San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-02-02
glancing at his handiwork, trotted oil
whjstlinO WThe Grinder"


whistling "The Grinder"
The Indian prides himself upon TAX
ing good or i'll in the quietest of ways,
and from tale told in Mr.. Marshall's
Canadian Dominion" his civilized
half-brother would seem to be equally
Unconditional. Thanks mainly to GER
tain Metis or half-breed in the service OF
the Hudson Bay Company, a Sioux
warrior was found guilty of stealing a
horse, and condemned to pay the ami
mails value by installments at one OF the
company's forts. On paying the last
installment he received his quittance
from the man who had brought him to
Justice, and left the Office. A few mo-
ments later the Sioux returned, adj
yanced on his noiscless moccasins with
in pace of the wriling-table and level
ed his musket full at the half-breed's
head. Just as the trigger was pulled
the Metis raised the hand with which he
was writing and touched lightly the
muzzle of the gun; the shot passed over
his head, but his hair was singed off in
broad mass. The smoke cleared
away, the Indian was amazed to see that
his enemy still lived. The other looked
him full in the eyes for an instant and
quietly resumed his writing. The In
dian silently departed, unpursued, those
who would have given chase being
stopped by the half-breed with, SEQ
back to your dinners and leave the af-
fair to me-"
When evening came, Il few whites,
curious to see how the matter would
end, accompanied the Metis to the Sioux
encampment. At a certain distance he
made them wait, and advanced alone to
the Indian tents. Before one of these
sat crouched the batlled savage, singing
his own death-hymn to the tom-tom.
He complained that he must now say
good. bye to wife and child, to the sun
light, to his gun and the chase. He told
his friends ia the spirit-land to expect
him that night, when he would bring
them all the news of their tribe. He
swung his body backwards and for
wards as he chanted his strange song,
but never once looked up--not even
when his foe spurned him with his foot.
He only sang on, and awaited his fate.
Then the half-breed bent his head and
spat down on the crouching Sioux, and
turned leisurely away-a crueller re-
venge than if he had shot him dead.
1t is not given to every one to play
the philosopher, and accept fortunes
bullets and favors with equal placidity.
Horatios are scarce. But there are
plenty of people capable of behaving
like Spartans where the trouble does
not touch their individuality. "How
can 1 get out of this?" asked an En-
glishman, up to his arm-pits in Scotch
bog, of u passer-by. 81 dinna think
We can get DOT of it," was the response
of the Highlander as he went on his
way.
Mistress of herself was the spouse of
the old gentleman who contrived to
tumble off the ferryboat into the Missis-
sippi, and was encouraged to struggle
for dear life by his better-half shouting:
"There, Samuel; didn't | tell yeu SOP
Now, then, work your legs, flap your
arms, hold your breath, and repeat the
Lords Prayer, for it's mighty onsartin,
Samuel, whether you land in Vicksburg
or eternity"
Thoroughly oblivious of court man.
ners was the red-cloaked old Kentish
dame who found her way into the tent
occupied by Queen Charlotte, at vol
unteer review held shortly after her
coming to England, and after staring at
the royal lady with her arms akimbo,
observed: "Well, she's not so ugly as
they told me she was! "a compliment
the astonished Queen gratefully accept
ed, saying: "Well, my good woman, L
am very glad of dat" Probably Her
Majesty forgave her critics rudeness as
the outcome of rustic ignorance and
simplicity.
There is no cooler man than your
simple fellow. While General Thomas
was inspecting the Notifications of Chat
tanooga with General Garfield, they
heard some one shout: " Hello, mister!
You. want to speak to you!" Gen
eral Thomas, turning, found he was the
"mister" so politely hailed by an East
TennesSean soldier.
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