Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1882-01-12

| purse, he exclaimed:
"Come, Colonel, business before
pleasure let's divide and scatter. Eff
anybody should hear about it and find
our trail an sketch the brads IN our
possession they might
''Dlvide it yourselves! said the
Colonel, with abruptness and a great
oath. II don't want none of it,
"Colonel," said Perkins, removing
bis own domino and looking anxious
ly into the leaders, face, she you
sick? Here's some bully brandy
which l found in the passengers
pockets
cit hain't nothin' replied the
Colonel, with averted eyes. ''I'm
goln', and I'm retirin' from business
forever
''Ain't goin' to turn evidence?"
cried Cranks, grasping pistol on
the table.
''Pm agoin' to make lead mine
of you eff you don't take that back !"
roared the Colonel, with bound that
caused Cranks to drop the pistol and
retire precipitately, apologizing as he
went. ''Im agoin' to attend to my
own business, and that's enough to
keep anybody busy. Somebody lend
me fifty dollars until see him
again"
Perkins pressed the money in the
Colonel's hand, and within two min
utes the Colonel was on Tipsie's back
and gallop.ng off ia the direction the
stage had taken.
He overlook it, passed it, and still
he galloped on.
The people of Mud Gulch knew
the Colonel well and made it a rule
never to be astonished at anything he
did, but they made an exception to
the rule when the Colonel canvassed
the municipal bar-rooms for men who
wished to buy horse, and when a
gambler who was flush obtained Tip
sic for twenty slugs- only $4,000
when the Colonel had always said
there was not gold enough on top of
the ground to buy her, Mad Gulch
experienced a sensation.
But when the Colonel, after remain
ing IN the barber shop for haitian hour,
emerged with his face clean-shavei
and his hair nicely parted, betting
was SO wild that cool headed sport
ing man speedily made fortune by
betting against every theory that had
beer advanced.
Then the Colonel made a tour of
the store and fitted himself with a
new suit of clothes, carefully eschew-
ing all of the gorgeous patterns and
pronounced colors so dear to the
heart of the average miner. He
bought new hat and pat on pair
of boots, and pruned his finger nails,
and, stranger than all, he mildly de-
ciined all invitations to drink.
AS the Colonel stood at the door oI
the principal saloon. where the stage
always stopped, the Challenge Hill
constable was seen to approach the
| Colonel and tap him on the shoulder,
when all the men who bet that the
Colonel was dodging somebody
claimed the stakes. But those who
stood near the Colonel heard the con
stable say:
Colonel, take it all back. When
seed you go out of Challenge Hill
it come to me that you might he il
the road agent business. But wher
) l seed you sell Tipsie l knew l was
on the wrong trail. / wouldn't sus
pect you now if all the stages in the
world was robbed; and I'll give you
satisfaction anyway you want It,
"It's all right" said the Colonel
with smile. The constable af
terward said that nobody had any
idea how curiously the Colonel
smiled when his bead was off.
Suddenly the stage pulled up tt
the door with a crash, and the male
passengers hurried into the saloon ir
state of utter Indignation and impe
cunioslty.
The story of the robbery attracted
everybody, and during She excite.
ment the Colonel slipped out quietly
and opened the door of the stage
The old lady Started and cried:
"George!"
| And the Col>ael jumped in the
stage and, putting his arm tenderly
around the old lady, exclaimed:
"Mother!''