, 1884-03-04
THE TABLES TURNED.
Jake's Mysterious Initia-
ton Al. Fargo
Enduring tho Tests with Becoming
Fortitude---The Last. Ceremony
Too Much--CIearing Out
the Lodge

Tom Holmes in Fargo Republican,
The hour had arrived and the dentist and
his assistant grnsped Jake each by an arm;
the door swung open and he was ushered into
the dimly lighted apartment. As Jake
crossed the threshold his toe struck a bar of
railroad iron and he fell forward with q
heavy thud to the floor.
"who comes thereFu asked q sepulchral
voice.
Zone who wishes to become one OF us and
take upon himself the obligations OF your
holy order" replied the dentist.
HIet the candidate be seated on the throne
Of justice" commanded the first voice, in =
graveyard accent
Jake by this time had regained his perpen-
dicularity, and he was led to q chair, on the
seat OF which several carpet tacks had been
placed, with the inquisitive end upward. On
being asked to be seated he dropped conf
IDENTIFY down on the tacks, only to Use with a
yell and u suddenness that caused the a IL
mated sheets to shift uneasily in their posi-
lions. When Jake had become quiet the
man with the sepulSbral voice said: "'Tis
well. He has been tried; he has been weighed
in the balance of justice and has not been
found wanting. His conscience is tender; let
the brother be placed on the anvil Of persecu-
ton that his temper may be tried"
Jake was led to the center Of the apart
Henb ana tue ueutlsL anu LIS hsslsLhuuS UOOk
their positions on each side OF him; each took
a bag, shaped like a large bologna sausage,
in his hands; the bags had been stuffed with
some dust, and a blow from one Of them,
while not dangerous, would lay q person out
in short order.
All was ready and the sepulchral voice
said: ADO you hereby agree to stand by usi'
~ lido" Before Jake, Id finish the
answer the stuffed bags lit on the back of his
neck and shoulders, and he was knocked
down under a wash-stand in the corner.
He was dragged out and put into position
again.
@Do you promise to control your temper at
all timesf' ~ -" This time the bags
hit him with the force of a landslide, and
when he stopped he WAS damned In between
a bookcase and coal stove, that seemed bent
on making it as unpleasant as possible for
him, by raising blisters on his legs.
Not a murmur had escaped the lips of Jake.
and when be was led out the man with the
hollow voice said: Dear brother, you have
withstood the test with a fortitude that be-
speaks your vorthiness of becoming one Of
us. You are now to be put to the last and
most rigid test; il you bear this as well as
you have borne the others the highest honor
@. the society shall be conferred upon you.
Brother Conductor, lead the candidate to the
hair of distraction"
Slowly Jake was led up to the dentists
chair and seated himself with a suspicious
air that indicated the impression left by the
tacks had not been eradicated from his mind.
In compliance with the request of the dentist
he leaned back and opened his mouth: grasp
ing a pair Of forceps the tooth puller buokled
to one of Jake's back teeth and commenced
to yank, while his assistant held the victims
head down. This was too much for the cow
boy; his nerves went all to pieces as he felt
the grip Of the foroeps, and he commenced to
struggle. In his efforts to get free he some
how loosed the ropes on his hands and got
them free. To tear the bandage from his
eyes was the work of but a minute. When
he saw the tall white forms surrounding him
In the dim light, and the dentist standing
near him with the forceps in his hand, Jake
went wild. He extracted a seven
shooter from the depths OF his hip
pocket and began to shoot holes
through the walls; this had a wonderful
effect on the tall, white figures; the sheets
>egan to unfold, and in less than a minute
Jake had the whole crowd around him on
their knees begging for mercy. "Git up,
thar" he yelled, as he fourished his re-
v~olver, "git inter the chair OF Distraction: I'll
teach yer ter try yer pranks on a Montana
cowboy; git up thar" The dentist shivering
with fear, climbed into the chair, and Jake,
clutching the forceps, yanked out ono of his
teeth without any apparent consideration
for the patients feeling. Each one of the
prosecutors was treated to the same process.
Jake then opened the door and, grasping one
Of the stuffed bags, let one Of the boys
through at a time and gave them an incen-
tive with the bag as they passed that sent
them clean across the ante-room. Jake is
now left to pursue the even tenor OF his ways
-
always take off their hats as they pass him
ON the street.