The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-06-27

HE is crazy, sure - can be-" said
the woman. But she brought the two
lcups. as ordered. Milk and sugar.
she inquired, kindly, as before.
"No, madam; mustard and red pep
per,n answered Armstrong.
Il do believe be is q fool" said the
woman. as she went for the pepper and
mustard.
Armstrong, with deliberate GOODNESS,
put q spoonful Of red pepper into the
tea and spoonful of mustard into the
coffee. Then he poured the two to
gether into large tin cup. Then the
old conflict ragged again, and, high
above the din of rafting tin cups and
pewter spoons sounded the stern com
mand. Armstrong, drink it, sir
drink it down." A momentary hesita-
ton, and few desperate gulps, and it
is down. "Oh, yes" said our hero, as
his throat burned and the tears ran
from his eyes, "you buck your money
away at monte, do your"
Now, the Tomsonian dose above des-
cribed very nearly ended the battle
with poor Armstrong. He was silent
for quite time, and everybody else
was silent. After awhile the landlord
ventured to suggest that bed could
be provided If it was desired. No."
said Armstrong, I'll sleep ON the floor.
You see, stranger" said he, cycling the
landlord with peculiar expression,
this fool has been squandering gold
dust at monte-three-card monte-and
does not deserve to sleep in bed"
So 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 feet on
the north pole and his head in the trop-
les, while all the miners of Yuba were
ground-sluicing in his stomach. Next,
he dreamed that 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
a place of vile smells and fierce flames,
politely called the antipodes Of heaven.
And while he writhed and groaned in
sleepless agony. fork-tailed fiend with
his thumb at his nose was saying 10
him in a knocking voice, you buck
your money away at three-card monte,
do you-hey!" But even this troubled
sleep had an end a, last, and Armstrong
arose When he looked at himself in
the broken looking glass that hung on
the wall, he thought his face bore ira
ces Of wisdom that never had been
there before. So he said: 81 think
you have learned lesson, Armstrong.
You can go back 10 your mining now,
sir, and let monte alone" Time show
cd that he was right. His lesson was
well learned The miners looked a lit
tie curious when he reappearcd at the
carp, and still called him crazy. But
be had learned lesson many of them
never learned, poor fellows. They con-
tinued their old ways, making money
fast and spending it foolishly-even
giving it to monte dealers. But the
firm was never broken in
hat way but once After that, when
ever he saw one of the peculiar signs,
Robbers Roost,r "Flcecers' Dem or
Fools Last Chance" Armstrong would
shake his head with knowing air and
'ay to himself as he passed along: "Oh,
1es, Armstrong, you've been there; you
inow all about that; you don't buck
'our money away at three-card monte
not much!"-Oucrland Monthly.