Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-03-14
OUTJUGGLED.

"Now, turn your tongue loose, Mac,
and tell us good story; some wild warn.
We don't want any fancy stuff, but a
real adventure, something exciting, out
of your knock-about experiences on the
frontier
1t was during our hunting trip up Red
river into Texas and the Nations" terri
tory. We had camped that night in ;he
shelter of the bluffs, and had a roaring
campfire burning; for clustering
"norther' had come down on us. Mac
had figured as travelling magician.
"Well, gentleman" Mac responded, at
length, and in compliance with our ur-
gent, hilarious demand on him, 81 will
tell you alittle thing that happened to me
once on a time, and not so very long ago,
either. 1t was last fall, in fact, and
came off at one of the Comanche vii
lagos.
about the middle of November,
was trailing my cart and show truck over
the "Sill Route" once more, and
camped for the night at the Comanche
town, as had done hundred times be-
fore that. | knew the bucks, every one
of them, or thought I did, and l felt no
fear of going among 'em alone, though
before I'd always carried driver.
"Well, l hadn't got my supper cooked
before a lot of young braves came down
to my wagon and engaged me for show
that evening in their new school house
Well, they've got one a big log house,
with board floor and seats. 1t had
just been built, and they'd got an edica-
ted half-breed girl to teach.
II told the Young chaps that if they'd
helpme rig little staging and put W
my curtains and raise me five dollars, I'd
give 'em first-class show, with all the
latest performances in legerdemain.
"Well, these young bucks that was
speaking of came down in bout an houl
with half the town, young and old, big
and little, at their heels, and away W.
vent cart, horse and all, over to thu
! school-house, which was built in tht
woods bout forty rods from the village
In q very short space of time we had
narrow staging rugged, and / hung m,
calico curtains cross the front of it
packed in my truck chests, and Will
the house was a-tilling up plumb full o
the black, greasyfaced beggars, go
ready for business.
"They raised me the five dollars il
silver, and paid it cheerful as you please
the beggars'll give their last cent eithe
for drink of whisky or to see any kim
of queer performance that is new t
them.
"Well, opened up on 'em. I pei
formed with rings, with cup and ball
and set 'em all a-grunting and a-chug
gering with delight.
Then l loaded a pistol, marked tn
bullet, and let EN- examine it; and the
handing the pistol to young buck,
told him to shoot me square between tn
eyes. That was too much for them Con
anches; they just gripped their seats an
grunted like lot of wild hogs tina
you've just jumped in a thickSt of sweet
briers.
"That young bucks hand tremble
like mules ear; but he pulled down o
me, gritty like, shut his teeth and Gu
loose. Then them Comanches Just ros
to their feet ana yelled But l steppe
down out of the smoke and motioned 'el
back into their seats, and got 'em quit
agin.
"Then opened my lips and shove
'em the bullet between my teeth, an
when they'd all seen it there, took
out and passed it round. 1t had tn
same marks as the bullet they'd seen m
put in the pistol.
"But hadn't done with 'em yet; foo
! that was, proposed the rope perform
ance, and called on two of their bel
men to come up and tie me, telling 'ei
that | could get out of their knots befol
one of 'em could find time to saddle
pony, if the horse were right there.
81 produced my rope, good long on
three-eighths, and stout enough to hol
two -year-old steer / laid down on Il
platform and told 'em to come on and &
J their tying. AT first they all seemed
little scared of trying; that bullet bus
ness, you see, had made 'em little 81
bout fooling around me.
presently, big, tall, ugly-lookir
old buck, wearing green blanket rour
him and lot of dyed turkey feathers
his hair, came up on the stage and m
. toned to a stout young one, sitting neG
!. to come and help him. The young CHI
trotted up and they went at me.
81 swelled out my muscles with all r
might; you know how the tricks don
but, gentlemen, before they got half do
| knew / was cornered.
~ saw it in that old black villail
wrinkled, scowling face and in his MI
q derous, snaBy little eyes. He was one
their medicine probably the great
of the tribe. The old brute was jealc
of me; and, knowing there was nothi
al any more supernatural about my trio
l. than about his own heedyus jugglir
he'd made up his mind to corral me
one of my own performances.
1tWell oeufIempn that rome U