The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-10-08
For The Fireside.
The colonel's Business.
BY BRET HARTE.

What the Colonel's business was nobody
knew, nor did anybody care particularly.
lie purchased for cash only, and never
grumbied ut the price Of anything he want.
ed; who could ask more than that ?
Curious people occasionally wondered
how, when it had been fully two years since
the Colonel with every one else abandoned
Dutch creek to the Chinese, he managedt To
spend money freely and lose considerable at
cards and horse races. In fact the keepe,
of that one of the two Challenge Hill saloons
which the Colonel did not patronize was
once heard to absent mindedly wonder
whether the Colonel hadn't q money mill
somewhere where he turned out double
eagles and "slugs" (the coast name for $50
gold pieces).
When SO an important a parsonage ma n
barkeeper INDUCED publicly in an idea, the
inhabitants Of Challenge Hill, like GOOD
Californinns everywhere, considered them
selves in duty bound to give it grave con.
sideration, SO for a few days certain indus
trious professional gentlemen, who won
money of the Colonel, carefully weighed
some of the brightest pieces and tested
them with acids, and tasted them, and
sawed them in two, and retired them. and
melted them up and had them assayed.
The result was a complete vindication of
eAS oAohC uuu u iOSS OIL considerable custom
to the industrious barkeeper.
The Colonel was as good natured n man
as had ever been known ut CHALLENGE Hin.
but being mortal, the Colonel had his occa-
sionai times OF dependency, md one Of
them occurred after n series of races in
which he had staked his all on his W bay
mare Tipsie, and had lost.
Looking reproachfully at his beloved ami
NAL failed to heal the aching void of his
pockets, and drinking deeply, swearing
e~loquently and glazing defiantly at all man
kind, were equally u~nproductive of coin.
The boys at the saloon sympathized most
feelingly with the Colonel; they were un-
ceasing in their invitations to drink, and
they even exhibited considerable Christian
forbearance when the Colonel savagely
dissented with every one who advanced any
proposition, no matter how ncontroverti-
BILE.
But unappreciated sympathy grows de-
cldedIy Jiresome TO une giver, and It was
with O feeling of relief that the boys snw
the Colonel stride out of the saloon, mount
"Tipsie" and gallop furiously away.
Riding or horseback has always been
considered an excellent sort of exercise, and
fast riding is universally admitted to be one
of the most healthful and delightful means
of exhilaration in the world.
odb "AShe AAeh 10 OF III ms VA
ercise that he will not stop to speak to a
friend, and when his exhilaration is SO great
that he turns his eyes from well-meanin &
thumbs pointed significantly into doorways
through which a man has often passed,
while seeking bracing~ influences, it is but
natural that people should express some
Wonder. itHfI T1
The Colonel was well known at Teddy
Flat, Come Hand, Blazers, Murderer's Ba,
and several other villages through which
we passed. As no one had been seen tt
precede him, betting men were soon offering
odds that the Colonel was running away
from some one.
Strictly speaking, they were wrong, but
they won all the money that had been stalk
ed against them, for within half an hours
time there passed over the road an anxious
looking individual, who refined up in front
of the principal saloon of each place, and
asked if the Colonel had passed.
Had the Colonel known that he was fol.
lowed and by whom, there would nave
been an extra election at the latter place
very shortly after, for the pursuer was the
constable of Challenge Hill, and for con.
stables and all officers of the law the Col
onel possessed hatred of unspeakable in
tensity.
On galloped the Colonel, following the
stage road, which threaded the old mining
camps on Dutch Creek suddenly he turn
ed abruptly out of the road and urged hi,
horse through the young pines and bushes
which grew thickly by the road, while the
constable galloped rapidly on to the mex
camp.
There seemed to be no path through the
thicket into which the Colonel had turned
but "Tipsie" walked between the tree
and the shrubs as if they were the familiar
objects of her own stable yard.
Suddenly a voice from the bushes shout
cd, What's up?"
"Business-that's what" replied tn
Colonel.
It's time" replied the voice, and it
owner-a bearded six footer- emerge,
from the bushes, and stroked Tipsie's nos,
with the freedom of an old acquaintance
We amt had a nip since last night, an,
there amt n cracker or n handful of flou
in the shanty. The old gal go back OIL
yerP"
EYES," replied the Colonel ruefully
"lost every blasted race. 'Twasn't he
fault-bless her-she lone her level best
Every body to home 2"
You bet" said the man. "All been
prayin' for yer to urn up with the rocks
an somethin' with more color han sprinI
water. Come on"