The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 18??-1882, 1882-02-17
RETIRING FROM BUSI-
NESS.
BRET HARTE.

BRET HARTE.
What the ColOnels business was no
body knew, nor did anybody care par.
ticularly. He purchased for cash only
and never grumbled at the price OF
anything he wanted. Who could ask
more than that?
Curious people occasionally wonder
ed how, when it had been fully two
years since the Colonel, with every one
else, abandoned Dutch Greek to the
Chinese, he managed to spend money
freely and to lose considerable at cards
and horse races. In fact, the keeper of
that one Of the Challenge Hill saloons
which the Colonel did not patronize
was once heard to wonder, absent-mind-
edly, whether the Colonel hadn't a
money mill somewhere where he turn
ed out eagles and "slugs" (the coast
name of $50 gold pieces). When so
important a parsonage as a barkeeper
indulged publicly in the idea, the in
habitants of Challenge Hill, like. good
CalifOrnians everywhere, considered
themselves in duty bound to give it
grave consideration; so for few days
certain Industrious professional gentle
men, who won money to the Colonel,
carefully weighed some of the bright
est pieces and tested them with acids,
and sawed them in two, and retired
them, and melted them up, and had
the lump assayed. The result was the
complete vindicatiOn of the Colonel,
and the loss of considerable custom to
the indiscreet barkeeper.
The Colonel was as good-natured a
man as had ever been known on Chal-
lenge Hill, but being mortal, the Col
onel had his occasional times Of de-
spondency, and one of them occurred
after a series of races in which he had
staked his all OH his bay mare Tipsie
and had lost. Looking reprOachfully
at his beloved animal, he failed to heed
the aching void of his pockets, and
drinking deeply, swearing eloquently
and glaring defiantly unproductive of
the coin.
The boys at the saloon sympathized
most feelingly with the Colonel.
They were unceasing in their invita-
tions to drink, and they exhibited con-
siderable Christian forbearance when
the Colonel savagely dissented from
every one, who advanced any PROPOSE
tiOn, no matter how uncontrovertible.
But unappreciated sympathy grows de-
cidedly tiresOme to the giver, and it
was with feeling of relief that the
boys saw the Colonel stride out sof the
saloon, mount Tipsie and gallop furious
ly away. Riding on horseback has al
ways been considered an excellent sort
of exercise. Riding Is universally ad-
mitted to be one Of the most healthful
means of exhiiaration in the world, but
when a man is so absorbed in this ex-
ercise that he will not stop to speak to
his friend, and when his exhilaration
is so complete that he turns his eyes
from all well-meaning thumbs point
ing significantly into doorways,
through which a man had often passed
while seeking bracing influences, it is
only natural that people should express
some wonder.
The Colonel was well-knOwn at Tod.
dy Flat, Lone Hand, Blazers, Murder
,er's Bar, and several other villages
through which he passed. AS no one
had been seen to precede him betting
men were soon Offering odds that tht
Colonel was running away from some
body.
Strictly speaking they were wrong
but they all won the money that had
been staked against them, for within
half an hour there passed over the same
road an anxious looking individua
who reigned up in front of the princi
pal saloon OF each place, and he in
quired If the Colonel had passed. Hat
the gallant Colonel known that he wa
followed, and by whom, there certain
ly would have been an extra election
held at the latter place very shortl.
after, for the pursuer was the cOnsta
BILE, and for all officers of the law tn
Colonel possessed hatred.
On galloping away the Colonel fol
lowed the stage road. which threade,
the old mining camps on Dutch Greek
but suddenly he turned out Of the roa
and urged his horse through the young
est pines and bushes which grew YER
thickly by the roadside, while the cor
stable road on to the next camp.
There seemed to be no path throug
the thicket into which the Colonel ha
turned, but Tipsie walked between th
trees and shrubs as if they were famil
lar objects of her stable-yard.
Suddenly voice from the busht
shouted: "What's up?'
Business-that's what
its time, replied the voice, and il
owner, a bearded six-footer, emerge
from the bushes and stroked Tipsie
nose with the freedom of an old a
quaintance. we amt had nip sin'
last night, and their amt a cracker or
handful of -four in the shanty.'
The man led the way and Tipsie ar
the Colonel followed, and the trio su
denly found themselves before a Il
hut, before which sat three solemn, di
consolate individuals, who looked I
appealingly to the Colonel.