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

(Concluded.)
But the suspicious Cranks speedily sub.
ordinated his wonder to his prudence, a,
laying on the table o watch, two pistols, a
pocketbook n a heavy purse, he exclaim.
ed: 80 si9lof - .0il ail9T1.
Come, Colonel, business before pleas.
ure ; let's divide an scatter. Fl ANYBODY
should hear about it an find out our trail
an ketch the traps in our possession, they
might"
Divide yerselves'ip said the Colonel,
with ~abruptness and a great oath, al don't
want none of it" raFl
Colonel said Perkins, removing his
own domino and looking anxiously into the
leaders face, "be you sick? Here's some
bully brandy which I found in one of the
passengers pockets"
81 hain't nothin'," replied the Colonel
with averted eyes. '"rm goin' and Pm
retirin' from this business forever.n
Amt goin' to turn evidence ?" cried
Cranks, grasping the pistol on the table.
I'm a goin' to make q lead mine of you
II you don't take hat back ! " roared the
Colonel, with a bound which caused Cranks
to drop the pistol and retire precipitately,
apologizing as he went. Sim goin' to tend
to my own business, an that's enough to
keep any man bizzy. Somebody lend me
fifty dollars till 1 see him again"
Perkins pressed the money into the Colo
ners hand, and within two minutes the
Colonel was on Tipsie's back and gnlloped
on in the direction the stage had taken.
He overlook it, he passed it, and still he
galloped on.
Tn people at Mud Gulch knew the Col
onel well, and made a rule never to be as
tonished at anything he did but they
made an exception to the rule when the
Colonel canyassed the principal bar-rooms
for men who wanted to purchase a horse I;
and when a gambler who was flush obtain.
ed Tipsie for twenty slugs-only q thousand
dollars, when the Colonel had always said
that there wasn't gold enough on the top of
the ground to buy her--Mud Gulch exper-
fenced n decided sensation. ft.
One or two enterprising persons speedily
discovered that the Colonel was not in a
very communicative mood ; SO every one
retired to his favorite saloon to bet accord
ing to his own opinion of the Colonel's mo-
tives and action. AH
q But when the Colonel, after remaining
in a barber shop for half an hour, emerged
with his face clean and shaved and hair
neatly trimmed and parted, betting was so
wild that q cool headed sporting man
speedily made a Torture by betting against
every theory that was advanced.
Then the Colonel made n tour of the
stores and fitting himself with a new suit
OF clothes, carefully eschewing all the gen.
erous pattern and pronounced colors so
dear to the average miner. He bought a
new hat md put on n pair Of boots, and
pruned his finger nails, and, stranger than
all, he wildly 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 Colonel was lodging somebody
claimed the stakes. But those who stood
near the Colonel heard the constable say
Colonel, I take it all back. When /
seed You get ont of Challenge Hill, it come
to me that you might be in the road agent
business, SO l followed ~you-duty, you
know. But when I seen you sell Tipsie /
knew l was on the wrong trail. I wouldn't
suspect you now if all the stages in the
State wuz robbed, and I'll give you satisfac-
ton any way you want it."
Its all right" said the Colonel, with q
smile. The constable afterwards said that
nobody had any idea how c~uriously the
Colonel smiled when his beard was of.
Suddenly the sta9e pulled up at the door
with O crash, and the male passengers hur-
ried into the saloon in a state of utter in-
dignation and impecuniosity.
The story of the robbery attracted every
body, and during the excitement the Colo
mel slipped out quietly and opened The door
of the stage. The old lady started, and
cried.
George !"
And the Colonel jumped into the stage
and put his arms around the trembling
form of the old lady, exclaiming
"Mother !"