Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-03-18
RETIRING FROM BUSINESS.
BY BRET HARTE.

What the colonels business was no.
body knew nor did anybody care, par
ticularly. He purchased for cash only,
and he never grumbled at the price of
anything that he wanted who could
ask more than that?
Curious people occasionally wonder
ed how, when it had been fully two
years since the colonel, with every one
else, abandoned Duck Greek to the
freely, and to lose considerable at cards
and horse races. In fact, the keeper of
that one of the two Challenge Hill
saloons which the colonel did not pat
ronize was once heard to absent-mind-
edly wonder whether the colonel hadn' t
money-mill somewhere where he turn
ed out double eagles and "slugs" (the
Coast name for fifty dollar gold pieces)
When SO important a parsonage as q
bar-keeper INDUCED publicly in an
idea, theinhabitants of Challenge Hill,
like good Californians everywhere, con-
sidered themselves in duty bound to
give it grave consideration, so for few
days certain industrious professional
gentlemen, who won money of the colo
mel, carefully weighed some of the
brightest pieces and tested them with
acids, and tasted them and sawed them
in two, and retired them and melted
them up and had the Jumps assayed.
The result was a complete viindica-
ton of the colonel, and loss of con-
siderable custom to the indiscreet bar
keeper.
The colonel was as good-natured a
man as had everbeen known at Chal-
lenge Hill, but being mortal, the colo
mel had his occasional times of despond-
ency, and one of them occurred after a
series of races in which he had staked
his all on his own bay mare Tipsie, and
had lost.
Looking reproachfully at his beloved
animal he failed to heed the aching void
of his pockets, and drinking deeply,
swearing eloquently, and glaring defiant
ly at all mankind, were equally unpro-
ductive of coin.
The boys at the saloon sympathized
most feelingly with the colonel; they
were unceasing In their invitations to
drink, and they even exhibited consid-
cradle Christian forbearance when the
Colonel savagely dissented with every
one who advanced any proposition, no
matter have incontrovertable.
But unappreciated sympathy grows
decidedly tlresome to the giver, and it
was with feeling of relief that the bows
saw the Colonel stride out of the saloon.
mount Hpsie, and gallop furiously
away. .-- ..
Riding on horseback has always been
considered an excellent sort of exercise.
and fast riding is universally admitted
to be one of the most healthful and de-
hghtful means of exhilaration in the
world
But when man is so absorbed in his
exercise that he will not stop to speak
to friend, and when his exhiliration is
SO complete that he turns his eyes from
well-meaning thumbs pointing signif-
cantly into doorways through which a
man has often passed while seeking
bracing influences, it is but natural that
people should express some wonder.
The Colonel was well known at Teddy
Flat, Cone Hand, Blazers, Murderer's
Bar, and several other villages through
which he passed, and as no one had
been seen to precede him, betting men
were soon offering odds that the Colonel
was running away from somebody.
Strictly speaking they were wrong,
but they won all the money that had
been staked against them. for within
half an hours time there passed over
the same road an anxious looking indi-
vidual, who reigned up in front of the
principal saloon of each place, and asked
if the Colonel had passed.
Had the gallant Colonel known that
no yuaS followed 1,1,
would have been an extra election held
at the latter place very shortly after, for
the pursuer was the constable of Chal-
lenge Hill, and for constables and all
officers OF the law the Colonel possessed
hatred of unspeakable intensity.
On galloped the Colonel, following
the stage-road, which threaded the old
mining camps on Duck Creek; but sud-
denly he turned abruptly out of the
road, and urged his horse through the
young pines and bushes, which grew
thlckly by the road, while the constable
galloped rapidly on to the next camp.
There seemed to be no path through
the thicket into which the colonel had
turned, but Tipsie walked between the
trees and shrubs as if they were the
familiar objects of her own stable-yard
Suddenly, voice from the bushes
shouted:
What's up?"
" Business-that's what, " replied the
Colonel.
cts time replied the voice, and
its owner-a bearded x-footer-emerg-
ed from the bushes, and stroked Tip
sizes nose with the freedom of ali old
acquaintance. We amt had a nip