The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-05-31
THE LONG PACK. :"

road that runs throug gh' the Cascita pass IS small tavern. much frequented by commercial travellers. and which bears the odd title of " The Long Pack
 Does that mean a long pack of cards 7 inquired a traveller, glancing at the swinging signboard, which also repre- sented the weather-worn picture of some thing faintiy resembling soldiers over grown knapsack.
 No,' replied the gray-haired land. lord It means peddler's pack. Now. a-days they call them sample-cases. be- lieve, pointing to the baggage of several commercial drummers that stood in a corner. You see l have good deal oi that sort of custom. try to make the
 road boys as comfortable as possible, for was little hard on their fraternity once,
 How was that?r
 Well, said the mountain bonitace who had waited until his daughter. a buxom matron, had Jeff the room. : i, amt very pleasant story, but l like to tell It sometimes, just to remind myself that the worst thing a man can have in this world is hot, obstinate temper
 You see. l came to this coast soon after the gold fever broke out, and settled down in the Santa Barbava valley below here, ranching. Twas a widower even then, and had brought with me from the states my only child-a daughter, pas, seventeen. She was pretty girl, if i do say, and being as good as pretty, you can imagine was quite wrapped up in her. or course, l was anxious to keep her with me. and if no, that, at least I looked for her to do something better than to fall in love with a peddler.r
 !" And did she?-
 Yes you see. in those days the coun- try was full of young fellows who had struck out for themselves and were trying to get start by carrying knicknaeks around from one town or mining camp to another. Some of them were lively chaps enough and we'll educated, bu, was fresh from the states with all the eastern predjudices, and l, almost drove me wild when Nellie told me she wanted to marry young fellow who brought his pack through our district a good deal oftener than his trade seemed 10 require. So stormed, threatened, locked Nellie up for week and sen, word 10 her lover sha, l had loaded my gun for wildcats and peddlers.,
 "What did Nellie do =
 You might have guessed 1t. stranger. One day when came back from a cattle sale she was missing. l chased her a couple of days, bu, they had taken to the tail timber and it was no use. After awhile got letter from Frisco. and wrote back saying ,ha, disowned her and that he had better keep ost of the range of my deer rifie.'
 "Wha, did you do then ?f
 Suffered, mister-lust suffered | knew l was wrong, but I'd have died rather than give Tn. For four years lived like toad Ia rock, hating the whole world. All the pleasure | had was in watching for peddlers. The num- Der l licked and chased of the ranch during that time would astonish you. One evening after terrible rain storm. one of the tribe came to my house and asked me for shelter for the night. He vas thin, weak looking fellow, with his lace covered by a huge ragged beard. He carried on his back an enormously ong and heavy pack, and seemed so ex- naus,ed with his tramp through the mire hat hadn't the heart to do more than order him of the place.
 That was pretty hard,' said the lis- ener
 suppose 1t was. The peddler seem- I'd all broke up when he found wouldn't even give him a bunch of straw in the 'taole, and no other house within twelve niles Instead Of complaining. however. ,e merely begged that l would allow Jim to leave his pack. which he said goods of value. under shelter rom the rain. finally consented 10 his. So, as had sworn one of his trade mould nevef cross my threshold, car 'ied his pack inside, while it's owner imped of 10 crawl under some bush CT ,ther'
 Didn't you feel mean ?"
 Yes mean and bitter a, the same ime, for something abou, the man re- minded me of Neliiess husband a little ] However locked and barred all the ioors and windows, as usual, for some oad agents had been around those parts bout that time, and had stood up and I obbed several ranehers; and, as 1 told i 'ou, was all alone. Somehow. 1 | go to sleep when, after tha, l vent to bed. And after tossing around l or awhile. got up and sat by the fire, 'rooding over my troubles, and trying | lot to think of the roor devil shivering 'ut there in the cold and rain some i where l looked at his pack sitting up D the corner, and wondered what made | so long. As l watched i. fancied | aw it move"
 Saw ii mover
 Exactly. lyouldn', believe my eyes lt first, but after watching intently for | while, distinctly saw the front of a | land pressed against the canvas from the | nside. Like flash then understood | he whole thing. The peddler was one 'f the road agents gang, and, knowing l lad considerable money about the house. hey had adopted that plan for smuggling me of their crew inside the house. After
 had gone to sleep, the fellow inside 'culd let in the rest and finish the iob.
 walked quietly across the room, took ny gun from the antlers, knelt down | ew feet from the pack, aimed square in