Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-02

came down the street and entered the house
1 ne escs carrier = iarge SACK OF gold coin,
join them in social nriDk While standing at
tAe bar they told hun how they had won sew
eral thousand dollars from some dush miners
Who had recently sold q mine. Then Dolly, ia
the mlldost manner possible, suggested that,
being loaded with double eagles, they could
ltqui1ate the debts they owed him, and by do
IN 80 relieve him financial embsrrassmeuts
which were encoDI sssins him.
The delicate manner in which Dolly had pre-
ferred his request vas not appreciated by his
debtors, who laughing!y deridsd him, saying
they could not think of reducing their "bsnk'
while they had such a good game for the mi
ners Nenid certainly give them another rattle
The snubbing received by Dolly acted in a
singular manner on him. His brow cleared up;
bis face WAS once more wreathed in smiles, and
he rubbed his hands gleafuily a. he turned on
his heel and walked away, whistling a merry
tune. During the remainder Of the day Dolly
was in the best OF spirits; he laughed syly, as be
saUntered around the premises, winkIng know
iugiy at bis employees, and saying, -" wait until
to- morrow morning and see."
The " to MORO ~ morning came, and found
three men engaged in digging three suspicious
looking trenches beneath the shade OF a large
juniper-three which grew upon q grassy beach
but little way from the front door OF the hotel.
Dolly Hamilton was experimenting the work.
He appeared to be b1rsting with fun, which
overlooked from him in rippling smiles ami
waves OF outlaws. A number of men who had
conRTegated on the porch were watching the
proceedings, and specializing what the
trenches were to be used for. All agreed that
they looked like graves, but then no person had
died or been killed for several days, 80 they
could not be intended for such a purpose. The
croSd had been swelled by the addition OF thu
gamblers TO whom sllusion has already bsen
made, when one of them called out:
" Hello, Dolly, what the deuce are you doing
thsTe?"
Dolly looked up, smiled pleasantly, and said:
" Good morning, gentlemen; good morning
It's right pleasant" Then, changing his voice,
he sung the verse from the old funeral hymn,
ending:
Ye living men, come view the ground
Where ye must shortly lie.
The gamblers laughed heartily at this mani
feststion of wit on the part of the landlord who
shortly afterwsrd joined them on the porch, bat
refused to give any particulars concerning the
holes he had just finished.
The breakfast bell was rung soon afterwsrd,
when the bOardeTs pushed into the dining hall.
While they were busily engaged in satisfying
their hunger, Dolly entered the room, made his
way to the head of the table, laid q pair OF sill
YER amounted TeFolyers in frsnt of him, then
clearing his throat with An "ahem," said;
"Gentlemen:-When / decided upon building
this tavern, had an idea that knew how TO
keep q hotel, and dog me eft amt jess dern
fool enough to believe that kin do it yet, not
outstanding that many or you have been Civ
ing mo pretty rough deal. furnish Jess Sc
good q meal ~ the country produces; my TOoms
are kept i'll good order; and no man kin say that
be hss ever gone away from my house hungry.
To 10 this have had to draw upon my own re-
sources, because many of you have failed TO pay
this way. L have always tried TO be on the
square in this to wn, and want TO continue in tue
square business, but some OF you uns are doing
what yoa can to turn me aside. don't suppose
you are overly anxious for me to give yoa a lee
tire, aud as m not a public speaker, I'll CIT
my remarks short. Allow me then 20 say that \
man eats three meals day And don't pay fur
them Amt dong the fair thing. He ain't worth
shuCks 20 a tsyeTn-keeper, and the sooner h
passes in his checks the better 1t is fur the
boarding house community. Idon'twalt You fur
70 understand me to say tia | IN = missionary,
or been called TO preach the gospil, but do
wish you to bear in mind that l have q mission
TO perform, and have Rad call to do it. L have
bills to pay, and must have money. Quite q
number o. you uns owe me money, have money,
and must pay me, or out goes your lamps. l
have had three nice, comfortable graves dug
ont under the old cedar tree this morning.
