The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-08-23
OUR STORY TELLER.
CHEERFUL HARRY.
And How He Imposed Upon a Very Bn.
Man.

& Il. III. Ciough, IN the Argonaut.l
Whenever Eel River Dan went on a
"tear" CONSERVATION reigned in Pilot
City. As soon us his stridcnt whoop
began to resound through the redwoods
surrounding the village the citizens
hushed their murmurings at lesser evils
and silently skulked to their cabins,
there to listen, with bated breath for the
first sounds of warfare sure to follow
Dams arrival in the town. Oftentimes
the guileless stranger, unacquainted
with the truculent ruffian's record"
was the victim; but as general rule it
was some Obstinate lumberman, who
sacrificed himself for more timid men.
1t was q singular fact that no matter
how peaceably inclined Pilot City might
be, at the moment Eel River Dan came
down from his mountain home, con a
time" somebody had to suffer- He was
chad" in the most literal sense of the
word, and there were but few who dared
to approach him after he had "declared"
himself and turned himself loose"
But on this particular occasion this
bleak, windy day in February, when the
principal inhabitants of Pilot City had
gathered around the glowing stove that
of the Raftsman's Home-the gayly
chattering congregation had received no
intimation of the approach of the noun
tain desperate. Not single whoop
. had he uttered as he strobe through the
signing pines, not yell announcing his
coming had been heard by the graceful
residents of; Pilot City, and when the
gigantic frame of the "terror" darkened
the door of, the Home, a thunderbolt
would not have produced as much
genuine surprise, not to call it astonished
apprehension, in the breasts of those
present as did the appearance of Eel
River Dan. For an instant the assem-
blage sat petrifed Then there was
f1uttering movement, and Big Mike, the
boom hand, made a break for the rear
door. The Others only waited to satisfy
themselves that Dan was con it," This
important doubt having been dissipated,
and the conclusion arrived at that the
mountaineer was in an unusually dis
agreeable frame of mind, the remainder
of the company withdrew-rather pre-
cipitately it must be confessed, but with
sufficient order and regularity to escape
injury in the crush at the side door.
As soon as the last boot heel had
passed over the threshold Dan smiled
it was not very seraphic smile, to be
sure, but not withstanding its sardonic
character there could be no installing it
for frown or scowl of displeasure.
With the grimace still irradiating his
bloated features the desperate passed
behind the bar, and with a freedom
peculiar to his loose habits, grasped the
demijohn containing an unusually ar
dent article of lumberman's solace.
Throwing the jug deity into the hollow
OF his right arm, he poured the yellow
dlstlllment into glass which he held
in his left hand, allowing the liquid
to mark four fingers before he threw
the muzzle up and returned the demi-
john to its shelf beneath the bar. He
contemplated the contents of the glass
for moment, held it up to the light,
smacked his lips in anticipation of the
JOY it was about to confer upon him.
and then placed the edge of the tumbler
glngerly to his mouth as if he would
Prolong the delight of feeling it trickle
down his cooper-plated throat into his
sheet-iron stomach. Inch by inch his
ruby nose went upward, drop by drop
the whisky flowed downward The last
globule had just passed between his
teeth, when his fiery red eyes, glancing
through the bottom of the glass, fell
upon an object, the sight of which
seemed to paralyze him. He could not
believe his senses. He imagined that
some defect in the glass through which
he was taking his observations must
have produced the vision that greeted
his gaze. 1t could not possibly be the
Z form of man standing there beside
the stove What an idea! What
mortal individual would have the
hardihood to remain when he, Eel River
Dan, the terror of the entire lumber re-
glon from Mendocino to Trinity, saw
it to enter place of resort! All! no.
1t certainly could not be a real, living,
flesh and blood, human being; it was
probably a straw dummy set up by
those id hulks that had just left, and
the insult thus offered would afford an
excuse for a general cleaning out of the
whole id town. So he placed the
glass on the bar, and, leaning upon his
elbows, leveled his gaze still more in
tently upon that I" dummy Great
Caesars ghost! it moved. Was it the
wind swaying bundle Of clothes stuffed
with straw? Or was it-by the great
boom that swings over the river Jordanl
1t rubs its hands. 1t is man! Never
before, during career checkered by al
most daily surprises, had Eel River Dan
ever expected such sudden shock of
establishment. Fer ten seconds by the
bar-room clock he was powerless, speech
less, well nigh lifeless. Then he raised
his hands to his face, and leaned his
cheeks upon them while he studied the
apparition beside the stove.
It was little man, a hollow-chested,
cavern-cheeked, mild-eyed, meek looking
man. Pity had never been distinguish
ing trait in the composition of Dams
nature, but as he gazed upon this ragged,
forlorn looking being, a feeling akin to
symPathy began to usurp the place of
surprise IN his breast, and it was in
tone almost tinged with kindness that
be addressed the sickly vagrant.
Bin var long"
The reply sounded like the gurgling
of blood through the sink pipes Of dis
citing ROOM
Aain't bin loafin' round that var
-toye more'n minute or two, hev YEP
Dams tone was SO insinuating, and
ais intention to avoid hurting the poor
lows feelings 80 evident, that man