Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-08-02
A Bed on the South Platte,

| haven't dated this letter. because
don't know where am. Lam about
nine miles from Julesburg, at a little
settlement on the South Platte river
At daylight tomorrow | am to catch
some of the finest salmon you ever
saw. They will not bite at any Other
time of day. l suppose they learned
this disagrceable habit of early break
fasting from the 'bull whackers,'
who navigate these plains. lam stop.
ping alta little hotel 30 by 10 feet
The scarcest thing i'm this country i.
lumber, settlers having to pay evel
So many dollars foot for all they
use, besides what they brought in va
Uses. The landlord is from Pennsyl
vania, and seems to be doing thriv.
ing business. BY dint of hard talk
ing and liberal promises. / got room
to myself. a. 1t is just large enough
for the bed and ,candle-boX set on q
chair. ON which am writing this let
ter. 1t is in one end of the building
and separated from the next room by
a bed quilt, which you must craw
under to come in or go out. But il
is my room, and after the jolting
have had upon the Indian pony, Lex
pect to have a good nights
Was ever a poor pilgrim in such a
fix Z? just rs ! had written nights
above and had "sleep" on the point oil
my pen, heard a knocking on the
floor outside the bed quilt. Processes
Crawl under" said l.
Enter the landlords daughter, a
buxom young lady Of II years Of age
] should judge. She opened her rosy
lips and spoke as follows: a
"Mister, don't take off your clothes
tonight when you 60 to bed"
"Why?" ~ +. * t#I
Because am going to sleep with
YOU a.
"WeIl, if you have 10 better reason
than that
"Hush! Shet up! You told pal
You would not sleep with a man.
Had rather sleep with wet dog.
"Well, ! have given up my bed to Q
sick man. have been hard at worl
all day, and have to work hard all
day tomorrow and can't afford to sci
up all night. That bed is wide
enough for us both. | shall stay OF
the back side, and il you don't stay
on your side, you'd better, that's all.
As she said this she raised from hcl
dress pocket an Internal jack-knife
| such as farmers use in trimming
fruit trees, and then let it fall with o
chug. comprehended the situation
in half moment, and unto this maid
en- Iquoth as follows:
"Miss, young lady, your intentions
may, or maynot, be honorable. j an
travelling entirely by myself. My
natural protectors are miles and miles
away beyond the boundless prairie
ignorant Of the perils. which may be-
set their idol. Thus far have no
been insuted by your'sex. l am 9
man of few words, but they are EN-
phatic. Twill give You part of tina
bed, and that's all will do. If you
attempt, during the silent watches OF
the night, anything contrary. to this
firm determination, by st. Joseph,my
patron saint, will shoot you RICH
through the midriff.'
AS j concluded, laid a Slocum pis
tol upon the candle-box. A low
ehuckle outside the bedquilt gave ev
idence that paterfamilias had. heard
and approved the arrangement.
Ny antagonist laughed, and saying
"Mister, j reckon we understand
each other" bounded over the back
lside of the bed. There she is now
pretending, to be asleep. / can't fin
| ish this letter. can't do anything
Talk about the, trials of the earlier
saints-abont broiled over live Goals
about being tlayed alive--abou,
being boiled i'm oil. What was al,
that to this? @t VT s.s