The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-01-25
The Merchants Story.

Yes. it was rather curious start tina.
! had in business. The first thing did.
after having saved little pile of money
Was 10 sef up shanty in Sioux CITY. I
had all sorts of traps To illure Indians.
and wanted tn bny any kind of pel.
tries. scalps excepted. But I was new
arrival, and the able red men couldn't
believe in me without help, and found
trade rather dull Late one night. how
ever. .as was sleeping among my stock,
there came tremendous banging al
my door, and when unbarrei il, there
wss a tall fellow who seemed a little
drunk; and said he. II want butcher
knife"
'Ail right. Come H." said /. Il
want reliable one" said be. II want
il to kill man with. Give me q good
strong handle. want knife that r
can put in and turn round" Says I.
IL think | can suit you. Walk in and
take a look" | knew him by that time.
He was Virginian-a splendid look
ing fellow-and belonged to good
family, as l understood, but be had
gone wild on the frontier, and dore
great many illegal things aud been
forced to herd with the indians. The
consequence was that he spoke their
language and was a person of influence
among them Well, felt a little Doubt
f1l about his Intentions, not knowing
but what l was the man be was after;
bat all the same. got out my stock of
tools and showed them. There was one,
nearly two feet long which | ha6 bought
for cheese knife. Says |. Il think
tlis would answer yonr purpose" "Yes,
should think it might" says he
How much is it?' told him the
price-hbout four shilliDgs. / think.
Ell take it. says he. But haven't
any money" Under the circumstances,
seeing he had the knife in his fist and
was ready to turn it around, thought
| had better offer to trust him. ~ 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 I'm at the sharp end of it. Besides
| believe can trust you" OFF be went.
and heard no more of him for time.
not even whether he had killed u man
But some weeks later he mad put in an
appearance and paid for the knife.
And now, youngster. says he. Il like
the way you treated me when | reused
you out for trade. Iou didn't snow the
white feather. Some men hustled up
at that time of night. would have been
scared. But you behaved every way
like a gentleman, and now l want to
behave to you as one. There are some
Indians coming III to-day and I'll
bring them To your shanty to trade.
Have you got any rug. hadn't any
rum; didn't need it, WELL says he.
we must have some rum. No ram. no
injun. Give me a couple of dollars |
gavo him the money and he went off.
When he came back he had a demijohn
full of drink. and some tumblers. An
hour or so later the Indians appeared,
some 200 of them. First came the
warriors with their rifles, bows and
tomahawks; then followed the squaws,
stopping almost to the ground with
their loads. My man hailed them. but
they did not want to trade with me;
they didn't know me- There was a long
palaver; and at last he threatened to
kill some of them if they didn't follow
his friendly advice; and the eud OF it
was that they gave in to save quarrel.
They crowded into ny little shop. and
drank my demijehn empty, and bought
my stock clean cut, and filled me full
Of peltries. ! made So, 500 that season.
went of in high spirits to lose it some
where else to pick it up agrin. As for
the Virginip. l lost sight of him. and
never learned how he ended. didn't
even inquire whether he put his butcher
knife III and turned it around. 1t
seemed to me too delicate subject.