Nou'l all agree with me that the place isn't
too lonesome, and any reasonable fellow oughS
TO be satisfied 10 sleep forever thar; and I'm
going to fiji them holes with those OF my debtors
who kin but won't pay. III have the dining
room door locked, and want You all to step up
10 the Captains Office and settle befors You 20
out. AN Awaiting fur you"
The speaker ceased; his fingers played with
one OF the revOlvers, while hts eyes took in the
astonished countonances before him. There
v AZ An almost painful silencs for q moment;
Wh6 n one of the gamblers spoke up:
dolly, you've been taking snap judgment
onto us, and hsint acted exactly on the squace
With Us. We all know you are q bully gool
gambler, and could win enough money To pay
all tue Tunsing. expenses of this house If you
was mind to- bat no, you've thrown of on
yer old profession, and are a trying 10 ger along
ia a sneak il sort Of a way. Now, of all things
in this world / abOmfDate sneak the most.
\ ou'vo tired to catch Us in the door, bat you
will have to learn that old birds Amt caught by
chah, want you 10 understand that am 60
ing 10 board here just as long as you set a table
and Iius bell, anu I'll pay you when see fis,
not before
Breakfast was finished in silence, ami one by
one the men left tbs tabls, stepped up TO the
clerk, paid tho amount of their indebtedness,
tlOk their receipts, and made their exit. at
last The gambler who had made the speech
above quoted arose and talked toward tia
aS0r. without 80 mucA as giving look at the
clerk.
head 0i the room could observe every move,
cried out, "I1ck that door, and permit no one
to 60 out unless he shows a card"
The man ~ lO mad been stationed az the door
turned the key IN the lock, placed himself be-
fore it and awaited further orders.
"Open that DOOR: exclaimed the gambler,
"oT sou are a dead man in a miauts :"
The man replied that he could not do 30 I'M
less lie received his orders from the landlord"
"IheB, By molly 81. Paul, your blood be upon
your Own head" shouted the gambler, fairly
ivld with rage, "a ne drew his revolver and
lryeled II st the head of the offender. Before Le
had ume to pull the trigger, Dolly Hsmiiton's
pistol exploded, ball pierced the gamblers
brain, and he fell TO ihe floor a corpse, while
Dolly, with the cOOless of q veteran soldier shot
his glances around the room and said, care
there any more gong to try to get out in that
The killing of the gambler created no excite
ment whatever, for II was only another added
to the already long list Of similar episodes OF
life ia Nevada GulCh.
The landlord, after having prepared the
cornerstone Tor his Lew graveyard, sent out 4
boy with a bell to call in the citizens of the
town to attend the funeral, and in due time a
goOdly crowd collected 10 pay the last tribute OF
respect 70 the departed. The Temaius, encssei
In a Best burial-case. we're carried to the grave
and deposited therein without any more cere-
han huxr ,SNa a
ing the body OF a dog. The crowd proceeded 10
the hotel after the funeral, where several drinks
we're inCuiged in, and, while 50 engaged, a gem
erai conversation concerning tho character OF
the deceased eIsued. During the conversation
one OF the takers remarked that 10 did not sp-
pear to him that the funeral had been conducteI
III regular style.
"WLy? What was wrong about it?"
"Weli, you see, Pm not funeral sharp, AMI
don't know much about such things; bat i
strikes ne that something ought 70 have been
sSid by some one afore we cum away and left
JEFF forever"
"Thst fact" said Dolly. SNOW, when [
come 10 think of it, 1t Is customary to say some
hing; but then i Was so confounded busy that
L entirely forgot aboutit. But it's better late
than never; 30 ifyou'Il go back We will endesy-
or 10 remedy the oversight"
The proposition WAS hailed with appreciation,
and again the crowd assembled around the
grave, when Dolly, in his homey way
preached funeral sermon. i shall not attempt