The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-01-20
THE COLONEL.
BY BRET HARTF.

What the Colonel's business was nobody
knew, nor did anybody care particularly.
He purchased for cash only and never
grumbled at the price of anything he want
ed. Who could ask more than that d?
Curious people occasionally wondered
how, when it had been fully two years since
the Colonel, with everybody else, abandoned
Dutch Creek to the Chinese, he managed to
spend money freely and lose considerable at
cards and horse races. In fact, the keeper
of one Of the Challenge Hill saloons that
the Colonel did not patronize was once
heard to wonder, absent mindedly, whether
the Colonel hadn't money mill somewhere
where he turned out eagles and "slugs'' (the
coast name for fifty dollar gold pieces.)
When so important a parsonage as a bar
keeper INDUCED publicly in the idea, the in
habitants Of Challenge Hill like good Cali
forTtans everywhere, considered themselves
as in duty bound to give it grave considera-
ton so for few days certain industrious
professional gentlemen, who won money of
the Colonel, carefully weighed some of the
brightest pieces and tested them with acids,
and sawed them in two and retired them
and melted them and had the humps assayed.
The result was a complete vindication to
the Colonel, ana a loss of considerable pa
tronage to the iEdiscreet bar-keeper.
The Colonel was as good natured a man
as had ever been known on Challenge Hill.
but being mortal, the Colonel had his occas-
ional times Of despondency, and one of them
occurred after a series of races in which he
had staked all on his bay mare Tipsi e, and
had lost.
Looking reproachfully at his beloved ami
nal. he failed to heed the aching void of his
pockets, and drinking deeply, swearing elo-
quenty, and glaring defantly at all man
kind we're equally unprOductive of coin.
The boys at the saloon sympathize most
feeling With the Colonel They were in
creasing in their invitations to drink, and
.hey exhibited considerable Christian fore
bearance when the Colonel savagely dissen-
ted from every one who advan ced the pro-
position, no matter now incontrovertible
Bu5 unappreciated sympathy grows decided
ly tiresOme to the giver, and it was with a
feeling Of relief that the boys saw the Col
onel stride out of the saloon, mount Tipsie,
and gallop suriously away.
Riding on horseback has always been con-
sidered an excellent sort of exercise Rid
ing is universally admitted to be one of the
most healthful means of cxhilers in the
world, but when a man is so absorbed in
this exercise that he will not stop to speak
to his friend, and when his exhiIeration is so
complete that ne turns his eyes from all well
meaning thumbs pointing significantly into
dOorways. through which man has often
ng-CAd xybi1a ;,,a -
is only natural that people should express
some wonder.
The Colonel was well known at Toby
Flat, Lone Hand, Blazers Murderer's Bar,
and several other villages through which he
passed. AS no one had been seen to pre-
cede him, betting men were soon Offering
odds that the Colonel was running away
from somebody.
Strictly speaking they were wrong, but
they had won all the money that had been
staked against then, for within half an hour
there passed over the same road an anxious
looking individual, who reined up in front
of the principal saloons of each place and in
Quired if the Colonel had passed.
Had the gallant Colonel known that he
was followed and by whom, there certainly
would have been IN extra election held in
the latter place vey shortly after for the
pursuer was the constable, and for all Off
GERS of the law the Colonel possessed hatred.
On galloping away the Colonel followed
the stage road, threaded the old mining
camps on Dutch creek, but suddenly he
turned out Of the mad and urged his horse
through the youngest pines and bushes that
grew thickly by the -oad while the conslabl
rode on TO the next -amp.
There seemed to De no path through the
thicket into which The Colonel had turned,
but Tipsie walked between the trees and
shrubs as if they we're familiar objects of
his stable yard.
Suddenly voice Eom the bushes shouted !.
What's up?"
"Business-that'sw what"
'Its time, :" replied its owner, a bearded
six-fOoter, emerged from the bushes and
stroked Tipsie's nos with the freedom of
an old acquaintance. eve amt had a min
since last night, and here amt handful of
-four or cracker il the shanty. The old
gals gone back on yer ?''
Yes" replied the ColOnei, ruefuny :;
''lost every blarsted race 'Twasn't her
fault, bless her, she done her level best
Ev'ry body to home p