The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1876-03-09
TELLING A sTORK.
How Dan HaHOlvay seeproa aH Aaentlgs
Listener.


at Bill Bennet's Iivery-stable one day,
where they played Practicsl jokes on
each other when there was no stranger
handy. One of their standing jokes
consisted in beguiling an unsispecting |
man into telling story, and then get
ting up and walking of, one after an
other, leaving the poor fellow to conclude |
his tale to Benefits dog, blinking and |
doing under the stove.
Holloway was received BY the crowd |
with great cordiality, drink was pro
posed in neighboring saloon, and after
that was disposed Of they returned to
Benefits Office, and some one told
short story just to draw the conductor
on to his fate. The trick succeeded,
and Holloway started of with a story
about an adventure he once had with a
wolf Before he had got on the track of
the wolf, or had even suspected there
was wolf in the neighbOrhOOd, one Of
his listeners rose slowly up out Of his
chair, stretched himself, gaped, and
walked out with great deliberatiOn.
Dan didn't mind that much; but kept
right on with his story, just as though
there wasn't a wolf within a thousand
miles of him. When he finally came
suddenly on the Wells trail another one
of his listeners got up and sauntered
lazily out, with his hands in his pockets,
whistIing few low, soft notes. Dams
eve kindled little at this, but he said
nothing. Indeed he was so busy press
ing after the wolf there was not time to
indulge in any parenthetical remarks.
He had to attend strictly to business or
the wolf would escape him.
Then, by taking a shorter cut than the
wolf was pursuing, Dan managed to
head off his wolfship in very narrow
passage between Overhanging rocks, and
it was evident that he had reached a
crisis in the story of the most inter
esting and exciting character. 1t is not
often that a story-teller is able to corner
up wolf so effectually as Dan had done
then and there, and one would have
thought every listener would have been
riyeted to the spot until the denOue-
ment was reached. One broke the riv-
cts, however, and walked away in the
deepest meditation. Only one other
listener was left now besides Bennett,
and Just as Holloway was clinching the
wolf, and both were rolling on the ground
in a life-and-death struggle, that man
appeared suddenly to recOllect some
thing he must go right off and attend to,
and he went, leaving Bennett alone
with the stOry-teller. Mr.. Holloway
paused, then keeping one hand on the
wolf, so he wouldn't get away, he
reached around back with his Other
hand and drew out a revolver, which he
pointed at Benefits head, remarking
quietly, "There now, my frisky friend
I'm id if you don't stay and hear the
rest of this wOlfstOry"
And William staid Yes, he stait
and suddenly became interested. Hal
! loway could easily have killed that vol
in two minutes, the way he had the ad
vantage of him, but he delayed tht
finale 50 as to instruct Bennett with re
gard to the habits and Peculiarities %
the animal, dwelling at length upon hi
1 haunts, and the various means employed
by hunters in capturing or killing him
He did this because Bennett appeared
to be so thoroughly absorbed in the story
e don't you see? Seemed as though h
a couldn't get enough of it. Bennett
2 friends in neighbOring saloon, whithe
Z they had repaired, expecting the railrOar
+ man would come in and treat the crow
: when he found he was sold, became i'm
b patient at length, and they went back I
e see what had become of him. LOOkin
4 through the Office-windOw, they saw Hal
# loway still telling that wolEstOry, an
e now and then digging cooked revOlye
n into Benefits ribs to emphasize th
II good points in the narrative. They So
It the eager attitude of the listening WI
. liam and the intense, almost painful, il
o terest depicted on his COuntenance ca
/ never be effaced from their memory.
e was dark long before William went HON
/ to his supper that night, and he acte
d wolfish for several DAYS to all who cam