The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-01-31
The Merchants story.

The Merchants story.
Yes, it was rather a curious start that
| had in business. The first thing
did, after having saved little pile of
money, was to set up shanty in Sioux
City. | had all sorts Of traps to allure
Indians, and wanted to buy any kind
of peltries, scalps excepted. But | was
new arrival, and the noble red man
couldn't believe in me without help,
and found trade rather dull. Late one
night, however, as | was sleeping
among my stock, there came a tremen-
dous banging at my door, and when !
unbarred it, there was a tall fellow who
seemed to be little drunk; and said
he: 81 want butcher-knife." Gan
right. Come in," said /. 81 want
reliable one" says he. 81 want it to
kill man. Give me good strong
handle. | want a knife that | can put
in and turn it around" Says |, 81
think | can suit you. Walk in and take
look" knew him by that time. He
was Virginian, splendid looking
fellow, and belonging to good family,
as | understood, but he had gone wild
on the frontier and had done a great
many illegal things, and been forced to
herd with the Indians. The conse-
quence was that he spoke their language
and was a person of influence among
them. Well, felt "A little doubtful
about his intentiOns-not knowing but
what | was the man that he was after:
but all the same got out my stock of
tools and showed them.
There was one, nearly two feet long,
which had bought for cheese knife.
Says |, 81 think that will answer your
purpose" eyes, | should think it
might" says he. elbow much is it?"
told him the price-about four shillings,
| think. "I'll take it" says he. "But
| haven't any money" Under the cir
cumstances, seeing he had the knife in
his hand, and was ready to turn it
around, thought had better offer to
trust him. "You'd better not" says
he. "You don't know me from any
other gentleman" "But I've got to
trust you," says |. "YOu've got the
butcher-knife by the handle, and Pm
at the sharp end of it. Besides, | be-
lieve can trust you" Off he went,
and | heard no more of him for time,
not even whether he had killed man.
But some weeks later he put in an APP
pearance and paid for the knife. "And
now, youngster," says he, 81 like the
way you treated me when | reused you
out of that sleep. You didn't show the
white feather. Some men, hustled up
at that time Of the night, would have
been scared. But you behaved every
way like a gentleman, ard now | want
to return the compliment. There are
some Indians coming in to-day, and I'll
bring them to your shanty to trade.
Have you got any rum?" l hadn'tan
rum; | didn't keep it. "Well," says
he, "we must have some rum. Norum,
no Injun. Give me a couple Ofdollars.
gave him the money and he went off.
When he came back he had demijOhn |
full of drink and some tumblers, An |
hour or so later, the Indians appeared,
some two hundred of them.
First came the warriors, with their |
rifles, bows and tomahawks; then fol-
lowed the squaws, STOPPING almost to |
the ground under their loads. My man |
halted them, but they didn't want to
trade with me. There was long pa
laver, and at last he threatened to kill |
some of them if they didn't take his
friendly advice; and the end Of it was
that they gave in, to save quarrel.
They crowded into my little shop, and |
drank my demijOhn empty, and bought |
my stock clean out, and filled me full of |
peltries. made 81, 800 that season, and |
went off in high spirits to lose it some
where else, and then to pick it up |
again. AS for the Virginian, lost
sight of him, and never learned how he
ended. / didn't even inquire whether
he put his butcher knife in and turned |
it around. 1t seemed to me too delicate
a ubicct.-AHdntic Monthly.