The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-08-20
CHEERFUL HARRY.

Whenever Eel River Dan went on a
tear" CONSERVATION reigned in Pilot
City. AS soon as his strldent whoop be-
gan to resound through the redwoods sur
rounding the village the citizens hushed
their murmurings at lesser evils. and 81
iently skulked to their cabins, there to
listen, with bated breath, for the fist
sounds OF warfare sure to follow Dams
arrival in town. Oftcntimcs the guileless
stranger, unacquainted with tie truculent
ruttian's ''recOrd,' was the victim; but as
general rule it was some obstinate lum-
herman, who sacrificed himself for more
timid men. 1t was a singular fact that,
no matter how peaceably inclined Pilot
City might be, at the moment Eel River
Dan came down from his mountain home
ION time' somebody had to suffer.
lie was ''bad'' in the most literal sense
ot the word, and there were but few who
dared approach him after he had "de-
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 Rats man home
the gaily chattering congregation
LAD received no intimation
Of the approach of the mountain despera-
30. Not single whoop had he uttered
as he strobe through the signing pines,
not yell announcing his coming had
been heard by the peaceful residents OF
Pilot City, and when the gigantic frame
II the terror darkened the door of the
home d thrnderbolt would not have pro-
duced as much genuine surprise, not to
call it astonished apprehension, in the
breasts OF those present, as did the an.
pearancc of Eel River Dan. For an in
slant the assemblage sat petrifed. Then
there was d iuttering movement, and Big
Mike, the Doom hand, made q break fOl
the rear door. The Others only waited to
satisfy themselves that Dan was turned
loose" This important doubt having
been dissipatcd, and the conclusion az
rived at that the mountaincer was IN an
unusually disagrecablc frame of mind,
the remainder Of the company withdrew
rather preclpitately, it must be con-
tessed-but with sufficient order and reg
ularity 10 escape injury in the crush at
the side door.
As soon as the last boot heel had
passed over the TIRES old Dan smiled
it was not 4 very seraphic smile, to be
sure, but Notwithstanding its sardonic
,~tlaractar there could be no mista. inc
it Tor trown or a scowi Of dlspleasure
With the ordnance 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 ardent
article OF lumberman's svlace. Throwing
the jug deftly into the hollow of his
right arm, he poured the yellow distill-
ment into q glass which he held in his
LETT hand, allowing the liquid to mark
four fingers before he threw the muzzle
up and returned the jug to it's shelf
beneath the bar. He contemplated the
contents of the glass for moment,
held it up to the light, smac1ed his
lips in anticipation Of the JOY it was
about to confer upon HIM, and then
placed the edge OF the tumbler ginger.
y to his mouth as if he would
prolong the delight Of feeling it trickle
down his copper-plated throat into
his shect-iron stomach. Inch by
inch his ruby nose went upward, drop by
drop the whisky flowed downward. Tho
last globulc had just passed between his
teeth. when his fiery red eyes, CHANGING
through the bottom of the glass, fell up.
on an object, the sight OF which seemed
70 paralyzc him. He could nut believe
MS senses. He imagined that some de-
Tect in the glass through which he was
taking his observations must have pro-
'tuccd the vision that greeted his gaze
1t could not possibly be the form of a
man Standing there beside the stove
/ What an idea! What mortal individual
7 would have the hardwood to remain
when he, Eel River Dan, the terror Of the
entire lumber region from Mendocino tc
trinity, saw tit to enter place Of resort
Al. no, it certainly could not be a real
living flesh and blood, human being; il
was probably q straw dummy set up by
those cursed hulks that had Just left, and
he insult thus offered would afford ar
'ICuSc for a general cleaning out of tho
whole internal town.
SO he placed the glass on the bar, an(
leaning upon his elbows, lcvelcd his gazt
still more intcntly upon that ''dummy
'1reat Caesars ghost! it moved Was i
the wind swaying a bundle of clothes
stuffed with straw? Or was it By tho
great boom tnat swings over the Jordan
Never before, during a career checkereG
by almost daily surprises, had Eel Rive
Dan ever experienced such q sudden
shock OF establishment. For ten seconds
by the har-room clock he was poweress
speeches, we'll nigh hfeless Then be
raised his hands to his face, and Leaned
MS cheeks upon them while he studied
the appariton beside the stove. .- d.
1t was little man, hollow-chested
cavetn-cheeked, mild-eycd, meel1-lookine
man. Pity had never been distinguish