The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-10-12
AClo,se Call.
(Texas sifdngs,l

DO you see that man going up on the
other side of street? Well, sir, that iden-
teal man was as near death one day last
week as man ever gets to be and live.
lust tell you it was narrow escape" s
"How was it2 Was he I'M railroad
smash up, or did he get choked trying to
swallow one of your fish stories"
"No, sir; he was ina tight place, but
superstition saved him. You have heard
ofpeople dying from the effects of super
stitious beliefs, but I'll bet that is the first
man you ever saw whose life was saved
by superstition. confess 1 am supersti-
tous. 1t is very foolish, but I acknowl-
edge my weakness. This is howit hap
pened: That man over there-his name
is Culcut-he met me on the street and
cussed me. and told me was liar. 1t
was all on account of an old trouble. I
got blazing mad and 1 was just ready to
jump on him 'whenI happened to re-
member"
''That he was bigger than your"
'No, it wasn't that"
"Afraid that he had pistol?"
"No, sir; but just as I was about to hit
him fatal blow at the butt of the ear, it
all at once flashed over my mind that it
was Friday, and you know Friday is an
unlucky day to begin anything on.
was, therefore, baked of my revenge,
and Culcut was saved for the time being.
But he was rash, reckless and foolhardy.
He did not realize the close call he had,
and he reached out for me and hit me
against the grocery store, Earring the es-
Enlistment from the soap boxes in the
cellar to the damaged coffee drying on
the roof, was mad, tell you, and was
about to pound him into jelly when
thought"
Thought he might hit you again, did
you?"
"No; I thought of "a dream I had the
night before. had dreamed Of. eggs.
In my dream saw pale youth cat six
dozen hard-boiled eggs. Knowing that
everything one does the day after dream
ing of eggs lis unlucky and turns out bad.
ly, let him off again. but he did not
appreciate my leniency. With a hair
Drained temerity that was worthy of a
nobler cause, lie caught me bv the neck
and banged my head on the, sidewalk.
This time was determined to end his
brief earthly career. When l got up
went for him. Twas just raging and
could hardly see for the sparks that were
flashing from my eyes. AS 1 was about
giving him coup de grace with my
left hand, it all at once OCCURRED to me
that"
"That you had enough?"
"No; that 1 had that morning spilled
The salt at breakfast. You know that
there is nothing presages such disaster MS
that. I held off ON that account, and ives
turning to go away when apparently with
an insane1 desire to throw away his life
and die in his tracks, Culcut Knocked me
down and stamped on me. When I got
up I didn't care cent for Friday, or egg
dreams, or anything else. My blood was
up. was determined to wipe him out
of existence, letting his blood be on his
own head, but just as I was in the act Of
gathering myself together for spring at
him I realized"
"That you we're dodgasted fool for
not runningP'
"Not at all. realized that this would
be my thirteenth fight. I had been
licked twelve times during my short life
and thirteen being an unlucky number
I did not wish to risk myselfin the thir-
teenth difticulty'just then, so I yelled for
the police and they..came and prevented
Culcut from exasperating me beyond en-
durance. assure you, sir, he had close
call. fit had not been for my super
stitious feelings, nothing could have saved
him."