The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-04-16
0UTJUGGLED.

''Now, turn your tongue loose, Mac,
and tell us Il good story; some wild yarn.
We don't want any fancy stuff, but a
real adventure, something exciting, out
of your knockabout experiences on the
frontier ~
1t was during our hunting trip up Red
river into Texas and the Nations tess
tory. We had camped that night in ;he
shelter of the bluffs, and had a roaring
campfire burning; for clustering
''northern 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, II will
tell you alittle thing that happened to me
once on 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 did, and felt no
fear of going among 'em alone, though
before I'd always carried a driver.
"Well, | hadn't got my supper cooked
before lot of young bravos came down
to my wagon and engaged me for a 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.
al told the young chaps that if they'd
help me rig little staging and put up
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 hour
with half the town, young and old, big
and little, at their heels, and away we
went, cart, horse and all, over to the
school house, which was built in the
woods bout forty rods from the village
In very short space of time we had a
narrow staging rugged, and | hung nay
calico curtains cross the front of it,
packed in my truck chests, and while
the house was a-iilling up plumb full of
the black, greasy-faced beggars, l got
ready for business.
''They raised me the five dollars in
silver, and paid it cheerful as you please (;
the beggars1! give their last cent either
for drink of whisky or to see any kind
of queer performance that is new to
them.
''Wen, l opened up on 'em. l per-
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 the
bullet, and let EN- examine it; and then
handing the pistol to a young buck,
told him to shoot me square between the
eyes. That was too much for them Com
anches; they just gripped their seats and
grunted like a lot of wild hogs that
you've just jumped in thicket of sweet
briers.
"That young bucks hand trembled
like mules ear; but he pulled down on
me, gritty like, shut his teeth and cut
loose. Then them Comanches just rose
TO their feet and yelled But | stepped
down out of the smoke and motioned 'em
back into their seats, and got 'em quiet
agin.
"Then l opened my lips and showed
'em the bullet between my teeth, and
when they'd all seen it there, took it
out and passed it round. 1t had the
same marks as the bullet they'd seen me
put in the pistol.
"But hadn't done with 'em yet; fool
that was, proposed the rope perform
ance, and called on two of their best
men TO come up and tie me, telling 'em
that could get out of their knots before
one of 'em could find time to saddle 4
pony. if the horse were right there
~ produced my rope, good long one,
three-eighths, and stout enough to hold
two-year-old steer laid down on the
platform and told 'em to come on and dc
their tying. At first they all seemed {
little scared of trying; that bullet busi
ness, you see, had made 'em little shy
bout fooling around me,
Presently, big, tall, ugly-lookln2
old buck, wearing green blanket rounC
him and lot of dyed turkey feathers II
his hair, came up on the stage and mo
toned to a stout young one, sitting near
to come and help him The young cha
trotted up and they went at nae.