The Red Cloud chief., 1875-11-11
THE CARMI CHUMS.

The Carmi Chums was the ZANE they
went by all along the river. Most other
roustabouts had each a name Of his own;
so had the Carmi Chums, for that mat
ter, but the men themselves were never
mentioned individually-alway collect
lively. No steamboat Captain who
wanted only . single man ever attempted
to hire half of the Carmi Chums at a
time-as easy would it have been to
have hired half of the Siamese Twins.
No steamboat mate who knew them ever
attempted to "tell off" the Chums into
different watches, and any mate who,
not knowing them, committed this blum
der, and adhered to it after explanation
was made, was sure to be two men short
Immediately after leaving the steamers
next landing. There seemed no possible
way of separating them; they never fell
out with each other in the natural course
of events; they fought when
drunk, as other friendly roustabouts
sometimes did, for the Carmi Chums
never got drunk; there never sprang up
any GOODNESS between them because of
love for the same lady, for they did not
seem to care at all for female tsociety,
unless they happened to MET some old
lady whom one might love as a mother
rather than as a sweetheart. Even pro-
iessional busybodies, from whose pres
ence roustabouts are not freer than
church members, were unable to pro-
woke the Carmi Chums even to suspicion,
and those of them who attempted IL too
pcrsistently were likely to have q diff
Guilty with the slighter OF the Chums.
This man, who wa called Black, because
of the color of his hair, was apparently
forty years of age, of very ordinary ap-
p~eerance, except when an occasional
f~urtive, frightened look came into his
face and attracted attention. His COM
panion called Red, because his hair was
of the hue of carrots, and because il
WAS occasionally necessary to distinguish
him from his friend, seemed of about
the same age and degree of ~ordinariness
as Black. but was rather s%.outer, more
CHEEKY, aud, to US the favorite rousta-
bout simiie, held his head closer to the
current. He seemed, when Black was
absent minded Gas he generally was
while eff duty, to be the leading spirit
of the couple, and to be tenderly alive
to all of his partners needs; but OBJ
serving ~roustabOuts noticed that when
freight was being moved, or wood taken
on board, Black YVES always where he
could keep an eye on his chum, and
when he could d,mapd instant repairs
ton from any wretch who trod upon
Reds toes, or who WITH a shoulder load
of wood grazed Reds head, or touched
Red with box or barrel.
Next to neighborly wonder as to the
cxiste.ce Of the friendship between the
Ctums, roustsbouts with whom the
couple sailed concerned themselves most
with the cause Of the bond between
them. Their searches after first causes
sepe no more successful. however, than
those Of the naturalists who are endeav-
oring 10 assertion who laid the cosmic
egg. They gave out that they came
from Carmi. so, { o. twice, when
Captains with whom the Chums were
engaged determined to seek a cargo up
the Wabash, upon which river Csrmi
was located, inquisitive roustabouts be.
came light hearted, But, alas, for the
vanity of human hope.! when the boat
reached Carmi the Chums could not be
found, nor could any inhabitant Of
Carmi identify them by the descriptions
which were given by inquiring friends.
At length they became known, in their
collective capacity. as n of the instl-
of the river. Captains knew
them as we'll rs they knew Natchez or !