The daily Cairo bulletin., 1883-11-20
TUSSLE IN THE DARK.
WI at Caused Country Parson to
Shut up His Hymn Book
and Swear.
rArkansaw W Traveler.1

spent several nights very quietly, but aftel
the fourth night be engaged boardat cheaI
lodging-house.
care you ready to go up to your roomf
askel Mr. Mulkittle
"Yes, the conolel replied. 'I reckin car
sleep, but don't know. Lying around towr
don't agree with me- | am used TO work
and II had couple Of trees 10 chop down
think could regain some Of my lost physi-
cal force.n
Don't you call preaching workp asked
Brother Mulkittle.
"Well it is work after fashion, but il
don't loosen up the joints like splitting rails
Did you ever split railsi'
''No, and | hope ] never shall.n
81 hope you do not consider yourself abov.
such workr
'Its not that, Brother Clint. | don't COP
slider myself above milking COW, but do
not care to engage in the exercise"
why did you single out a cow!n
Just happened TO think of a COW, that's
ALL
Didn't somebody tell you that milk the
cows at homer
81 have never heard of anything Of the
kind
Then you are certain you meant no disre.
Spect 10 me when you referred TO the cowln
why, my dear sir, such an idea is pre-,
posterousn
Not 50 preposterous as you may suppose,
sir know town people have disposition
to make fun Of people who live in the coun.
try, and want you TO understand that if
am country preacher | ain't slouch. ]
eau preach all around any man in this
town.
u think you are over-sensitive, Brother
Clint, and are disposed to be quarrelsome.
This should be an occasion Of great brotherly
love, and understand rue when | say that |
shall not be Instrumental in making it other.
wise. Your bed is ready, and there is a lamp
in your room. Good night
Col. Clint, without replying, sought hi.
room. He lay on the bed and tossed awhile,
and then remorse began to seize him. 81
would go down and ask his pardon he
unused, but he's gone to bed. Hello, what,
thatT and he listened. Somebody outside
quarreling with Mulkittle. I'll 20 down and
maui the wretch
Just as Mr Mulkittle had stretched him.
self on the bed, his wife, in great fright, ex
claimed;
There's somebody trying to get in at the
front door"
Mr.. Mulkittle went to the door aad do.
manded, Who's there'n
Me, replied a voice
who's mei'
u don't know who you are, replied the
voice of drunken man. "Must have been
out mighty late with the boys if you halter
ask every teller that COMES along who you
are, Who do you reckin you are, anyway r
and he laughed and slapped himself.
III you don't 90 away from there I'll come
out there and hurt you.n
You're the man l want to do bushes
with
| II am, ehi' and DIR. Mulkittle threw opel
| the door. The fellow rau away, Mr.. Mul
kittle following him to the yard gate. Jus
as the preacher re-entered the door, he wa
, confronted by the colonel The colonel mis-
! took Mulkittle for a burglar, and it fiashet
across Mulkittles mind that the drunker
dodge had been device to get him ava,
from the door so that a robber could enter
The two men did not speak, but grappled will
each other. Mulkittle is not slow in ''tus
sle," and the colonel, fact proudly recorded
by historians, is at home in a hand to hanC
encounter There was just light enough il
the hall for the men to see each other
but not enough to admit of recognition
Selecting his opportunity with the circum
spection of physical scientist, Mr.. Mulkittl
planted stunning blow between-he eyes of hi
adversary, but ere he could follow up the ad
vantage thus gained, the colonel violating tht
/ international treaty, struck Mulkittle below
the belt, shutting him up like knife. Th
colonel Sprang forward 10 avail himself O
the point gained, but Mulktttle Strengthened
up with the colonel on the back of his neck
| Then followed series of scramblings with ,
view to proper adjustment. Just at this tim,
Mrs. Mulkittle rushed into the hall with til,
handle of duster She leveled a blow, sh.
did not know at whom, but it struck tn,
colonel across the ankle bone.
Hold on" he yelled, al pass. can stant
good deal, but when l get crack acros
that bone I'm done"
Great heavens!' exclaimed Mr.. Mulkittle
sis it your
"Oh, no." replied the colonel in agonv
sits not ME, It's the feller that keeps tht
tollgaten
Bring alight, This is very unfortunate
declare"
yes" the colonel replied cts id unfor
tunate. don't use such expressions, as q
rule; that is | don't swear by note, but
when man deliberately sets trap for me
after speaking contemptuously of my milking
cows, and then gets his wife to hop out and
whack Inc with a pole, then l shut up the
hymn book and swear"
'You are entirely wrong, my dear broth
err
Don't brother me. I'll take you out here
and break you against a tree. Lemme get
the balance of my clothes and I'll leave you I"
When he came down stairs again, Mrs
Mulkittle, seeing that her husband had failed,
attempted to effect compromise, but he
waved her Off. "No, madam, your husband
may be good man, and may walk beside
all the still waters he can find, and loll in all
the green pastures in the neighborhood, but
when man instructs his wife TO whack my
ankle bone, I'm done Good night" and he
sought the cheap lodging house.
cutting shaft Under Difficulties.
TChicago Herald