The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-08-01

my teeth, while l have " in the air.
l meant that you shotH live long
enough to know that for once in your
life you had seen, ifnOt the old fellow
himself (pointinE meainngly down
ward), at least one who is in his en-
ploy. The old gentleman will like the
company Of captain Of Spanish in
fantry, and I'll sCnd you along. Come,
load up again
But the astonishsd Spaniard did not
seem inclined to do so. A man who
swallowed carving knives As he would
ssrdines, and who caught pistols balls
betweeh his teeth, was net exactly the
man for him to deal with. While be
was pondering upon shat he had seen,
Joe took handful Of bullets from bis
pocket and began to toss them rapidly
down his throat, and when these were
gone he picked up half dozen good
sized stones and sent them after the
bullets.
Holy Santa Marie 7 exclaimed the
Spaniard, while his eyes seemed start
ing from theirsockcts. what a man |!
BY my soul It's the devil
And as he thus spoke he turned on
his keel and hurried away from tho
place. After he was gone Joe beck
oned for me tO,give him the knives.
did so, and saw him slip them up his
sleeves. When he returned to the ca fe
he approached the keeper.
You want your knives 2 he said.
But the poor fellow dared not speak.
Joe put his hand to his right ear and
pulled out one Of his knives, then from
his left ear he drew the other one.
The keeper crossed himself in terror
and shrank trembling away. But we
finished our wine and having paid for
it turned to 90.
Here, said Joe, 4 haven't paid for
the use of the yard YETI And as he
spoke he threw down piece Of silver
upon the counter.
No mol no 7 shrieked the poor
fellOw. %, don't leave your money
here, don't /
Jee picked it up, and we went away
laughing. When We we're alone he
explained to me the secret Of the pis.
tolls. They were pair he had used
in his legerdemain performances, and
such as all wizards use to perfotm
tricks of catching balls, etc. The main
barrel Of the pistol had NO connection
whatever with the nipple for the cap !;
but what appeared to be socket for
the rammer was in fact second bar.
rel, to be sure, smaller than the other,
but as large as the bore of any rife
pistol, and with this secret barrel the
priming tube was connected. So the
apparent barrel of the weapon might
be filed with powder and ball and no
harm done.
When Joe returned with his pistols,
of course he had both these secret
bores loaded with powder and blank
cartridges, aud then the other load
was nothing but effect in appearance.
AT tho second loading Joe had charg.
ed the secret barrel of his own pistol,
while the Spaniard had been filling up
the main barrel of his. Then of course
~ SoSoaSO hSNCoS"iy w uhdAO al CA
change, else Bizar would never have
got his weapon off. AS soon as Joe
got the other pistol in his possession,
and I'ade the exchange which we
spoke of at the time, he had only to
press smartly upon a secret spring on
the side of the stock, and he had the
whole charge which the other had put
in emptied into his hand. So he had
the marked ball to dispose Of as he
chose.
Ever after that while he remained
in Mahon, Joe Lattit was an object of
both dread and curiosity on shore, for
an account, all colOred to suit the ex-
aggerated conception of the cafe.ksep-
er, had been spread all over the city,
and the pious Catholics wanted moth.
ing to do with such a man, only to
keep on his good humOred side.