The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-02
TUSSLE IN THE DARK.
What Caused a Country Parson to
Shut up His Hymn Book
and Swear.

care you ready to go up to your roomr'
asked Mr.. Mulkittle.
Eyes" the conolel replied. 81 reckin I can
sleep, but l don't know. Lying around town
don't agree with me. / am used TO work,
and II | had a couple Of trees to chop down l
think l could regain some Of my lost physi-
cal force
Don't you call preaching workf' asked
Brother Mulkittle.
"Well, it is work after a fashion, but it
don't loosen up the joints like splitting rails.
Did you ever split rnils"
"No, and l hope / never shall"
81 hope you do not consider yourself above
such workf'
ITS not that, Brother Clint. 1 don't con-
slider myself above milking a COW, but do
not care to engage in the exercise"
"Why did you single out a cowf'
"Just happened to think of a COW, that's
all"
Didn't somebody tell you that l milk the
cows at homer"
81 have never heard of anything of tho
kind"
''Then you are certain you meant no disre-
Gpect to me when you referred to the cowF'
why, my dear sir, such an idea is pre-
posterous."
mot 50 preposterouS as you may suppose,
sir. know town people have a disposition
TO make fun Of people who live in the coun-
try, and l want you to understand that IL l
am a country preacher l amt a SLOUGH. 1
can preach all around any man in this
town"
81 think you nre over-sensitive, Brother
Clint, and are disposed TO be quarrelsome.
This should be an occasion of great brothcrly
love, and understand me when l say that l
shall not he instrumental in making it other
wise. Your bed is ready, and there is u lamp
in your room. Good night"
Col. Clint, without replying, sought his
room. He lay on the bed and tossed awhile,
and then remorse began TO seize him. 81
would go dow and ask his pardon he
unused, but he's gone to bed. Hello, what's
thntr' and he listened. Somebody outside
qunrreling with Mulkittle. I'll go down and
maui the wretch.
Just as Mr.. Mulkittle had stretched him
self ON tine bed, his wife, in a great fright, ex-
claimed:
There's somebody trying to get in at the
front door"
Mr.. Mulkittlo went to the door and do
manded, who's theref'
me" replied a voice.
"Who's mef'
81 don't know who you are" replied the
voice Of a drunken man. "Must have been
out mighty lato with the boys il you halter
ask every Teller that comes along who you
ARE. Who do you reckin you are, anyway
and he laughed and slapped himself.
"If You don't go away from there III come
out there and hurt you"
YOUR the man l want to do business
with
AZ am, ehfn and Mr.. Mulkittlo threw open
the door. The fellow ran away, Mr.. Null
bdttlo following him to the yard gate. Just
as the preacher re-entered the door, he was
confronted by the colonel. Thu colonel mis-
took Mulkittle for a burglar, and it flashed
across Mulkittle's mind that the drunken
dodge had been a device 10 get him away
from the door so that a robber could enter.
The two men did not speak, but grappled with
each other. Mulkittle is not slow in n 'tus-
sic" and the colonel, a fact proudly recorded
by historians, is at home in n hand to hand
encounter. There was just light enough in
the hall for the men TO see each other,
but not enough TO admit of recognition.
Selecting his opportunity with the circum-
spection of n physical scientist, Mr.. Mulkittle
planted a stunning blow between the eyes of his
adversary, but ere he could follow up the ad-
vantage thus gained, the colonel, violating the
International treaty, struck Mulkittle below
the belt, shutting him up like n knife. The
colonel sprang forward TO avail himself OF
tho point gained, but Mulktttle Strengthened
up with the colonel on the back OF his neck.
Then followed n series OF scrnmblings with a
view to proper adjustment. Just ut this time
Mrs. Mulkittle rushed into the hall with the
handle Of a duster. She leyeled a blow, she
did not know at whom, but 1t struck the
colonel across the ankle zone
Hold oni' he yelled, 81 pass. l can stand
a good deal, but when l get II crack across
TINT bone I'm DONE
'Great heavensI' exclaimed Mr.. Mulkittle,
dis it your
"Oh, no. replied the colonel In agony,
''it's not mo. It's the Teller that keeps the
tollgato.n
Bring a light. This is very unfortunate,
l dcclare.n
YES, - the colonel replied ''its id unfor-
tunate. don't use such expressions, as n
rule; that is, / don't swear by note, but
when n man deliberately sets a trap for me,
after speaking contemptuously OF my milking
cows, and then gets his wife TO hop out and
whack me with n. pole, then 1 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 n tree. Lemme get
the balance of my clothes and I'll you. "
When he came down stairs again, Mrs.
Mulkittle, seeing that her husband had failed,
attempted to effect u compromise, but he
waved her of. mo, madam, your husband
may be a good man, and may walk beside
all the still waters he can ind. and loll in all
the green pastures in the neighborhood, but
when u man instructs his wife to whack my
ankle bone, I'm done. Good night and he
sought the cheap lodging-house.