The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-03-22
Losing Three Bets.

saloon walked up to q big burly miner
one night. and, without saying word,
pulled the miners nose. The miner re-
sented the insult by curling the little
fellow up under billiard table by .
blow from his slege-hammer fist He
came from under the table with brUad
grin on his face and his acquiline nose
slightly out of plumb, remarking: 'tThat
was the first time ever viewed q billiard
table from that position" In about five
minutes he walked up to the miner and
pulled his nose the second time. The
miners arm shot out like lightning and
the nose-puller was waited over a card
table against red-hot stove. When he
regained his feet he winked with the eye
that wasn't hurt, and said: THAT was q
regular bungstarter." The third time
he pulled the miners nose they had to
throw water in his face to bring him to
his senses, if he had any.
Shortly after the little fellows depart
ure, Colonel Stone came into the saloon,
looking as solemn as though he had lost
q wife or a hot toddy. The Colonel
parted his eoat-tail deliberately before
the stove and asked whether there had
been a fight there. He was informed of
mysterious actions of the little fellow
who insisted upon keeping other peoples
noses clean were soon made clear by the
Colonel in this brief manner:
"Last Monday" said the Colonel, "a
seedy little customer claiming to belong
on the klamath reservation applied to
wanted was his board, mind you, and he
hoc Wit, nd -
hundred and fifty dollars ahead of me.
lame, and he said he wanted some xxx
horse iniment to put on the animals 8
limb. At the time I was standing in the
buggy in the alley. I told him there
door. He said there wasn't q drop of
liniment in the stable. / glanced
around and saw the bottle that had
placed above the door Just the day before
he commenced work. 1t was half full.
I told him so. Then he commenced to
get angry, and said he guessed he knew
what was around the stable and what
was not, and he'd bet fifty dollars there
wasn't any horse liniment in the stable.
Thinks to myself, I'll take the conceit
out of that smart Aleck, and put fifty
dollars in sight, and he covered it.
got down the bottle. 1t was empty. The
cussed fool had painted the lower hall
of it black. He said that he always
painted stable bottles that way, and he
| pocketed the coin. He had used all the
lniment that morning.
yesterday afternoon l went out to
the stable and found the hostler looking
intently at two pigeons on the roof. ]
asked him whether those pigeons had
any particular fascination for him. He
said they hadn't, only he was wondering
which would fly first. We gazed at them
about minute, when he said that he
would bet fifty dollars that the one or
the north end of the barn would fly first
took him up, knowing it was no horse
medicine bet, as stood as good a chance
of winning as he did. The stakes were
no sooner laid on the fence-post than hi
pigeon flew. Ileft Immediately for home
madder than a wet hen, and just ont
hundred dollars out of pocket on the
philanthropic hostler who worked fol
his board.
81 got to studying the matter over
and l went back to the stable. Tht
philanthropist was not to be seen abou
the premises. / climbed up in the hay
NOW. One look at the hole in the roof
and a string dangling from the rafter7
with a few pigeon feathers on it satisfied
me that I had taken another dose O
horse medicine. This evening, when
went to the barn found the new hostlel
looking very gloomy. He looked a
though his conscience was troubling him
and / thought he would tighten hi
burden Of remorse by giving me bacl
the money he had swind1ed me out of.
''Says I, 'Zack, what's the matterw
"I feel as though something dread
full was going to happen to me, and
will be sure to strike before morning.
II really felt sorry for the fellow. ant
tried to cheer him up.
".1t's no use, Colonel. I'll bet fift,
dollars that I get knocked down thre
times before morning, and perhaps some
thing worse
81 says: Put up your coin,' and a
he deposited two twenties and ten il
the hands of Bill Sykes, who happenc,
to be passing by, he looked more cheer
full. -.E ,i
81 commenced to think the fellow ha,
a mania for betting and hardly knew
what he was about. knew thathe wa
a very peaceable fellow, having seen hin
take all manner of insults from tn
FOUNDERS when he first struck the town
s'Well, I guess you fellows know tn
rest. just met Sykes a few minute
ago, and he said he had just turned owe
the stakes to Zack on the strength of
dislocated neck, black eye and two
inch cut on his forehead. Tomorrow
lack will get his papers. Pm down o.
cheap labor, anyhow. Come up, boys
and take a small libation with me. "
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