American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-07-20

folks that's got bosses tibet kin win 'em
| money at races; but
The Colonel abruptly ended the s s9a
He was very chivalrous, but Cranks's
sarcastic reference to Tipsie needed
avenging, and, as he could not con-
sistently with business arrangements
put an end to Cranks, the old woman
would have to suffer-
81 beg your pardin, ma'am," said
the Colonel. raising his hat politely with
one hand while he opened the coach
door with the other, % but we're taking
up collection for some deserving OBJ
ject. We WITH agoin' to make the gen.
tlemen fork over the hull amount, but,
ez they hain't got enough, we will hev
to bother YOU"
The old lady trembled, felt for her
pocket-book, raised her veil. The Colo
mel looked into her face, slammed the
stage door, and sitting on the hub of
| one of the wheels, stared vacantly into
space.
&" Nothin'P" queried Perkins in a
whisper, and with q face full of genuine
sympathy.
"No-yes, "-said the Colonel dreami-
| ly. That is, unite 'em and let the
( stage go ahead" he continued, spring
ing to his feet. "I'll hurry back to the
/ cabin" And the Colonel dashed into
the bushes and left his followers so par
alyzed with establishment that Old
Black afterwards remarked that eff
ther'd been any body to the bosses he
could have cleaned the hull crowd with
his whip"
The passengers, now relieved of their
weapons, were unbound, allowed to en-
ter the stage and the door was slammed,
upon which Old Black picked up his
reins as coolly as if he had laid them
down at station while the horses were
being changed, then cracked his whip
and the stage rolled off, while the
Colonel's party fastened back to their
hut, fondly inspecting as they went GER
tain TASKS they had obtained . while
transacting their business with the &C.
cupants of the stage.
Great was the surprise of the road
agents as they entered their hut, for
there stood the Colonel in clean white
shirt and in suit of clothing made from
the limited spare wardrobes of the 9TH
er members of the gang. But the sus-
picious Cranks speedily subordinated
his prudence, as, laying on the table a
watch, two pistols pocket-book and a
heavy purse, he exclaimed:
"Come, Colonel, business before
pleasure; let's divide, an scatter. Ell
any body should hear about it, an
find our trail, an ketch the traps in our
possession, they might
"Divide yerselves!" said the Colo
mel, with abruptness and a great oath,
81 don't want none of it,
"Colonel," said Perkins, removing his
own domino and looking anxiously in
to the leaders face. ''be you sick?
Here's some bully brandy found in
one of the passengers pockets"
81 hain't nothin,'' replied the Colo
mel, with averted eyes. "I'm goin', and
I'm retiria' from this business, forever"
Z" Amt agoin' to turn evidencep"
cried Cranks, grasping the pistol on the
table.
I'm agoin' to make lead mine Of
you eff you don't take that back!" roar
ed the Colonel, with bound which
caused Cranks to drop the pistol and
retire precipitately, apologizing as he
went. elm goin' to tend to my own
business, an that's enough to keep any
man bizzy. Somebody lend me fifty
dollars till see him agin.''
Perkins pressed the money into the
| Colonel's hand, and within two minutes
the Colonel was on 7ipsie's back and
galloped on in the direction the stage
had taken. He overlook it, he passed
it, and still he galloped on.
The people at Mud Gulch knew the
Colonel well, and made rule never
to be astonished at any thing he did !;
but they made an exception to the rule
when the Colonel canvassed the princi-
pal bar-rooms for men who wished to
purchase horse. And when a gambler
who was flush obtained 9ipsie for TWEEN
ty slugs-only thousand dollars-when
the Colonel had always said that there
wasn't gold enough on top of ground
to buy her, Mud Gulch experienced a
decided sensation.
One or two enterprising persons
speedily discovered that the Colonel
was not in q very communicative mood !;
so every one retired to his favorite sa.
loon to bet according to his own opin-
ion of the Colonel's motives and actions.
But when the Colonel, after remaining
in barber-shop for half an hour,
emerged with his face clean-shaved and
hair neatly trimmed and parted, betting
was so wild that cool-headed sporting
man speedily made fortune by betting
against every theory that was ad-
vanced.
Then the Colonel made tour of the
stores and fitted himself with new
suit of clothes, carefully eschewing all
the generous patterns and pronounced
colors SO dear to the average miner. He
bought new hat and put on pair
of boots, and pruned his finger-nails,
and, what is stranger than all, he mildly
declined all invitations to drink.
As the Colonel stood in the door OF
the principal saloon, where the stage
always stopped, the Challenge Hill
Constable was seen to approach the
Colonel and tap him on the shoulder,
upon which all men who bet that the