Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-06-11
Retiring from Business.
By BRET HARTE

w nat the COlOneES 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 everyone
else, abandoned Duck Creek to the
Chinese, he managed to spend money
freely, and to lose considerable at
cards and horse races. In fact, the
keeper of that one of the two Chal-
lenge Hill saloons which the Colonel
did not patronize was once heard to
absent -mindedly wonder whether the
Colonel hadn't a money mill some
where where he turned out double ca
giles and "slugs" (the coast name for
fifty dollar gold pieces.
When SO important a parsonage as
a bar keeper INDUCED publicly in an
idea inhabitants of Challenge Hill,
like good Californians everywhere,
considered themselves in duty bound
to il grave consideration, so for
q few days certain Industrious pro-
fessional gentlemen, who won money
of the Colonel, carefully weighed
some of the brightest pieces and test
ed them with acids and retired them
and melted them up and had the Jumps
assayed. s..asz -...s.se.s.-
The result was complete vindica
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 ever been known at Chal-
lenge Hill, but being mortal, the Col
onel had his occasional times of de-
spondency, and one of them occurred
after series of races in which he had
staked his all on his own bay mare
Tipsie, and had lost.
Looking reproachfully at his below
ed animal he failed to heed the aching
void of his pockets, and drinking
deeply, swearing eloquently and glar-
ing defantly at all mankind, were
| equally unproductive of coin.
The boys at the saloon sympathized
most feelingly with the Colonel; they
were uneeasing in their invitations to
drink, and they even exhibited consid-
kerRble Christian forbearance when the
Colonel savagely dissented with every
! one who advanced any proposition,
no matter how incontrovertible
But unappreciatiye sympathy grows
decidedly tiresome to the giver, and it
was with feeling of relief that the
boys saw the Colonel stride out of the
saloon, mount Tipsie and ride furious
Ely 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 health
ful and delightful means or exhilera-
ton in the world.
But when man is SO absorbed in
his exercise that he will not stop to
speak to friend, and when his exhil-
Grafton is SO complete that he turns his
! eyes from well-meening thumbs point
ing significantly into dOorWays
through which man has often passed
while seeking bracing influences, it is
natural that people should express
some wonder.
The Colonel was well known at Tod
dy Flat, Gone Hand, Blazers, Murder
; er's Bar, and several other villages
through which he passed, and as nc
one had been seen to precede him, bet
ting men were soon seen offering odds
that the Colonel was running away
from somebody.
Strictly speaking they were wrong
} but they won all the money that haC
been staked against them, for within 6
half an hours time there passed Owe
: the same road an anxious looking in
dividual, who rained up in front of th'
principal saloon of each place, ant
asked if the Colonel had passed.
Had the gallant Colonel known tina
he was followed, and by whom, ther'
would have been an extra election
held at the latter place very shortly af
ter, for the pursuer was the constabl
Of Challenge Hill, and for constable
and all other officers of the law tn
Colonel possessed hatred of unspeak
able intensity.
On galloped the Colonel, followin,
the stage road, which threaded the oil
mining camps on. Duck Creek; bu
t. suddenly he turned abruptly out of tn
: road, and urged his horse through th
n young pines and bushes which grey
thickly by the road, while the consta
BILE galloped rapidly on to the mex
camp.
There seemed to be 40 path throug
the thicket into which the Colonel ha
turned, but Tipsie walked betwee
the trees and shrubs as if they wer
the familiar object of her own stable
yard.
Suddenly voice from the bushe
shouted,
'sWhat's up 2"
"Business-that's what" replied th
Colonel.
"It's time," replied the voice, an
its owner-a bearded six-footer-
emerged from the bushes, and stroke
Tipsie's nose with the freedom of a
st old acquaintance. "Ain't had nj
since last night, and there amt crack
} er or handful of -four in the shanty.-
The old gal gone back on yer? ?"
= EYES," replied the Colonel, ruefull,
= ''lost ev'ry blasted race. 'Twasn'
her fault, bless her-she done her lev
6 best. Everybody to home ?"
''You bet," said the man. GA
ben prayin' for yer to turn up wit
mt the rocks, an somethin' with mo-
color than spring water. Come in
;. The man led the way and Tipsie an
the Colonel followed, and the trio SUI
denly found themselves before a sms
log hut, in front of which sat thr,
ls' disconsolate individuals, who locke
up appealingly at the Colonel.
"Mac IL tell you how twas, fellers
er said the Colonel, meekly, "while
picket the mare"
The Colonel was absent but a fe
'he moments, but when he returned eac
of the four were attired in pistol al
knife, while Mac was distributing son
= dominoes, made from rather dir