The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-07-09

His words were, Of course, duly punc.
tuated by irregular plunges and catchings
Of the breath. Is ,'-4s..ss X
! It 90 happened that the man who kept
the shanty hotel ct the Packers' Ro0st
had wife who, being . kind-hearted
creature, besought her lord to 70 down
and "help the poor crazy man out Of the
water"
"Pshawl' said the ox.driver, shs
amt crazy man; he's Q fool. He
walked behind my wagon and talked to
himself oil the way from ScrabbletOwn."
Thereupon arose lengthy discussion
about the difference between crazy man
and . fool. But after . while, the land
lord and the ox-driver went down to the
bank and agreed to 60 Armstrong; ~
curfty against bucking . monte In the
future If he would come out of the water.
50 he came out and went up to the
house. ~
"N i'll you have cup of tea OF coffeef
said the woman, kindly. a. :,
Yes, madam" said Armstrong, Il
will take both" 50 ~
81 BE i crazy, sure Is can be, said the
woman But she brought the Two cups,
q ordered: Milk and sugar." she In
quired, kindly, a. before.
" No, madam, mustard and red pep
per- answered Armstrong.
y IT do believe he u . FOOL" said the
woman, as she went for the pepper and
mustard.
Armstrong, with, deliberate GOODNESS,
put spoonful of red pepper into the tea
and spoonful Of mustard into the coffee.
Then he poured the two together into .
large tin cup. Then the old conflict
ragged again, and, high above the din of
railing tin cups and pewter spoons,
sounded the stern command, Armstrong,
drink it, sir-drink it down." A mo-
mentary hesitation, and few desperate
gulps, and it was down. "Oh, yes" said
our hero, a. his throat burned and the
tears ran from his eyes, "you buck your
money away at three.card monte, do
Now, the Thomsonian dose above de.
scribed 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 aoor. You see, stran-
ger" said he, eying the landlord with
peculiar expression, "this fool has been
squanderlng 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 aud his head in the tropics, while
all the miners of Yuba were ground.sluc.
ing 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 shifted, and he seemed
to have found his final abode in q place
of vile smells and fierce flames, politi-
cally called the antipodes of heaven.
And while he writhed and groaned in
sleepless agony ! fork-tailed hend with
his thumb at his nose was saying to him
in q hooking voice: You buck yowr
money asoay at thresc0rd monte, do you
heys" But even this troubled sleep had
an end at last, and Armstrong arose.
When he looked at himself in the broken
looking -glass that hung on the wall he
thought his face bore traces of wisdom
that had never been there before. So he
said: II think you have learned lesson,
Armstrong. You can 60 back to your
mining now, sir, and leave monte alone"
Time showed that he was right. His
lesson was well learned. The miners
looked little curious when he reap
peared at the camp, and still called him
crazy. But he had learned lesson many
of them never learned, poor fellows.
They continue their old ways, making
money fast and spending it foolishly-
even giving it to monte.dealers. But the
Armstrong Arm was never broken up that
way but once. After that whenever he
saw one of the peculiar signs, Robbers'
Roost," Fleeccrs' Den," or Fools Last
Chance" Armstrong would shake his
head with a knowing air, and say to him
self Is he passed along: "Oh, yes, Arm.
strong, you've been there; you know all
about that; you don't buck your money
away at three-card monte-not much !'-
Overland M0ntklN.