonel heard the constable say
Colonel, I take it all back, an own
mp fair an square. When I seed you
git out of Challenge Hill it came to me
all of a sudden that you might be in
the road agent business, so I follered
you-duty you know. But when I seed
you sell Tipsie knowed I was on the
wrong trail. I 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. 2"
''It's all right" said the colonel with
a smile. The constable afterward said
that nobody had any idea of how Curl
OuSlY bnO OOlOn6l Su1l1CO WnSu Ills D6dEu
was of. "Give this fifty to Jim Per
kins fust time yer see him. I'm leaVin'
the state. :"
Suddenly the stage pulled up at the
door with crash, and the male 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
"Ge0rge !"
And the colonel, jumping into the
stage and putting his arm tenderly
about the trembling form of the old
lady, exclaimed
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