Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-06-13
No EmbezzIement.

One night when I had retired Mt my
usual hour about ten o'clock, thinking
sleep was ready TO 90 to bed, too, 1
found was laboring under n mistake.
Sleep wanted to remain up awhile
longer. My thoughts got to wandering.
and ! thought about-which, no doubt,
is true that there are plenty of fodes
yet undiscovered that are lust rs extern
sive and rich rs the Comstock lode. II
appeare To mo that il would be a good
thing to discover aud own one of these
hidden lode For some time my mind
was given to the matter. and with more
earncstneSs tian the probability of find
ing such a lode called for. IL really got
To- be time that / was asleep, if expect
ed any rest that night. But sleep eluded
me. Twas taking too lively an interest
in the mining industry. You can't lay
hold Of sleep bodily. rs you would seize
hold OF n pump handle. / would lie on
my right side awhile. then Oh NV left.
aud didn't feel cool on either. felt
tired had been working too hard in the
mines. Then | would draw M nv
knees: next coil like a dog. Still sleer
did not take pity on me and 60 to roosi
ON my weary eyelids. The clock struck
. twelve. and / heard the chickens crow.
/ was glad To know they were awake
that there was something besides myself
that couldn't sleep. Counting myself
To sleep occurred to me. began.
When the clock struck one I had
5000 counted. That didn't seem To be
much. and wondered il | couldn't dc
better than that in the next hour set
out i'm the direction Of two o'clock,
counting little faster. The clock struck
two aud / had 10000 | had got to-
gether from one TO two, making ~, OOC
in all. now began To think OF how
many could count by three o'clock. i'll
got down to business. turned loose. As
three struck had 1900. lacking about
an inch. which l traversed before the
sound of the strokes died away.
/ was getting warmed up to my work
aud wanted to wake up fellow in the
next room and bet him that / could get
1000 by daybreak or six o'clock.
didn't awaAe him though; he was a
stranger, and large. threw off one of
the llankets and sped away toward
four clock. A. four was tolled off /
had so close TO $4,000 that l claimed il.
IL was allowed to me by the referee. I
could feel my heart beat with excite
ment rs l threw OIL another blanket and
started for the next station. When the
clock began to strike five I wanted n
few hundred of having II, 900, but by o
counting about 100 to each stroke
of the clock-l4. 900 was reached, max
ing jS,O0) so far. There was only an
hour left in which to count 1900, to
make the $1,000 that / was struggling
for But my blood was up and would
try IL. As swung away on the final
heat, threw oil from the bed the final
blanke. and unbuttoned the collar OF
my nightshirt. was perspiring freely.
i came laundering in on the home
stretch. straining every nerve to make
10000. As the clock struck six and the
rosy dawn peeked in ut my window
lacked n hundred or two of the 1900,
but skipped up 10 il on the last st -oke.
IL was no ENLIGHTENMENT; nobody was
paving me for counting; and the count
ing | was doing didn't belong to any
body.
arose from my couch to begin she
duties Of the day. | didn't feel rested;
felt more like had been trying 70 head
off n runaway calf. Counting may dc
for thin sort of pastime; il Is cheaper
than billiards; but as an excitement 70
arouse sleep i can't recommend it =
Lock Melofie, IN San Franciscan.