The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-10-16
Hamlet With q. Navy Pistol.

George Nlnaman, a St. Louis drummer
who arrived in Little Rock the other dai
stopped one night last week at a small
cross-road hotei in Grant county. Southern
Arkansas. The house contained four rooms
and a kitchen. After Ninaman was told
that he must spend part of the night alone.
as the family would attend a protracted
meeting in the neighborkood. The host.
with his wife and daughter, left the house
and Nlnaman sat in one of the rooms alone.
His l~onesomeness was added to by an owl
in the yard, which hooted dismally, and an
old red clock on a shelf, which licked SOL
EMMY. The drummer, not having been
assigned to a room, could not 90 to bed,
and he tried to keep awake by reading the
: Life Of ST. Paul." the only book he could
find. The hog grease lamp was suffering
in unison with the ticking of the clock,
when the door of an inner room opened.
and a tall, wild-eyed. bushy-haired man
entered. Without speaking he seated him
self and stared at Nihaman, who naturally
showed surprise. Presently a conversation
was begun, and the man exhibited such
intelligence that Ninaman's fears were al
layed, especially as the man claimed to be
the landlords brother. The conversation
turning on literary subjects, the man re-
marked:
did you ever hear Hamlet's soliloquy
rccited properly p
Il think So" said Ninanan. 81 have
heard Booth"
Booth does not catch the SPIRIT said
the strange looking man. He fails to en-
graft the twig of despair on the tree of
Hamlet's nature. Would you like to hear
it recited properly -
"You shall hear it | hope nothing tragic
will occur; but, by Moses, you shall have
it."
Arising, the wild-eyed man darted into
an adjoining room, and returned with a
navy pistol. Placing the pistol on a table
he began to recite in a voice SO deep and
with an air so wild that Ninaman was
startled. When he came to "take up arms
against a sea of troubles, and, by opposing,
and them he seized the pistol, cooked it,
end pl aced the muzzle against his head.
I" Shall [ end them 2" he yelled, fourishing
the pistol. "Shall | end them with you %
Ninaman suggested that his troubles
were not greater than he could bear, and
asked the man to lay aside his pistol.
All, | see you do not fike tragedy. You
no doubt like comedy. Pull off your coat
and dance, or I'll end your life"
The pistol was leveled and Ninaman
pulled off his coat and began to dance.
"Whoop it up" yelled the man, cor
I'll end them. Pull off your trousers.
The trousers came off ane the dancing
continued.
"Pull off your drawers
TIL drawers dropped to the ground.
"Of with your shirt
The shirt flew into the air; a noise was
heard outside, and the landlord. his wife
and daughter were on the porch.
Let me go, for Gods sake, pleaded
Ninaman.
mo, sir; I'll kill you if you attempt to
leave. You are a comedian
The door knob turned. Ninaman sprang
towards a door and rushed upstairs as the
pistol snapped.
In a few minutes the landlord came up
and handed Ninaman his clothes. Il for
got to tell you,'' he said, "that my brother
is deranged. He has an old pistol, but you
couldn't hurt anything with it. He is
harmless, but likes his little joke"
The next morning the wild man was in
such good humor that he offered to peat
throwing rocks at an oyster can.
R0ch Gazette.