The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-05
THE MERCHANTS STORY.

Yes, 1T was rather curious start that
i had in business. The first thing | did :,
alter having saved little pile OF money,
was to set up shanty IN Sioux City. l
had all sorts of traps to allure Indians,
and / wanted to buy any kind OF pei
tries, soaps excepted. But was new
arrival, and the noble red man couldn't
believe in me without help, and l found
trade rather dull. Late one night, how
ever, as | was sleeping among my stock,
there came a tremendous banging at my
door, and when | unbarred it, there was
a tai fellow who seemed TO me a little
drunk; and said he: ~ want a butcher
knife" ''Atl right. Come IN" SAID l.
IL want reliable One," says he. Il
want it TO Kill Il man with. Give me a
good strong handle. want knife that
| can put in and turn it around" Says
[. II think | can suit you. Walk in and
lake look" / knew him by that time.
lie was "a Virgjnian, a splendid looking
fellow, and belonged TO good family, as
| understood, but he had gone wild on
the frontier, and done great many llle-
| gal things, and been forced to Derd with
the Indians. The consequence was that
| he spoke their language and was per-
SOD OF influence among lnem. Well,
! lelt little doubtful about his intentions
not knowing but what was the man
he was alter; but all the same got out
| my stock OF tools aud showed them.
There was one, nearly two feet long,
which had bought for cheese knife.
Says l, II think mat would answer your
purpose" eyes, l should think it
| NIGH ;" says he. "How much is ?" ]
| told him the price-about four shilllngs
| tuiuk. "Pll take 1t" says he. "BuL |
haven't any money" Under the cir
| cum stances, seeing he had the KNIFE in
nIs ii st ana was ready 10 turn it around,
| | thought had better Offer TO trust him.
| You'd better not" says he. "You
don't know me from any other genGlc-
men" "But Pye got to trust you" "says
|. "You've got the butcher knife by the
| handle, and Pm at t4e sharp end of it.
Besides, believe L can trust you" OF
| he went, and heard no more OF him Tor
| "a time, not even whether he had Killed
a man. But some weeks later he
put in an appearance and paid Tor the
knife. "And now youngsler," says he,
| II like the way you treated me when /
rouaed you out tor that trade. You
DIDN'T show the white feather. Some
men, hustled up at that Time OF night,
would nave been scared. But you be-
haVed every way like gentleman, and
now [ want to behave TO you as one.
There are some lHuianB coming in to-
day, and Pll bring Them to your shauty
| 10 trade. Have you got any rump l
nadn't any rum; l didn't keep it,.
WELL" says he, 1--WE must have some
rum. No rum, no Injun. Give me a
couple OF dollars" 1 gave him the
money, and he went off. When he came
back he had demjohn full Of drink
and some tumblers. An nOur or SO later
tue Indians appeared, some Two hund ed
OF them.
First came the warriors, with their
rifles, bows ana tomdnawks; then fol-
lowed The squaws, stooplng almost to
the ground under their ,lVaas. Ny man
halted them, but they ddp't want to
trade with me; they didn'I know me.
| There was a long palayer, and at last he
| threatened to xiii some OF them ii they
didn't follow his friendly adV.ce; and
the end OF it was that they gave in, to
save quarrel. They crowded into my
| liItle sIop, and drank my demijonn
empty, anu bought my STOCK clean Out,
and filed me Iull OF peltrles. made 81
500 that season, and W mt OF in hIgn
spirits to lose it somewhere else, aud
Lnen to pick ~ up again. AS for the Vir-
| ginian, / lost sight OF him, and never
| learned now he ended. didn't even in-
qulre whether he put his buLcner kpiie
IA and turned IL around. IL seemed to
me too delicate a SUBJECT Atlantic
| Monthly,