The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-12-20
CHEERFUL BARRY.


and silently skuIked to their cabins. there
to listen, with bated breath, for the first
sounds Of warfare sure to follow Dams
arrival In town. 0ftentimes the guile.
less stranger, unacquainted with the
truculent rnfffans record, !" was his VIC
tim; but as general rule it was some
obstinate iumberman, who sacrificed
himself for more tirnid men. It was
singular fact that, no matter how peace
ably inclined Pilot City might be, at the
moment Eel River Dan came down from
his mountain home son a time," some
body had to suffer.
he was bad" in the most literal sense
of the word, and there were but few who
dared approach him after he had 'sde-
clared" 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
warmed the somewhat contracted limits
of the Raftsman's s home-the gaiIy chat
tering congregation had received no inti-
nation of the approach of the mountain
desperate. Not single whoop he'd he
uttered as he strobe through the sighinR
pines, not yell announcing his coming
had been heard by the peaceful residents
of Pilot City,. and when the gigantic
frame of the "terror. darkened the door
of the home, q thunderbolt would not
have produced as much genuine surpri1e
mott to call it astonished apprehension, in
the breasts of those present, as did the
appearance of Eel River Dan. For an
instant the assemblage sat petrifed.
Then there was . futtering movement.
and Big Mike, the boom hand, made a
break for the rear door. The others only
waited to satisfy themselves that Dan was
turned loose. This important doubt
having been dissipated, and the conclu-
sion arrived at that the mountaineer was
in an unusually disagreeable frame of
mind, the remainder of the company
withdrew-rather precipitately, it must
be confessed-bilt with sufficient order
and regularity to escape injury in the
crush at the side door,
As soon as the last boot heel had pass
ed over the threshold Dan smiled-it was
not very seraphic smile, to be sure. but
notwithstanding its sa<donic character
there could be no mistaking it for a
frown or scowl of displeasure. With
the grimace still irradiating his bloated
features the desperate passed behind
the bar, and with q freedom peculiar to
his loose habits, grasped the demiiohn
containing an unusually ardent article
of 1umberman's solace. Throwing the
Jug deftly into the hollow of his right
arm, he poured the yellow distillmeni
into glass which he held In his Ieh
hand, allowing the liquid to mark foul
fingers before he threw the muzzle NJ
and returned the jug to its shelf beneath
the bar. He contemplated the con
tents of the glass for q moment
held it up to the light, smacked his
lips in anticipation of the joy it Wa:
about to confer upon him, and ther
placed tie edge of the tumbler gingerl,
| to his mouth as if he would prolong the
delight of feeling it trickle down hi
copper-plated throat into his sheet-iroi
stomach. Inch by inch his ruby nos,
went upward, drop by drop the whisk,
flowed downward. Tic last globule has
| just passed between his teeth, when hi
fiery red eyes, glancing through the bot
| tom of the glass, fell upon an object, th,
sight of which seemed to psralyze him
| He could not believe his senseS Helm
agined that some defect in the glas.
through which he was taking his observa
tions must have produced the vision tina
| greeted his gaze. It could not possibl,
be the form of man standing there be
side the stovei What an ideal Wha
mortal individual would have the hardi
hood to remain when he, Eel River Dan
| the terror of the entire lumber regiol
from Mendocino TO Trinity, saw fit Il
enter place of resort All! no. it Ger
tainly could not be real, living hesl
and blood, human being; it was probabl,
| a straw dummy set up by those cursel
hulks that had Just left, and the insul
thus offered would afford an excuse for
general cleaning out of the whole infer
| nal town.
| So he placed the glass on the bar, an
leaning upon his elbows, leyeled his gaa
still more intentIy upon that dummy.
Great Caesars ghostl it moved. Was
the wind swaying bundle of clotbe
stuffed with straw? Or was it-By tI
great boom that swings over the Jorda1
Never before, during career checkere
| by almost daily surprises, had Eel Rive
Dan ever experienced such sudde
shock of astonishment. For ten second
by the bar-room clock he was powerlesi
| speechless, well nigh lifeless. Then b
raised his hands to his face, and leane
his cheeks upon them while he studie
the apparition beside the stove.
4 Ii was little man, hollow-chestes
cavern-cheeked, mild-eyed, meek-lookin
man. Pity had never been distinguish
! ing trait inzthe composition of Dams a
ture, but as he gazed upon this raggel
forlorn-looksng being q feeling akin
sympathy began to nsurp the place
] surprise in his breast, and it was in
tone almost tinged with kindness that !
addressed the sickly vagraEt.
Bin var long?"
II aEh?S
The reply sounded like the gurglil
OF blood through the sink-pipes of di
secting-room.
"Ain't bin loafin' round that yar sto
more'n minute or two, hev yer
Dams tone was so insinuating, and
intention to avoid hurting the poor Il
lows feelings so evident, that man wi
perceptive faculties developed to any d
gree whatever would have understo'
l the kindly motive. But the rash man
: the stove must have been abnorlnally 0
, tuse, for he gurgled forth the exaspe
7 ating reply:
"Evea since those other fellows
3 ont"
"Whati''
Dams eyes we're dilated with the
tensity of the emotion. Wrath was ta
ing the place Of pity.
The little man made no reply, but m
bed his hands and held them, palms os
ward, in front of the warm stove.
!, aMebbe you wasn't payin' pertickl
:: 'tention to what made 'em git up 8
dust"
It was q forced calmness that perm
ated Dams manner as he made this b
). remark.
"Didn't know but what ther was
{ dog fight or something down the street
Dog fighter somethin' sneered Da
: reaching q glass, "nebbe yer not
: quainted 18th me. !"
s Who're you?"
dl The man at the stove did not ma
!. this inquiry as if he had any particul
desire TO ascertain the identity OF this
!. terlocutor, but gurgled it in q naechal
n cal way, like phonograph or an sui
|. matte talking machine.
:. m Eel River Dan. stranger, an !
), bad
{ Ii Dan imagined that tlis anDounl
: ment would discompose the vagrant
was mistaken It had no more EFT
than so much wind, and the stranger
5: not even appear to notice the remark.
i Dye hear. you cad&yerous 9alot
q I'm on Is bigger'i wolf
d sThet,s All right ain objectin :
I. You aint eh 2 Well, don't up.
% ye be. Az vhotss more I ain't intend
a ~