River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-21
CHEERFUL HARRY.

| lently Skulked to their cabins there Il
| listen, with bated breath, for the tiis
sounds of warfare sure to follow Dan,
arrival in town Oitentimes the guiieles
stranger, unacquainted with etruculen
| rutfian's record, was the victim; but a,
/ u general rule ii WAS some obstinate lum
| herman, who sacrificed hims, II for NOR,
| timid men. Ii was a singular fact that
no matter how pcaceahIy inclined PHO
! City might be, al the moment Eel Rive
Dan came down from his mountain home
"or a time somebody had to suffer-
lie was "bad' in the most literal sense
of the word, and there were but few who
dared approach him after he had ode
clarcdn himself and turned himsel
loose. But on this particular occasion
this bleak, windy day in February, whel
the principal inhabitants OF Pilot Git,
had gathered around tho glowing stove
that warmed the somewhat contracted
limits of the Rats man home
the gaily chattering congregation
had received no intimatiOr
of the approach of the mountain despera
do. 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
Of The ''terrorn darkened the door of the
home, g thunderbolt would not have pro
duced as much genuine surprise, not to
call it astonished apprehension, in the
breasts Of those present, as did the ap
pearance of Eel River Dan. For an in
slant the assemblage sat peui6ed. Then
there was q liuttering movement, and Big
Mike, the boom hand, made a break ful
the rear door. The others only waited to
satisfy themselves that Dan was turned
loose This important doubt having
been dissipated, and the conclusion or
rived at that the mountaineer was IN an
unusually disagreeablc frame of mind,
the remainder of the company withdrew
rather precpitatcly, it must be con
fessed but with sufficient order and reg
ularity 10 escape injury in the crush at
the side door.
As soon rs the list boot heel had
passed over the Tires old Dan smiled
it was not q very seraphic smile, to be
sure, nut Notwithstanding its sardonic
character there could be no mista inc
it for trown or a scoWt Of dIspleasure
With the ordnance still irradiatiAg his
Joated features the desperate passed
behind the bar. and with freedom
peculiar 10 his loose habits, orasped the
demiiohn containing an unusually ardent
article of lumbcrman s suiuce. Throwing
the jug. deftly into the hollow Of hi'
right arm, he poured the yellow distiii
ment into a glass v ich he held in III.
left hand, allowing the liquid to narR
four fingers before he threw the muZzIt
up and returned the Jug to its shell
beneath the bar. He contemplated thC
contents Of the glass for moment
held it up to the light, smacked hi,
lips in anticipation OF the Joy it was
about to confer upon hun, and ther
placed the edge o. the tumbier ginger
Nv to his mouth rs il he wOulC
prolong the delight Of feeling it tricki,
down his copper plated throat into
his sheet-iron stomach. Inch by
inch his ruby nose went upward, drop by
drop the whisky flowed downward. Til
last globule had just passed between hi!
teeth, when bis fiery red eyes, CHANGING
through the bottom Of the ass, fell Up
ON an object, the sight o. which seemel
TO paralyze him. He could MT beiiev,
his senses. lie imagined that some de
feet in the glass through which he was
taking his observations must have pro
duced th+ vision that greeted his gaze
1t could not possibly be the form of ;
man standing there beside the stove
What in idea! What mortal individual
would have the hardillood to remain
u+ho, In Ell ptt-o. D.,n TIC +orpf,.. "a ~,
entire lumber region from Mendocino t.
Trinity, saw fit to enter place OF resort
All no, it certainly could not be a real
living flesh and blood, human being; il
was probably a straw dummy set up by
those cursed hulks that had Just left, anc
the insult thus offered would afford al
excuse for general cleaning out of the
whole internal town.
So he placed the glae on the bar, and
leaning upon his elbows, leveled his gaZt
still more intently upon that dummy
Great Caesars ghost. it moved. Was II
the wind swaying a bundle Of clothes
stuffed with straw Or was it, BY the
great boom at swings over the Jordan
Never before, during career checkered
by almost daily surprises, had Eel River
Dan ever experienced such sudden
shock of establishment For ten second,
by the bar-r0om clock be was powerless
speec less, we'll nigh hfeess. Then -
raised his hands to his face, and leaned
his checks upon them while he studied
the apparition beside the stove
1t y rs little man, hollow-chested
cayern-cheeked, mild-eyed, meek-lnokina
man. Pity al never been distinguish
ing trait in the composition of Dams ma.
ture, bat as he gazed upon this ragged
forl0rn- looking beinS feeling akin II
sympath, began to usurp the place Of
surprise in his breast, and ii was IN I
tone almost tinged with kindness that hi
addressed the sickly warrant.
Bin var ionsf
"EhE"
The reply sounded like the gureling o
blood through the sink-pipes Of dis
secting room.
"Aint BIN Ioatn' round that gar stow
more'n q minute OF two, hey yea
Dams tone was 50 / sinuatino, ant
his intention to avoid hurting the poo
| fellows feelings 30 evident, that a MAJ
| With perccptiye faculties developed tt
! any degree whatever would have under
stood the kindly motive. But the rasi
man at the stove must have been ahnor
mally obtuse, for he gngled forth til
exasperating reply
Ever since thosa other fellows lit oat.
! What
/ Dams eyes we're dilated with the in
/ tensitv of his emotion. Wrath was TAX
I ing the place Of pity.
/ The little inan made 10 reply, bu
rubbed his hands and he'd them, palm
outward, in front Of warm stove.
| "Mebbc you wasn't pawn pertickie
tention 10 what made EN- git up an
/ dust
1t was a forced caImncss that per
meated Dams manner as he inside thi
I last remark.
sDidn't know bnt what Their was 4 dos
( fight or something down the street
Dog fight or somethin, sueered Dan
i reaching glass, .'mel.be yer not acq1laint
cd nth me
4 Whore you.
The man at the stove did not mak
/ this inquiry as if be had any partieuIa