The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-06-12

was long enough To work WONDERFUL
revolution in his feelings. When he
came out he was changed man-that
is to say, he was changeless man.
He was thunder-struck, amazed, be-
wildered. He had lost his money, lost his
new prospect, lost his self-conceit-lo
everything, but his new clothes and his
old habit of talking to himself. 1t is
useless to say that he was mad. Arm
strong was very mad. But there was
no one to be mad at but Armstrong
himself, so self number two was In for a
rough lecture
"Now, Armstrong, you are a nice
specmen-you fool-you bilk-you
dead beat-you inf" Well, L need
not repeat all the hard things he said.
Like King Richard, he found within
himself no pity for himself"
But mere words were not sufficient.
1t was time for action. But Arm
strong never once thought of shooting,
drowning, hanging, or any other form
OF suicide. He was altogether too
original as we'll as too sensible for that.
Yet he was resolved upon something
real and practical in the way of reforma-
tory punishment. He felt the need of a
self-imposed decree of bankruptcy that
should render the present failure as
complete as possible, and prevent a
similar course in the future.
So the broken firm of Armstrong &
Self went forth in meditation long and
deep. Some of his thoughts were al
most too deep for utterance. But finally
he stood by the dusty road along which
the great freighting wagons were haul
ing supplies to the mining camps up
the Sacramento. One of these wagons,
drawn by six yoke of oxen, was just
passing. Snap, snap, snap, in slow, IT.
regular succession, came the keen,
singing reports of the long Missouri
ox-whip. "Glang g'lang wo-haw p
shouted the tall, dust-begrimed driver,
as he swung his whip and cast side
long glance at the broken firm, wonder
ing "What in thunder all them store
clothes was a-doin' thar" Now, when
Armstrong saw the long column of
white dust rising behind that wagon he
was taken with an idea. So he shouted
to the driver, to know if he might be
allowed to walk in the road behind the
wagon.
sect in and ride" said the driver.
"No," said Armstrong Sc wish to
walk "
"Then walk, you crazy fool, was the
accommodating response, as the driver
swung his whip.
Then came the tug of war. Greek
never met Greek more fiercely than did
the two contending spirits composing
the firm of Armstrong & Self, at that
particular moment. "Now, Arm.
strong" said the imperious head of the
firm, "you get right into the middle
of that road, sir, and walk in that dust,
behind that wagon, all the way to the
Packers Roost, on the Yuba river. "
"What, with these clothes on % Eyes,
with those clothes on" "Why, it is
fifteen miles and dusty all the way y
. No matter, sir take the road. You
squander yDur money at three-card
monte III teach you lesson.
"Glaug glang drawled the
driver, as he looked over his shoulder
with a curious mingling of pity, con-
tempt and wonder on his dusty face.
More and more spitefully snapped the
swinging whip as the slow paced oxen
toiled mile after mile under the heat of
September sun. And there, i'll the
e road, trudged Armstrong behind the
IS wagon-slowly, YEARLY, thoughtfully,
Il but not silently. He was man who
e always spoke his thoughts.
z This serves, you right, Armstrong.
g Any man who will fool his money away
g at three-card monte deserves to walk
g in the dust" 1t will spoil these
It clothes. Well, don't you deserve
II it 2" 1.-The dust fills my eyes" eyes,
:, any man who CANDLES all his dust
o away at three-card monte deserves to
IT have dust in his eyes-and alkali dust
a at that" 1.-The dust chokes me-" "All
y right ; any man who will buck at monte
Ia deserves to be choked Keep the road,
II sir-the middle of the road-close up
l. to the wagon. Do you think you will
is ever buck at monte again, Armstrong? p
r And so the poor ulprit, self-arrested
n self-condemned, coughed, and sneezed
n and choked, and walked, and talked
,e mile after mile, hour after hour while
n the great wagon groaned and creaked
d the driver bawled and swung his whip
the patient oxen gave their shoulders tC
- the yoke. and the golden sun of Sep
ID TENDER sunk YEARLY toward the west
d The shadows of evening were begin
is ming to fall when the wagon halted a
e, the place called Packers Roost, on the
De Yuba.
a Here we rest" sighed Armstrong
e just above his breath, as he looked a
the stream. "No, you don't" an
t. swered the head of the firm. You
is buck your money away at monte, anC
Us talk about resting Now, Armstrong
lg go right down the bank, sir, into tina
is river" As the command was peremp
d, tory, and spirit of obedience wa
of thought the safest, Armstrong obeyeC
ID without parley; and down he went
ne over head and ears, store-clothes anC
le all, into the cold mountain stream l
of was a long time that he remained il
a the water, and under the water. II,
er would come TO the surface every littl
ed while to talk, you understand. 1t wa
d. impossible for Armstrong to forbea
D! talking. 90, yes" he would say, as
Us he came up and snuffed the water from
id his nose, you'll buck your none
n. away at three-card monte, will you
n How do you like water. cure?" Hi
Mt words were, of course, duly punctuate,
at by irregular plungings and catching o
er the breath.